The Institute of Directors (IoD) in Guernsey has announced that Alan Roper, Managing Director at Blue Diamond Group is the winner of this year’s IoD Director of the Year Awards, sponsored by JT.  The winners were celebrated at this year’s IoD Guernsey Annual Convention.

Roy McGregor, the Director of the Year Award’s coordinator, said: "The calibre of the winners’ submissions was of a brilliant quality. I’m very pleased that the winner represents the best of Guernsey directors.

"Guernsey has some of the finest directors I know and it’s important they get recognition for their efforts.  I would like to thank everyone who supported and entered this year’s awards and the judges who gave up their time to help."

The IoD Director of the Year Awards were set up to recognise excellence in leadership, proven governance skills and the individual's positive impact on the culture and success of their organisation. 

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director at JT Channel Islands, the sponsors of the Director of the Year Awards, said: "The role of leaders is constantly changing and evolving - just like the world around us, which is why JT are pleased to support this important award.  Leadership brings many challenges, and success is built around a leader’s ability to adapt, enable and empower their team to achieve collective and individual goals. The winners of this award demonstrate those skills which clearly have been central to their success, alongside a level of confidence, commitment and ambition which then followed through in their business strategy and values."

The large business award was presented to Alan Roper, as it was evident that he directly contributed to an increase in turnover and profitability across the Blue Diamond Group. He also utilised his deep industry knowledge and leadership skills to inspire and retain their local, loyal workforce.

The Director of the Year Award’s judges consisted of Stuart Falla MBE, Carol Goodwin, Roy McGregor, Gordon Wilson and Charlotte Denton. All have extensive experience across a variety of sectors.   

Garden centre sales stayed ahead of 2020 levels for the second consecutive week, last week, making a solid recovery following the effects of the petrol shortages.

The build towards the Christmas sales peaks is well and truly underway with total garden centre sales for last week up by 27% on the same week in 2019.

See GTN's full analysis of September Bestsellers EPOS data in the pages of GTN October issue below and take advantage of the GTN Bestsellers Subscription offer to make sure you stay ahead of the changes in garden centre customer buying patterns for the year ahead.

On the 14 October 2021 – Phil Gibbs, former LOFA Secretary was given a 27-month custodial sentence for Fraud by abuse of position – fraud act 2006 between 01/08/2013 and 31/12/2018.

Read the full story in The News: https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/royal-navy-veteran-jailed-for-siphoning-charity-cash-in-ps117000-waterlooville-business-fraud-3423028 

A LOFA statement issued today reads:

He had been made redundant in October 2018 as LOFA needed a greater marketing input, and there were some serious concerns and disciplinary actions relating to his poor financial reporting as requested by the previous Chairman Mark Osborne and Pravin Patel.

A former Secretary seconded in an interim term discovered suspicious paperwork which then prompted the launch of a full investigation. The board appointed an accountant to conduct a full forensic investigation going back several years and once the Fraud squad were involved there was an enormous amount of work carried out over many months to retrieve the facts and allow the Fraud Squad at Portsmouth to build a solid case. Phil Gibbs was calculating and conniving and had duped a professional company of auditors for over 6 years, there are suspicions his devious activity started even earlier than has been proved.

Phil Gibbs mis-appropriated a substantial amount of money from LOFA /SOLEX and even stole money allocated by the Board at LOFA to be donated to various charities, he was arrested in 2019 but still continued to evade the legal system until the overwhelming strength of the case was relayed to him by his council and finally led to him pleading guilty. The sentencing too was delayed by his actions before justice was finally served.

Pravin Patel (current Chairman) commented: "We are saddened and appalled that someone in such a position of trust could abuse the people and the organisation that had looked after him so well. We at LOFA have already ensured that the charities who were deprived of vital donations have been sent the funds allocated to them, the long fight to retrieve some of the money stolen from LOFA and SOLEX now begins."

If it’s the smoke you dislike then the ALL NEW Crop Candle Fire Pit is the perfect solution to warm up your evenings and increasing outdoor social events.

Our Crop Candles produce a high calorific heat similar to conventional Firepits but without the wood smoke. The Candles have NO PARAFFIN in the formular thus very little smoke, effectively the most sustainable options for outdoor living.

Simple to Light and even easier to put out in seconds. Perfect for those with close neighbours, who will be unaware of any smoke from the fire pit, and for their friends, who go home without smelling of bonfires. Ideal for properties with both small and large gardens.

Gone are the days of fetching more logs - they burn HOT for as long or as little as you want, without the need for any maintenance. Enjoy the constant therapeutic and hypnotic dancing flame. Upside is that the customer will return to the same retail outlet to purchase the refills, resulting in more traffic in your stores.

Now attracting garden centres, event organisers, garden designers and glamping companies. The Crop Candle Fire Pit is protected with Patent Pending / Design Copyright and Prior Art protection meaning our new age of fire pit are here to stay with new designs on the horizon. The new economical and sustainable form of outdoor heating. If you want to add this to your spring summer range let us know.

tim@cropcandle.co

www.cropcandle.co

Video https://youtu.be/8JmCWdaoBoM

After two weeks trading affected by the nationwide petrol availability problems, garden centre trading got back to normal last week. And that was back to the ‘new normal’ with sales 18% up on 2019 levels.

Plant sales were nearly up by 50% week on week as people got back into buying mode for Autumn gardening and there was a clamour for growing media with sales up by 31% on the previous week.

