Thompson & Morgan

How ethical is Thompson & Morgan?

Thompson & Morgan is a garden seeds and plants retailer which has fallen below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Garden Suppliers Ratings Table. Thompson & Morgan’s below-benchmark performance is driven by poor ratings for environmental reporting, peat free status, and packaging.

What does Thompson & Morgan do?

Thompson & Morgan was established in Ipswich in 1855 and is now operated by Branded Garden Products Ltd, a multi-brand horticultural group which also owns Suttons and Dobies. The company has built its reputation on introducing new and unusual plant varieties to UK gardeners, and was the first to bring F1 hybrid vegetable seed to the UK market. Thompson & Morgan supplies flower and vegetable seeds, plants, bulbs, and garden sundries directly to consumers via its website and catalogues.

Why does Thompson & Morgan fall below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s benchmark?

Thompson & Morgan’s below-benchmark performance is driven by poor ratings across three environmental criteria, with no acceptable ratings across any criterion assessed. The poor rating for environmental report is the most significant. For a brand with over 170 years of horticultural heritage and a strong reputation for plant variety innovation, the absence of a published environmental report means that Thompson & Morgan’s sustainability commitments and practices are not transparently disclosed. Publishing a comprehensive environmental report would address this gap.

Thompson & Morgan also receives poor ratings for peat free status and packaging. Transitioning to peat-free growing media across its product range and strengthening packaging standards across its direct mail and online operations would bring both ratings in line with the stronger performance demonstrated across other criteria, and align Thompson & Morgan with the direction of the wider horticultural sector.

Thompson & Morgan does perform well across several criteria, achieving good ratings for fossil fuels, animal welfare, armaments, irresponsible marketing, and political donations, with no documented public record criticisms. These reflect solid ethical conduct across governance criteria. However, the poor ratings for environmental reporting, peat free status, and packaging mean that Thompson & Morgan falls below the benchmark required by The GOOD Shopping Guide.

Consumers seeking garden suppliers that meet The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult our Ethical Garden Suppliers Ratings Table and our guide to ethical garden suppliers, and seek out brands that hold The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation. Our how we rate page explains the criteria used to assess all brands in this sector.