EXCLUSIVE: Kelsey Media saves Amateur Gardening from ceasing publication

Amateur Gardening has been saved from cancellation after the brand’s acquisition by Kelsey Media from current owners Future Publishing.

The UK’s oldest gardening magazine announced on 11 September that it would be ending with its final issue going out on 14 October. Editor Garry Coward-Williams had attributed the closure to the “ever-rising” costs of paper, print, and covermounted packets of seeds. He concluded that “despite good news stand sales performance”, the title “could not survive”.

However notification of change of publisher sent by distributor Marketforce, and seen by RN, stated that the title is now ‘not ceasing” but will be “moving to Kelsey Media from issue 42, on sale 14/11/2023.”

National Title File data suggests there will be still be some disruption for stores and readers. There will be no issues of the weekly magazine published from 15 October for one month. The on-sale period of the 14 October edition has been extended to run up until the launch of Kelsey’s first edition as publisher on 14 November.

The cover price is also to increase by nearly 50% from £2.20 to £3.50 and the frequency of publication is to be cut from weekly to fortnightly once it resumes print under Kelsey Media..

At its last ABC figures from 2016, Amateur Gardening sold 28,000 copies in total, including nearly 19,000 sold in stores.

Brexit struggles in sourcing and shipping seeds have not only added to the magazine’s costs, but also prevented covermounts from being added to copies sold in Northern Ireland, which retailers claimed had dented demand outside the mainland.

BetterRetailing has approached Kelsey Media for comment.