Veg-2-Gro sales saw the biggest growth on previous years, even being 64% up on 2020 levels, which now means half as many more veg plants, seeds and bulbs have been purchased so far this year compared with 2020.

With another dry, sunny weekend forecast we could see more bumper gardening sales before Christmas really kicks in.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 41.

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 4%
• Growing Media Top 50 – down 3%
• Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – up 64%
• Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 15%
• Christmas Top 50 – up 2%

GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 41.

• All Plants with Barcode index – static 0%
• All Items with Barcode index – up 2%

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Customers got back into plant buying mode last week with sales matching 2020 levels for the first week of October and were 38% up on 2019 levels.

Highlights of the week were:

• Rose sales tripled week on week to climb up 17 places in the GTN chart to No 12.
• Erysimum, wallflowers, more than doubled in volume sales to move up to No 5.
• Pansy sales increased by over 50% to be just behind Cyclamen sales at No 2.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

With 55% of Latvia covered in forest, producing sustainable firewood comes naturally to Latvian manufacturer, Dizmezs.

There is more than three times more access to well managed hardwood species in Latvian forests when compared to the UK.

As a result, Dizmezs have local access to a larger bank of raw material and are therefore able to offer a larger production capacity for UK retailers to take advantage of. 

State-of-the-art manufacturing

Higher manufacturing capacity is helped by world class production facilities and a large 167,000 m² manufacturing hub which has had significant recent investment. A recent € 2.5m investment in the production facility has come at the perfect time, with many other suppliers struggling to keep up with higher market demand due to the pandemic. This investment includes new buildings and a new 51 000 sq.ft production unit. Processing has been made more efficient with the latest state-of- the-art custom-made machinery which will deliver extra capacity with automated processes. 

With quick access to raw materials, it was no surprise that Dizmezs were able to react to a 40% increase in demand during the 2020 lockdown. The ability to withstand periods of high demand was demonstrated with a staggering 4.5 million more bags of firewood supplied during this period whilst continuing great customer service.

Green at heart

Firewood manufacturing and distribution is conducted with the environment in mind. Firstly, there is no wood waste in the onsite sawmill as this enables all the wood waste to be utilised by using it as the fuel in the boiler plant to produce heat for the kiln drying facilities.

With company operations being carbon neutral, Dizmezs also source all timber from well managed forests and as part of this commitment, they plant 8 trees for every tree that is cut down.

Dizmezs are at the cutting edge of Firewood standards and is a member of the Woodsure ‘Ready to Burn’ initiative to reduce harmful air pollution. This accreditation signifies a commitment to keeping moisture levels lower to reduce harmful emissions. Dizmezs Firewood is kiln dried to less than 20% moisture levels ensuring cleaner emissions and a higher burning temperature than timber above 20% moisture levels.

More capacity, more choice

Established in 1996, Dizmezs have 25 years’ experience in supplying market leading Firewood products. This includes brands such as WOODENSOUL and GLOWWOOD, which have been a mainstay in the UK garden market.

The recent investment in the Dizmezs manufacturing hub means significant extra volume of Firewood is available. It also provides an opportunity to produce more variety of products, resulting in a more complete product range of stock ready to dispatch. This capability supports Dizmezs’ new brand, READYBLAZE, which is a range of premium Firewood that retailers may also be interested in. 

As a result, there is more choice than ever for garden retailers to assemble an assortment of Firewood. There is now more availability of products at faster lead times and a variety of brands to suit the type of retailer. The home of firewood just got better!

Find out more about Dizmezs’ brands by visiting www.winterfuels.co.uk. Alternatively, get product information and pricing by emailing gunars@dizmezs.lv.

Poundbury Gardens near Dorchester has donated many plants, bulbs and bags of compost to Craig’s Courtyard, a planting project taking shape at Cerne Abbas Surgery in memory of the late Dr Craig Wakeham, who led the practice for 30 years before dying from COVID-19 in April 2020.

This support for Craig’s Courtyard has formed part of the garden centre’s initiative to undertake 15 community planting projects in celebration of its 15th anniversary and provide a much-needed boost to some of those most affected by the COVID-19 crisis. 

Stuart Bexon (above centre), a member of the surgery’s Patient Support Group, who has been leading on the project to renovate the staff’s rest area, says: “While working with a small budget for the much-needed and well-deserved garden renovations, we have been very grateful for Poundbury Gardens’ donations, support and advice.

"Many obstacles have presented themselves along the way, but Mike and his team have helped us overcome them with their knowledge and skills, and we are now proud to say that the first plants and bulbs have been planted. We can’t wait to see the beautiful results next spring.” 

Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group and Chairman of the Garden Centre Association (front right), adds: “Craig’s Courtyard is such a fantastic initiative and one that really demonstrates how gardening can bring people together in the face of adversity.

"We’ve all come to know how beneficial green spaces are to our health and wellbeing, so we really hope the staff at Cerne Abbas Surgery enjoy their new garden, giving them the opportunity for some much-needed rest and reflection after an incredibly hard 19 months. We look forward to seeing how this outdoor space matures as the new plants bed in.”   

Picture caption: Stuart Bexon (front centre) and Mike Burks (front right), managing director of The Gardens Group and chairman of the Garden Centre Association, with volunteers from Hilfield Franciscan Friary and the surgery’s closest neighbour. 

A trial scheme for the collection of used compost packaging will see the material turned into recycled plastic furniture from Plaswood, a Berry Global product.

The three-month trial is being run by Dobbies Garden Centres and Evergreen Garden Care in 10 Dobbies stores and is inviting consumers to return any film compost packaging, no matter what brand or where it was purchased.

