GARDEN centre chain Klondyke Group enjoyed significant growth in profits in its last financial year, newly-filed accounts have revealed.

And directors, in their report on the accounts, flag the company's appetite for acquisitions and plans for further significant investment at existing locations.

Accounts which have just become available from Companies House show that Klondyke raised its pre-tax profits to £4.03 million in the year to September 30, 2014, from £3.15m in the prior 12 months. This rise in profits was achieved on the back of an increase in turnover to £48.5m, from £47m.

The directors of the privately-owned Klondyke, which is based at Polmont in Stirlingshire and operates more than 20 garden centres in Scotland, northern England and Wales, highlight their confidence in achieving further growth in sales and profits.

They highlight favourable demographic trends for their business, while also flagging economic challenges.

Looking ahead, the directors underline plans for a new garden centre at Garforth in Leeds, following the closure of an old outlet there in June 2014. They also highlight plans to redevelop the company's garden centre at Stokesley in North Yorkshire, a project which will include the building of a large restaurant.

The directors add that similar redevelopments will be "explored" at the company's garden centres at Edinburgh, Polmont, and Northwich in Cheshire.

Contemplating the outlook, they declare: "The challenges of the economy remain but the board has every confidence that its redevelopment strategy, linked with favourable demographics, will continue to drive forward both sales and profitability."

The directors cite benefits to the business from the weather being more favourable during the year to September 30, 2014, than in the preceding 12 months.

Commenting on the three months to December 2013, they say: "In the first quarter [of the financial year] we experienced solid sales growth of both Christmas and gift-related product, and the relatively mild winter resulted in consistently good footfall to the garden centres."

They add: "The first and second quarters saw the return of better weather in the key spring trading period and, in particular, the months of March and April. This was in contrast to the low temperatures experienced in the early spring of 2013.

"The improved spring weather resulted in increased sales of all garden-related products. This period was followed by a second successive year of generally warm, settled weather throughout the summer months, which had a positive effect on the sales of garden furniture and barbecues."

The directors highlight the positive impact on sales and profits of the increasing popularity of garden centre coffee shops and restaurants.

The average number of staff employed by Klondyke in the year to September 30, 2014, was 882. This was up from 860 in the prior 12 months.

Klondyke's accounts show that directors' remuneration totalled £748,159 in the year to September 30, 2014. This was up from £721,490 in the prior 12 months.

Remuneration of the highest-paid director rose to £248,784 in the year to last September. In the prior 12 months, it was £219,647.