Smarties, near Stamford Bridge, has been purchased by the Scotland-based Bertram Nursery Group. The chain has a number of nurseries north of the border as well as in the North West of England. Qualified teacher Annie Silcock founded Smarties 32 years ago and although she is planning to retire, she will continue working as a consultant within the early years sector. The nursery has been awarded ‘outstanding’ in all areas by Ofsted in its last four inspections. It was also awarded UK Nursery of the Year by the National Day Nursery Association (NDNA) back in 2018. Bertram chief executive officer Cary Rankin said: “Smarties is a beautiful nursery with wonderful, carefully planned, outdoor facilities that we will continue to grow and develop in line with our shared vision for outdoor learning.