The collected material is then sent to the Berry bpi recycled products facility in Dumfries, where it is reprocessed and incorporated into the manufacture of Plaswood garden furniture, which is being donated to Greenfingers, a charity that creates green spaces for terminally ill children.

The scheme ideally demonstrates that, although currently not widely collected by local authorities as part of kerbside collections or at recycling centres, polythene film is still a valuable resource that can have a beneficial second life.

“We are delighted by the initiative from Dobbies and Evergreen,” commented Katherine Lorek-Wallace, Plaswood General Manager. “Plastic film has many practical benefits for the packaging of garden products such as compost, but far from being single use, the material can be recycled and utilised in the manufacture of many useful products.”

The Dobbies and Evergreen compost packaging recycling scheme follows a survey conducted by Dobbies, in collaboration with Censuswide, which found that 73% of respondents went out of their way to recycle, notably 77% of females and 69% of males.

Plaswood lumber is waterproof and easy to clean, making it more hygienic than traditional timber alternatives. It will also not rot, splinter, or deteriorate over time, and therefore offers the perfect solution for all types of outdoor furniture and equipment.

“We believe that time outdoors can bring significant benefits to children with life-limiting condition,” explained Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Greenfingers. “By supporting our work through their unique initiative, Dobbies and Evergreen will help us provide more children with the valuable opportunity to spend more time outside enjoying the therapeutic benefits of being close to nature.” 

Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies, said: “This initiative is a great win for the environment, for customers and for the community, and an important next stage of our #sustainabledobbies mission.”

Jane Hartley, Sustainability Marketing Manager, commented: "Evergreen is delighted to be working with Dobbies and their customers. Evidence suggests that consumers want to take the right action when it comes to recycling so our new Miracle-Gro Bring Back Compost Bags bins will create strong visibility in store to encourage people to recycle.”

For more information on Plaswood visit www.plaswood.eco

Dalefoot Composts has won the Sustainability and Environmental Impact Award at the Rural Business Awards North for its pioneering work restoring damaged peatlands as well as its peat-free compost making.

The Lake District-based firm has been recognised for its efforts championing the use of peat-free garden composts and using nature-based solutions to help mitigate the impact of climate change. 

News of the award win coincides with the company announcing a link-up with the Eden Project. The company’s Wool Compost for Potting has been endorsed by the world-renowned environmental charity and will include its logo on each bag. 

Now one of the UK’s leading compost makers, Dalefoot Composts’ unique product range is made from materials grown on the farm using carbon-storing crops, making them climate positive. With sustainability at its heart, Dalefoot harvests bracken from the Lakeland fells, and other sites of conservation across the country, blends this with wool from native hill sheep and then adds comfrey, grown on its farm, to make sustainable, climate positive and peat-free composts. This unique mix of fully-traceable, fertilising ingredients provides slow-release nutrition for plants, so no need to feed, whilst also reducing the need to water. 

The Dalefoot team also restores peat bogs, some of which were once owned by peat compost companies, across the country for the likes of Natural England, NatureScot, South West Water and wildlife trusts. Peat bogs store more carbon than forests and many in the UK are now in poor condition, releasing carbon rather than just storing it. Dalefoot works with these agencies to help reduce carbon release and return the bogs to functioning, healthy eco-systems.

Professor Jane Barker of Dalefoot Composts said: “We are very proud to win at the regional final of the Rural Business Awards. We are passionate about what we do at Dalefoot and it’s a great boost to our team to win this award. It also helps to highlight why using sustainable, peat-free compost in your garden is so important and why it’s vital we restore and protect our peat bogs.”

Dalefoot Composts will now go forward to the national final of the Rural Business Awards;  winners will be announced next February.

ENDS

In this Glee Review issue of GTN:

• Vitax increases range and capacity
• Remembering Eddie Topping MBE
• Capturing the essence of Autumn at Chelsea
• Get Grilling with Traeger
• Glee 2021 – a special return
• Glee Buyers Power List
• Glee New Product Awards
• Sustainability Award – Southern Trident
• Glee 2021 Gallery
• Floral Thursday for Greenfingers Charity
• GTN Bestsellers Subscription Offer
• GTN Bestsellers – September garden centre sales analysis and charts
• Garden Centre Books
• HTA Column – Tales of the unexpected
• GIMA Column – The future is looking bright.

Following a year of uncertainty and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Notcutts has now resumed their programme of garden centre improvements and redevelopments.

The 2020/21 financial year ending in February saw Notcutts Group Ltd make capital improvements of just £835k, which was largely for completion works on restaurant projects in Ditchling (East Sussex) and Woodbridge (Suffolk), compared to £9.2m in the previous year.

Nick Burrows, CEO of Notcutts, commented: “We are delighted that we can now get back on track with completing our company-wide redevelopment programme. Work is now underway with phase two of our three phase development at our Woodbridge garden centre, where a new external planteria canopy is being constructed along with a new customer entrance, a surface water attenuation scheme and improved customer parking. This project will complement the new, extended restaurant that was completed a matter of weeks before the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 and the woodland nature walk which we opened in 2019.”

Mr Burrows added: “At our Solihull garden centre, work will commence on a new glasshouse in November this year which will substantially increase our covered planteria, allowing us to offer customers wider plant selections over an extended season. It follows recent improvements made to the restaurant and car parking at this garden centre.

