CONFERENCE REPORT


GCA INSPECTION AWARD WINNERS 2019


• Christmas Competition (Garden Centre category) sponsored by Gisela Graham – Castle Gardens


• Christmas Competition (Destination Garden Centre category) sponsored by Gisela Graham – Barton Grange Garden Centre


Greenfingers was presented with a cheque for £6,500 from the charity cup event event


“I’d like to say a huge congratulations to all of our ‘Garden Centres of Excellence’ winners. They have all shown immense dedication, hard work and enthusiasm and are a real credit to the horticultural industry.” GCA’s Iain Wylie


in class and recognised for stand-out customer service, catering excellence, and catering and innovation. Bents Garden & Home had a fantastic conference this year, bagging two awards, plus the coveted title of GCA Destination Garden Centre of the Year. Meanwhile, The Old Railway Line was named Garden Centre of the Year.


A formal black-tie awards dinner on Tuesday, January 22 was hosted by rugby ace and Celebrity Masterchef winner Phil Vickery. During this ceremony, the GCA revealed its 10 Garden Centres of Excellence, along with the coveted Garden Centre of the Year and Destination Garden Centre of the Year titles.


The top 10 centres of Excellence in alphabetical order were: 1. Aylett Nurseries Ltd 2. Barton Grange Garden Centre 3. Bents Garden & Home 4. Burston Rose and Garden Centre 5. Haskins Garden Centre – Roundstone 6. Haskins Garden Centre – Snowhill 7. The Old Railway Line Garden Centre 8. Perrywood Garden Centre & Nurseries


9. Poplars Garden Centre 10. Stewarts Garden Centre – Christchurch.


www.diyweek.net said of


GCA chief executive Iain Wylie the winners: “Once again


the dedication and hard work of our member garden centres has shone through and they are running to the very highest of standards in the industry.


• Environment and Community Award – Garden Wise, Dumfries • Ruxley Rose (Garden Centre category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre • Ruxley Rose (Destination Garden Centre category) – Perrywood Garden Centre & Nurseries


• Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Creativity and Innovation – Bents Garden & Home


• Customer Service Award – Best Customer Service – Perrywood Garden Centre & Nurseries


• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Garden Centre category) – Bridgford Garden Centre


• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Destination Garden Centre category) – Bents Garden and Home


• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Garden Centre category) – Bridgford Garden Centre


• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Destination Garden Centre category) – Haskins Garden Centre, Ferndown


• Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Garden Centre) – RHS Rosemoor Plant Centre and Shop


• The ifse Award for Catering Excellence – Best Garden Centre Restaurant (Garden Centre Category) – Fron Goch Garden Centre


• The ifse Award for Catering Excellence – Best Garden Centre Restaurant (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Poplars Garden Centre


• Weber Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Bridgford Garden Centre


I’d like to take this


opportunity to congratulate all of them as they are extremely deserving of their awards.”


• Weber Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Poplars Garden Centre and Barton Grange Garden Centre


The Cleary family (centre) are presented with the award for Garden Centre of the Year by Phil Vickery (far left) and GCA’s Mike Lind (far right)


Castle Gardens took the prize for the Christmas Competition, presented by Mike Lind (left) and Alyson Haywood (far right)


Haskins’ Roundstone and Snowhill sites both made it on to the GCA’s top 10 list of Garden Centres of Excellence for 2019


Other accolades presented during the awards evening included: • Associate of the Year – Smart Garden Products • GCA GROW Training Award – Meadow Croft Garden Centre • The Worrall Cup (award for Best marketing campaign or initiative) – Haskins Garden Centre for its ‘Big Reindeer Giveaway’. • Garden Centre of the Year – The Old Railway Line Garden Centre • Destination Garden Centre of the Year – Bents Garden & Home


08 FEBRUARY 2019 DIY WEEK 15


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