The spotlight is on Sir Tom Hunter this week after private equity house Apax revealed it was ready to pay an estimated £143m for the garden centre chain.


Sir Hunter's investment agent West Coast Capital has also accumulated a 10.6% stake in Dobbies and it has been widely rumoured for months that he may put in a bid for the chain.

Apax, which bought Swedish garden centre chain Plantagen last December is said to be attracted to the fact that Dobbies owns the land on which its 21 stores are situated, estimated at £240m.

Before the retailer issued a statement confirming it is in buy-out talks, Dobbies stock market value was reported as £120m. The firm also said last month that it saw the potential to open a further 75 stores over the next ten years.

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