“We also secured planning permission for a substantial redevelopment of our Oxford garden centre  in 2019. Having paused work on this project during the height of the pandemic, design work has now restarted for the multi-million pound redevelopment of this garden centre which will include a new planteria canopy, a new restaurant, extended retail space and a doubling of the car park size. It is expected that work will commence on this major project early in 2022.”

A number of other development projects, commenced or in the pipeline, will see further improvements at garden centres in St Albans, Dukeries (near Worksop) and Ashton Park (Ashton-under-Lyne).

The emergence of COVID-19 in 2020, as with other operators in the sector, had an impact on Notcutts’ performance in 2020/21. The effect of government-enforced closures of both retail and restaurant operations during the year saw Notcutts’ turnover decline by 15.6 per cent to £64.25m. In response to the sharp decline in sales volume, a restructuring and reorganisation exercise was undertaken to rationalise the cost base of the Group. These cost savings together with government initiatives, primarily business rates relief and the coronovirus job retention scheme, alongside an adapted approach to sales promotion strategy and a strong performance through the e-commerce channel, helped deliver an operating profit of £2.27m. This was an improvement of 32.1 per cent on the previous year. Land disposals during the year, including the Hazeldens former nursery, yielded gains of £5.223m. Profit after tax was £4.375m.

Commenting further on the past year, CEO Nick Burrows said: “Like others in the sector and the wider economy we had to respond and adapt quickly to the changing circumstances of the pandemic. A focus on colleague welfare and communication was our top priority, together with the provision of safe shopping and restaurant environments for customers in our garden centres for the periods when we were permitted to open. We worked hard to maintain our excellent supplier relationships which have been built up over many years, and this helped us achieve good supply flows during a challenging period. We also took the decision to move all our marketing to digital channels and to host our customer talks and presentations by video and online streaming. Our e-commerce channel had been operating effectively before the pandemic and this served us very well during the year as many customers switched to buying from us online.”

Caroline Notcutt, Vice Chairman, commented: “Maintaining morale throughout the year was very important to us and we endeavoured to ensure this extended to both our colleagues and the local communities in which we play a part. Plant donations and support to a variety of community groups were an important part of our programme last year.”

Bridget McIntyre, Chairman, added “As my first year with Notcutts, this was clearly no typical year. I am pleased with the resilience and dedication shown across the company at each and every level. I was also especially impressed with the influential role of the Horticultural Trade Association and Garden Centre Association which enabled gardening to be better understood for its crucial role in supporting mental health and wellbeing in such a demanding time for everyone.”

Photo caption: (L-R) Caroline Notcutt, Vice Chairman; Nick Burrows, CEO; and Bridget McIntyre, Chairman, Notcutts (Credit/copyright: Notcutts Group Ltd)

The Horticultural Trades Association has called for an extension to the Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme (SWP) to include plant and tree growers to support the industry in the short term, as longer-term solutions to the labour crisis in the sector are developed. 

Responding to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s call for evidence, the HTA outlined how a shortage of 1,200 seasonal full-time equivalents is hampering the industry’s ability not only to expand and increase UK production post-Brexit, but to simply produce the trees and plants needed now to support environmental goals. This includes playing a crucial role in tackling climate change and carbon reduction.  

James Clark, Director of Policy and Communications at the HTA, said: “Horticulture’s seasonal nature means that growers have always relied upon a significant number of temporary workers at different points in the year. As an industry we are doing everything we can to attract and retain not only local seasonal labour and develop them where appropriate, but also high skilled permanent employees. The industry has recently launched a growth strategy which includes commitments to continue to make horticulture an attractive sector to work in, but these measures will take time. We need a change now of the government’s seasonal workers policy.  

“The new immigration system has led to significant shortages of seasonal staff because the SWP only applies to workers picking edible crops. Seasonal workers in the farming sector usually work multiple farms in a season, moving between ornamentals and edibles sites. Likewise, many British growers produce both edible and ornamental crops from the same site. Allowing those workers to work for plant and tree growers under the scheme will make a small change in policy, but a significant difference to the shortages our members are facing.  

“Our members, most of whom are small and medium sized businesses, tell us they are short of some 1,200 FTE seasonal staff, with an average shortfall of 14% across the industry of what they have and what they need. This lack of staff impacts their business’ productivity and ability to grow. 

“The Government should expand the SWP to include ornamental horticulture or create a new scheme to better reflect the broader nature of the sector’s seasonal labour needs. A modest increase in the number of actual new visas needed (as many of these workers will already be travelling to the country under the SWP to work on edible farms), will alleviate the immediate pressures being faced by the industry. We will continue to work with the Government and education providers on addressing workforce shortages over the medium and long term.”

A new world record time for running the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon in wellington boots has been set by Peter Butler-Jones, who completed the epic dash wearing Leon Boots’ lightweight unisex Explorer boots in aid of mental health charity, Mind.

He ran the Marathon in 2hrs 56mins and 38secs, smashing Damian Thacker’s previous world record for the fastest marathon wearing wellington boots that was set during the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon with a time of 3hrs 21mins.

Peter got the idea for his world record-breaking attempt in May of this year and contacted Leon Boots to see if they had wellies that were up to the task. The answer was a resounding ‘Yes!’ and together they’ve made history!

Leon Boots’ UK Director, Kevin Burgess, said: “Massive congratulations to Peter on his epic, world record-breaking Marathon run! We couldn’t be more delighted to hear he’s achieved his goal wearing a pair of our trusty Explorers.”

