PICKING a Christmas tree is almost always a festive family affair, but what about the family businesses behind the scenes working hard throughout the year to make it happen come December.

Reading and the surrounding areas is lucky to have many dedicated local businesses working hard to make sure many of us can continue our Xmas traditions of heading out to pick the perfect pine.

With the likes of Home Bargains selling real 6ft trees for £10.99, or B&M selling similar from around £15, or real trees from Homebase for £29 – it poses the question of why to shop local and support small businesses?

Mrs Andrea Young owns Cook and Clark Christmas Trees in Tilehurst, a family-owned business that has been running for over 45 years.

“I’ve been working here since I was age six.” Mrs Young said. “I’ve seen generations of people come and get their trees from us. It’s a big tradition among local families.

“They all bring their kids with wheelbarrows to pick out the trees. It’s an atmospheric and lovely experience and has such a community feel.”

Cook and Clark source most of their trees in the UK, and offer a wide range of slim, average, and pushy furs. Their average price for a six-foot tree is £35.

Local MP Alok Sharma buys his Christmas tree from them along with a number of footballers and other celebs.

Mrs Young said: “All my nieces and nephews work on the pitch as well. We also have older ladies making wreaths for us to sell and men making us wooden reindeer. We have a real local feel.”

There is also the sustainability factor which many note is a big factor for shopping local, rather than scouring through the many big brands out there.

Yattendon Christmas Trees managing director James Hole described how at his Christmas tree farm, the trees are grown on-site and are replanted once cut down.

“We grow them all on the estate from fully sustainable stock,” he said. “Every tree that’s cut we plant a new one, and we’ve been doing this for over 50 years.”

The scheme was set up by Yattendon Estates’ Ilisse family, who thought it would be a good idea to sell Christmas trees as their soil was good for growing them.

The stock ranges from smaller trees for £20 up to large display trees for £150. Mr Hole said on average a six-foot tree would cost £60.

“We get a lot of customers as getting the tree directly from the supplier is a good way to do it. Every year we have about 4,000 customers.”

Mr Hole also spoke of the even more sustainable option of purchasing a potted tree. “We’ve been selling potted trees for around 10 years, and you can get six-foot ones.”

A potted tree allows the owner to reuse the tree every year for Christmas and replant it outside once they’re finished with it.

“Pot trees allow you to be fully sustainable,” Mr Hole said.

Following the covid lockdown and cost of living struggles that continue to put pressures on families and local businesses, there is never more a reason to support local.

Mr Christopher Tyler runs the family business Berkshire Christmas Trees.

Sourcing most of the trees from Scotland and Wales, Berkshire Christmas Trees has had the same trusted supplier for a long time.

“It’s a really nice product to sell,” Mr Tyler said. “I do the deliveries and my wife helps me, my grandchildren help out too.

“Christmas trees make people happy, a lot of people are getting trees early to fight seasonal depression. Experts say that a tree in your home can make you feel better as they bring back memories of being a child.”

Mr Tyler said that they try and keep the prices as low as possible, and if they know someone is struggling they will help them out. A six-foot tree costs £50.

“People come back year after year,” he said. “People generally enjoy buying from a family business.”