The Mulberry Bush group of nurseries has acquired Hampshire-based Little Acorns Nurseries, bringing its total number of settings up to five.

Following a confidential sales process with Sophie Willcox, director – childcare & education at Christie & Co and with funding sourced through Nathan McFarlane at Christie Finance, Little Acorns Nurseries sold to Oliver and Rachael Thomson, the owners of the The Mulberry Bush.

Little Acorns Nurseries was established in 1997 when its founders, Kevin and Teri Crowley, started a childminding business from their family home. As demand for their services grew, they acquired a local building in Hedge End and converted it into a children’s day nursery, followed by a second nursery in Eastleigh ten years later. Together, the settings cater for 160 children.

Kevin Crowley, former owner of Little Acorns, said: “Teri and I have enjoyed 30-plus years in childcare and like to think that we have made a positive impact on many children’s lives. We have a lot of happy and funny memories but feel that our time has come. The new owners, Oliver and Rachael, are knowledgeable, experienced, and full of enthusiasm and energy. I’m sure that the nurseries will go from strength to strength, and wish them success. Little Acorns has enjoyed a great reputation locally and I expect that to get even better.”

Oliver Thomson, owner of The Mulberry Bush, said: “Rachael and I are very excited about bringing Little Acorns into The Mulberry Bush family and continuing the journey that Kev and Teri have established over the last 30 years.”

Willcox said: “It was a real pleasure working with Kev and Teri to find them the right buyer to carry on their legacy, allowing them to enjoy a happy, fulfilling retirement. Little Acorns are two excellent, profitable freehold nurseries that received a lot of interest from both corporate and regional operators. Having sold Oliver a nursery before, I knew this would be a good fit for his group and am excited to see where he takes the nurseries.”

McFarlane added: “We were extremely pleased to support this experienced operator with a package to fund this key acquisition. We achieved this by leveraging their existing group, as well as our reputation in the market to negotiate a significant rate reduction and save a large sum in interest. Appetite for funding in the sector is strong, and this demand introduces a high level of competition and the ability to deliver creative funding packages.”

Little Acorns Nurseries was sold for an undisclosed price.