Having grown up on a farm and therefore more of an expert than most when it comes to wearing wellies in the field, Peter said of his winning footwear: “They were great, just as light as running shoes”. Manufactured from award-winning, injection moulded EVA/TRC polymer, a pair of Leon Boots Co. boots can weigh as little as 219g – the same weight as an adult hamster!

65% lighter than traditional wellies, the unisex Explorer is not just fast it’s made to last. Complete with removable and washable boot liners, the 100 per cent waterproof boots can also withstand temperatures as low as minus 30°C, making them perfect for outdoor work, whatever the weather. Available to buy from a wide range of garden centres and other retailers, the Unisex Explorer boots are available in UK sizes 3 – 14-, and two colour options - black or green – all supported with an RRP of just £49.95.

The new world record was one of 30 successful world record attempts adjudicated at the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon, which took place on October 3rd.

With a running time of 2:51:45, Julian Rendall set a new record for the fastest marathon dressed in pyjamas (male), while Charlie Osmond broke the record for the fastest marathon dressed as an astronomical body with a time of 3:30:36. Sarah Dudgeon and Max Livingstone-Learmonth set a new record for fastest marathon in a two-person costume (3:17:12) and Liv Andersson - dressed as Henry VIII - set the record for fastest marathon dressed as a monarch (female) with a time of 3:39:50.

Find out more

To find out more about the Leon Boot Co. please visit www.lbcboots.com or email kevin@leonbootsco.com or charlie@leonbootsco.com

Prompted by the discussion regarding the levy for generic promotion should still be collected by Royal FloraHolland, the Flower Council of Holland has decided to carry out consumer research in order to demonstrate the effect of generic promotion.

This has also identified the risk that could result from ending generic promotion for flowers and plants. The research was carried out by independent international market research agency Motivaction.

Facts and figures
“We continuously measure the effect of our campaigns on consumers’ buying intent,” says Dennis van der Lubbe, Managing Director of the Flower Council of Holland. “We investigate whether consumers are encouraged to buy these products after seeing a flower or plant campaign. On average around 70% of our target group answered this question as affirmative, and that is a great score. The aim of this survey was to go a step further and gain insight into the direct impact of campaigns on sales. The survey focused on two campaigns during the past year: ‘We Need More Flowers’ and ‘The Trend Collection’. In consultation with Motivaction the decision was made to re-contact the consumers who had seen these campaigns and had expressed a positive intent to buy in order to check whether they had actually bought flowers and plants recently. By combining these two surveys, it was possible to determine whether consumers who see a campaign actually buy more flowers than those who did not see the campaign.”

The results
The two campaigns and the research were carried out internationally. The ‘We Need More Flowers’ campaign and the ‘Trend Collection’ campaigns both took place in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. “The results were exceptionally positive. If we restrict ourselves to the overall findings, we can see that it has been shown for the two measured campaigns that substantially more sales have been achieved as a result of people seeing these campaigns. In total across the four countries where the campaigns took place, 8.5 million consumers bought extra flowers, 6.6 million consumers bought more houseplants, and 5.7 million consumers bought more garden plants,” says Ruurd Hielkema, senior research consultant at research agency Motivaction. Dennis van der Lubbe adds: “If we apply average retail prices, that gives additional retail sales of around 300 million euro. The total investment for these two campaigns was around 3.5 million euro.”

The competitive position of flowers and plants
“As a sector, we should not forget that we constantly compete with other categories for the consumer’s spend”, says Van der Lubbe. “If we look at flowers, for example, we know that luxury chocolates and perfume are competing gift items. These categories spend a media budget in the Netherlands which is 8 to 12 times greater respectively than we can deploy (Source: Nielsen 2016-2020). With the potential loss of the generic promotion campaigns, we run the serious risk - amongst others - that flowers will be bought less as a gift item.”

Not previously researched
The Flower Council of Holland did not commission such research previously. “As marketing professionals, we have always been convinced that advertising flowers and plants has a positive effect on sales. That is the reason why advertising exists and why all brands and organisations from small to large invest in it. Such a study is expensive, and we would prefer to spend the money on promotion for the sector,” says Dennis van der Lubbe. “But now that discussions have again started up about the promotional levy, we thought it was the right time to investigate this once and for all. It’s excellent that the positive impact on sales has now finally also been demonstrated with figures for the Flower Council of Holland’s campaigns.”

To find out more about this study
Full details of the research and the methodology can be obtained from the Flower Council of Holland.

Dobbies has announced 69 winners across the UK for Helping Your Community Grow, who will all receive support from their local store.

The landmark community support initiative aims to make local landscapes greener, so that communities from across the UK can enjoy everything the great outdoors has to offer.

The deserving community projects have been chosen by members of the public to receive support from Dobbies’ stores, including products, equipment and team member support, to help create a green space that the whole community can enjoy. There were over 17,000 votes.

Noadswood School Community from Cadnam received the most votes out of all 69 projects taking the title of National Winner. Noadswood School Community Garden are in the process of designing a garden with a landscape gardener on the school grounds which will be a place for students to access throughout the school day. It is going to be tended by students from SEMH unit (social, emotional, mental health) and will be a place of calm away from the commotion of school and a safe space.

Claire Blowers, Chairperson at Noadswood PSA is overjoyed with the news: “We are delighted to be the winners of Helping Your Community Grow. We want to create a safe space for our students that is tranquil and calm. We are excited to get started with our project and with the generous support from Dobbies Garden Centres, we can make this space extra special.”

Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies, said: “It has been excellent to see so many projects apply for Helping Your Community Grow. We’re thankful for all those who spent the time to tell us about their green space in need of some extra love and care, and those members of the public who helped us choose the winning projects for all 69 stores.

“We hope that through our support and advice we can help the winning projects create a community space that can be enjoyed by all. We’re excited to follow each and every one of their journeys and watch the spaces flourish and grow.”

For more details on Dobbies’ Helping Your Community Grow visit: https://www.dobbies.com/helping-your-community-grow

Johnsons has re-launched its website johnsons-seeds.com to provide more information and advice to gardening consumers and to direct them to their local garden retailer.

The new look site displays all products in the Johnsons Seeds range, now also showing the front and back of each seed packet, for more detailed sowing and growing information. Varieties can be easily searched for individually, by range or alphabetically in an A-Z section.

Customers can access an improved store locator, via the ‘Find A Store’ page, to find out which type of Johnsons range is stocked in their local garden retailer, as well as the option to search by flower or vegetable ranges.

New to the site is a Q&A section highlighting some frequently asked questions from gardeners and their answers. There are also 10 easy to follow growing guides to download, all packed with helpful information for all levels of gardening expertise.
Regular blogs will also feature on the website, with seasonal advice and handy tips to get the best out of any garden space.

The Johnsons website is not transactional as it is aimed at supporting sales of the brand only through retail customers.

Salary: Negotiable

Location: Flexible

Deadline: 29th October 2021

Hours: 21 hours per week

Benefits: We can offer flexible working, 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays (pro rata) and a work-place pension.

Job Type: Permanent Part Time

Working as part of the Greenfingers Gardens Team, this role is to project manage and support the design and build and ongoing maintenance of Greenfingers gardens in children’s hospices.  

You will need to:

•   be an excellent project manager with a garden/landscape qualification
•   be an enthusiastic team player but also have the ability to work independently
•   have strong written and verbal communication skills
•   have strong IT skills (Word, Excel, Power Point, Vector Works)
•   have the ability to build excellent relationships
•   have a positive can-do attitude

At Greenfingers Charity, we are all about creating magical and inspiring gardens in children’s hospices across the UK, gardens in which a million precious family memories can be created.  If you have a passion to make a difference through horticulture, we’d love to hear from you. 

For more information or to apply for this role, please email your CV, along with a covering letter to Sally Jenkins, Director of Finance & Resource: Sally@greenfingerscharity.org.uk. 

A once in a career opportunity has arisen to join our flagship garden centre at Twickenham.  You will be responsible for managing the outdoor plant department. This is an outstanding department which has won GCA Ruxley Rose competition on several occasions and has a reputation for excellent plant quality and the highest standards of plant care and advice. you will line manage two assistant plant department heads and a number of full time and part time colleagues who make up a motivated, responsible and committed team.

If you are energetic, highly motivated, have the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, demonstrate a passion for plants, are commercially aware and able to create dynamic, inspirational displays this could be just the opportunity for you. 

If you have garden centre retail experience and, ideally, horticultural qualifications, the ability to manage your department to achieve sales and profit targets, the ability to inspire your team to offer the highest standards of plant quality and customer service we look forward to hearing from you.

Hours: Full Time, including alternate weekends.

Rewards & Benefits

• Employee Discount – 50% in Restaurants and10% in Garden Centre on joining, increasing to 20% after 3 months service, 25% after 2 years’ service and 30% after 5 years’ service.
• Holiday (including bank holidays) – 5.6 weeks on joining increasing to 6.2 week after 2 years’ service and 6.6 weeks after 5 years’ service.
• Bonus – We reward our employees with a non-contractual bonus at Christmas, based on the profit of the company in any financial year.  (first year is dependent on start date)
• Pension – We are all aware of how important it is to save for our retirement. We offer a Defined Contribution Pension Plan to new employees. If you pay into the plan and meet the government criteria, the company will too, and these contributions will be invested.
• Attendance – Our employees with 100% attendance in a financial year, are rewarded with Squire’s gift vouchers.
• Made A Difference Scheme (M.A.D) – a reward scheme for team members who make a difference to our business through; outstanding customer service, over and above normal duties or initiatives that have grown / inspired the business. There is a monthly winner and a ‘team member of the year’. All winners select a gift to receive.
• Learning & Development -You can look forward to a wealth of learning opportunities with us that will enhance and develop you with the skills and confidence you need.
• Free parking – available to all employees in the designated parking areas on our sites.

Interested in this role? Call 01252 356860 or email hrtraining@squiresgardencentres.co.uk

About us

Squire’s is a family-owned group of 16 garden centres based in Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex, and Berkshire. We are committed to growing our business and to promoting the highest standards in horticultural retailing. We want our staff to enjoy working with us in a friendly, energetic customer focused environment. Our company is over 85 years old, and Twickenham was the first garden centre we opened way back in 1964. It was one of the first garden centres in the country and holds a very special place in the hearts of the family and at the heart of our business. Plants and core gardening remain central to our business.

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Hozelock, Britain’s leading watering expert, welcomed new Commercial Director, Alan Bird, to Glee 2021 after joining the business earlier in September. 

With over 30 years of experience in sales, category marketing and research, Alan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Hozelock, having previously worked with international brands, including Hovis, Cadbury and Hasbro. 

Working in the role of Commercial Director for more than 12 years, Alan has vast experience across multiple channels, including online, grocery and wholesale, and plans to support Hozelock’s existing market channels and seek new opportunities to further boost the category.  

