Business news in brief: Berwick Garden Centre | Spirit | Stagecoach

NICK Crabbie, managing director of Berwick Garden Centre, is to open a branch in Dunbar in the spring after securing £2.5 million from NatWest under the UK government’s Funding for Lending scheme.

The Dunbar Garden Centre will create 40 jobs after receiving 600 applications.

Crabbie said: “We received four offers from different banks but what swung the deal in favour of NatWest was the advice received.”

Cold snap hits sales at pubs firm Spirit

PUBS operator Spirit has blamed a return to wintery conditions at the start of the year for a drop in sales, but it remains confident of meeting full-year expectations.

The owner of the Chef & Brewer and John Barras chains said like-for-like sales at its managed pubs in the eight weeks to 2 March were down 1.1 per cent on last year, when the weather was much milder.

Analysts at Shore Capital expect the firm to deliver a full-year profit of £56.8 million.

Alexander Dennis wins hybrid order

STAGECOACH is buying three hybrid buses from Falkirk-based manufacturer Alexander Dennis for its Aberdeen operations.

The Perth-based transport group is investing £500,000 in the deal, with the Scottish Government contributing a further £311,000 from its Green Bus Fund.

Last year the company bought ten hybrid buses – which produce 30 per cent less carbon dioxide than standard vehicles – from Alexander Dennis for routes in Aberdeen.