BEF POT INFORMATION PAGE – a guide to the sizes/shapes produced in the past.
BEF POTS
BEF pots are strong, long lasting pots. BEF Pots are produced in a square design and a round design. There are many more round variations (including bowls and pans) than square, but most of these are no longer made. Finally there were are few seed tray and hanging basket designs. BEF pots can be found in all manner of colours, but the vast majority are Terracotta, Black and Green.
How long do the pots last?
The most recent pots are made of High Density Polyethylene and last a long time. Many pots, if looked after, can last for decades rather than years or months. The most recent pots were made using 100% pure Polyethylene with no recycled contamination in the mixture, so in theory they should last a very long time.
Some of my pots are breaking up at the rim. Why is this?
It is likely that the pot is very old – decades old! Some of the pots produced in the 1980’s and 1990’s may have contained impurities in the plastic that causes it to break down when exposed to sunlight. Modern pots shouldn’t be affected by this.
How do I know if I have a BEF pot?
All BEF pots should have on the underside of the pot the size of the pot, the words BEF Growers Pot and the words Made In England. The larger pots may also have a logo stamped on the bottom. Most of the pots also have a size number/code on the bottom.
BEF Moulds
We know that some of the moulds are no longer in existence (or in our possesion) and we do know that Philip had three moulds made. Each mould is in two parts and make just one or two pots each cycle. Sometime around 2008 the very popular 2″ square pot mould became blocked and it was nearly lost. Eventually the blockage was cleared.
A Brief History
BEF Pots came into the hobby around the early 1970’s. The original company was based in Essex. Eventually they sold the moulds and the pots were sold by Top Pots Ltd in Long Crendon. Then THI (later TIH) Industries, based in High Wycombe, took over selling them under the name of Grow (later Gro) Pots. Around 2002 Malcolm Pym took over selling them under the name of Mega Pots Ltd. Philip Barker (whom most people will associate with the pots) sold them from the late 1990’s, but only took over the moulds around 2007/2008. After his death the Manchester Branch took on selling the pots. From early 2021 Williams Cacti started selling the pots.
Below is a PDF list of all the pot sizes that have been produced over the years. Sadly many of the moulds have long since disappeared so many of the very old pots can no longer be produced. If you can help by donating a pot not in our archive we would be grateful to hear from you.
DOWNLOAD POT SIZE & SHAPE PDF
A short video showing the manufacturing process.
This is the machine used to make the BEF Pots. There are several similar machines.
The hopper and the part of the machine that forces the raw materials into the mould. Inside is a screw thread that heats and then mixes the plastic and colouring.
The inside of the machine. The mould is in two halves, and is held together with enormous pressure per square inch.
The familiar shape of a 2-3/4″ BEF Pot. Yes, they are made two at a time (most of the larger pots are made one at a time). Each cycle takes about 20 seconds. They are still quite warm when they leave the machine, but completly set.
Top Left : Square Design
Top Right : Round Design
Middle Left : Straight Base Design (Round and Square Pots)
Middle Right : Dimple Base Design (Only on old Round Pots)
Bottom Left : Thin Rim Design (Only on old Round Pots and some 3.5″ Squares)
Bottom Right : BEF Rot (This pot is probably 30 years old!)