Speaking of his appointment, Alan said: “I’m delighted to have joined Hozelock, which is renowned for being a trustworthy and respected brand, at what is an exciting time for the business, and gardening industry as a whole.  Attending GLEE so soon after starting the role has given me a fantastic opportunity to delve into the sector and I’ve gained valuable insight from colleagues, customers and the press.”

“Hozelock’s investment into innovation means there have been a number of new product launches this week and I am looking forward to working with the team to get these products out to market.” 

Designed by gardeners for gardeners and with a 60-year heritage – Hozelock’s head office is based in Birmingham, proudly engineering and manufacturing over 75% of its products in the UK.  From garden watering, spraying and plant protection to Hozelock Cyprio pond equipment and Hozelock Pure for natural gardening – Hozelock is not only Britain’s leading watering expert, it is one of the country’s most loved gardening brands continually updating a comprehensive range of products.

For further information, visit www.hozelock.com

Garden product sales got back up to and just above 2019 levels last week to remain over 7% ahead of 2019 levels year to date. 

Autumn lawn care, garden tidying and pots were the big movers in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products chart for last week.

Highlights of the week were:

• Evergreen Garden Care Miracle-Gro Evergreen Complete 360 sq m + 10% moved up one place to No 1.
• Apta Pot Standard 11cm was the highest re-entry at No 2.
• Smart Garden’s Flexitote 40 litres was also a re-entry at No 4.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Ben Harrison has been promoted to Operations Director of Haskins Garden Centres after 12 years with the family business.

He will be responsible for overseeing all operational aspects of the garden centres and restaurants. As part of his new role, Ben also joins the Main Board of Haskins Garden Centre, alongside Julian Winfield (Chief Executive of Haskins), John Dunlop (Finance Director), Lisa Looker (Brand Director) and Andrew Harris (Buying Director).

Julian Winfield commented: “This is a new role for the business and will be essential for creating future growth opportunities and supporting our ambitions for the future.”

Warren Haskins, Chairman of Haskins Garden Centres, added: “We like to promote from within the company where possible and it is incredibly satisfying to see a young person progressing through the business and now joining our board. I am confident Ben will make a huge contribution to the business in his new role.”

Based at Haskins’ Head Office in Dorset, Ben will spend most of the working week on the road, managing a 665 strong team across fives centres in the south, stretching from Dorset to West Sussex.

Commenting on his new role, Ben said: “My journey with Haskins has allowed me to work across many areas of the business. This is a great opportunity to help contribute towards the success of the whole business as we continue to grow.”

Ben is also Chairman for the Garden Centre Association in the South Thames Area. Haskins has five centres across the south in Ferndown (Dorset), West End (Southampton), Roundstone and Snowhill (West Sussex). In winter 2020, Haskins Garden Centres acquired Forest Lodge Garden Centre and Birdworld in Farnham, Surrey.

Please visit www.haskins.co.uk for further information.

With the increase in pot sales seen in the Garden products chart it should be no surprise to see the 53% increase in growing media sales compared to the same week in 2019.

Growing media sales this year to date currently sits at 26% up on 2019. That’s a quarter more gardeniing still going on, even moving into Autumn.

Highlights of the week were:

• The Real Soil Company Super Soil Garden Topsoil 25 litres was the highest chart climber of the week, up 18 places to No 26.
• Westland New Horizon All Plant Compost 50 litres moved up two places to No 3.
• Evergreen Garden Care Evergreen Lawn Soil was the highest re-entry at No 25.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Christmas sales in the GTN Bestselers Epos data driven Top 50 chart grew by 45% last week. That meant they were 2% up on the same week in 2020 but 25% down on the same week in 2019.  

Perhaps the continued good gardening weather is delaying people getting into the Chritsmas spirit quite so early this year.

Sweets and chocolates continue to feature highly in the GTN Christmas Bestsellers Chart

Highlights of the week were:

• Lindt Teddy Bear 10g moves up 2 places to No 4.
• Bon Bon’s 12 Days Of Christmas Gourmet Lollipops is a new entry at No 25.
• The Lindt Chocolate Snowflake is the highest chart climber of the week, up 23 places to No 21.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

The David Colegrave Foundation (DCF) scholarship season is now open for student horticulturists.  

Nine scholarships are available from the David Colegrave Foundation (DCF). Students can receive up to £5,000 to put towards their studies.

To date, the DCF has awarded over £175,000 towards study tours, work placements, college tuition, accommodation fees, books, equipment, and extra training courses.

Lesley Jane, 28, a previous winner of the Ball Colegrave scholarship, lives in Fakenham, North Norfolk. When she was awarded the scholarship, she was 20 years old and attending Eastern College completing her Level 3 Extended Diploma in Landscaping and Horticulture. She first came across the scholarship opportunity when it was advertised to students by her college.

Excited by the prospect, she applied and was interviewed at Flora Nova, a specialist in the breeding of flower seed varieties for professional bedding and pot plant sector. Delighted when she was selected to receive the bursary, she says: “Using the bursary, I was able to undertake work experience at Floranova in their labs, as well as working in the potting and seed shed, which allowed me to understand how to harvest seed. One of the most important things was being able to see the whole operation in motion, I would never have been able to do that without the scholarship.”

As well as providing Lesley with practical experience, the funds also allowed her to set up her own business: “I went self-employed, and travelled around Norfolk. I bought my own tools and set up a garden care and landscaping business. Because of that experience, I have now been running my own business for three years and currently work at Gresham’s school, previously working on both the Holkham and Sandringham estates.”

She shares her advice with others thinking of applying for the scholarships: “You have to make sure you explain why you’re going for the grant. I was interested in the science and biology behind growing plants, and I knew that I wanted to expand my knowledge in that area. I ensured that I explained that in my application, and therefore why receiving that money was important to me. You need to make it clear why you specifically deserve the award.”

To find out more about the David Colegrave Foundation and to apply for a horticultural scholarship, see: http://davidcolegravefoundation.org.uk/scholarships/

The Royal Horticultural Society has announced that The Newt in Somerset will be the new headline sponsor of the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the Charity Gala Preview for the next four years, starting when the event returns in May 2022.

The Newt in Somerset, a country estate with extensive gardens and woodlands, shares a belief in the vital good that gardens and having access to nature can do.

Funds from the sponsorship will help the RHS carry out its charitable work, which includes its scientific research, education and community programmes, and help safeguard the future of horticulture.

Sue Biggs, RHS Director General says: “We are thrilled to be partnering with The Newt in Somerset because first and foremost, being a magnificent garden estate, they share our passion for horticulture and the enormous difference it can make. As our headline sponsor for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, they will gain unique brand exposure whilst helping support our work to inspire millions of people to grow and connect with nature through gardening.”

Edward Workman, Chief Executive Officer, The Newt in Somerset says: “We are great admirers of the RHS. They showed immense resolve over the last year, when their green spaces provided solace and helped people maintain their mental health. They didn’t stop and their gardens look better than ever; I recently visited RHS Garden Wisley to see the new science facility at RHS Hilltop - the gardens were in excellent shape. We want to support the RHS and hopefully this sponsorship will strengthen them.” 

To mark the new partnership, The Newt in Somerset has become an RHS Partner Garden and will give RHS members free access to the historic gardens during RHS Chelsea Flower Show week. There are no plans for them to create a Show Garden at the event.

The news comes as tickets to next year’s RHS Flower Shows*, including RHS Chelsea Flower Show (24-28 May), go on sale today to RHS Members ahead of the public release on Monday 18 October.

Last week saw the return of Choice Marketing’s annual conference and trade show after a year long absence due to Covid. Held at the Hinkley Island hotel in Leicestershire, the two day event brought together Choice members from over 40 independent garden centres across the country for what was described as “the perfect mix of supplier presentations, networking opportunities, and entertainment” combined with a trade show with over 90 trade exhibitors from the garden, leisure and gift sectors.

The conference provided Choice with the opportunity to announce a record breaking sales performance for the group, resulting in a rebate payment likely in excess of £2 million pounds, for the 2020/21 season, every penny of which will go back to the 44 members of the group. The Chairman of Choice Marketing, Terry Maywood, commented that “This is a fantastic achievement that amply demonstrates what can be achieved when independent centres work closely together and is testament to the great trading relationships that Choice Marketing have forged with numerous suppliers across our great industry”.

The event concluded with a champagne reception followed by a dinner, attended by Choice members and suppliers. During the evening, Choice presented its supplier of the year awards, voted for by its members, in three product categories. The winner of the best sundry supplier went to Smart Garden with highly commended awards for both Woodlodge and Westland.

The plant award went to Allensmore and the gift award went to Kaemingk with a highly commended award going to Widdop.

As in previous years, Greenfingers attended the event and were incredibly well supported. Suppliers generously donated prizes for both a raffle that was held during the afternoon and an auction of some top prizes during the evening dinner. The incredible sum of over £4,000 was raised for Greenfingers which was gratefully received by Colin Wetherley-Mein, who represented Greenfingers.    

CEO of Choice Marketing, Michelle de Lavis-Trafford, said “The overall response to this year’s event has been absolutely fantastic. I think everyone has really appreciated being able to get back to some sense of normality after the challenges the Covid pandemic has presented and have enjoyed meeting colleagues and suppliers face to face to catch up and do business.

"I would like to personally thank our sponsors for the conference along with the many trade suppliers and members of Choice for supporting the event and making it so successful and enjoyable”

Choice Marketing are currently recruiting new members. If any independent garden centre operators would like more information on Choice Marketing and how they can apply to join, please contact Anthony Gould – Membership Manager on  07786 030181  anthony.gould@choice-marketing.co.uk or Michelle de Lavis-Trafford - CEO on 07961 136528 mdelavistrafford@btinternet.com

News has reached GTN Xtra of the passing of Roger Smalley, Smalley House & Garden Plants, last week.

His family sent this message to customer sand suppliers: "It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that my dad, who started this company in 1973, and who many of you knew, sadly passed away Thursday lunchtime.

"At the age of 79 he had had a great life, during his working years he loved what he did and during retirement spent a great deal of his time with Mum and his two grandsons. He loved taking them to London and the 6 of us had some great holidays, Dubai and Kenya on safari are 2 that particularly
stand out.

"We will of course endeavor as always, to do our best for you over the coming weeks, he would have wanted that as he wasn’t really one much for fuss, even up to last week, he was still walking round the yard and greenhouses and just loved seeing all the plants come in from everywhere and then
being loaded up on the lorries. He will be greatly missed."

Sandra, Nick & Kate, William and Benjamin.

Boyd Douglas-Davies told GTN Xtra: "This is sad news from Smalleys in Spalding. Roger, Sandra and Nick were among the first people I met in this industry 35+ years ago. 

"Roger was a great friend to my father's business and wonderful help to me as I was finding my way in the world of garden centres. They supplied us with all of our houseplants and many of our seasonal bedding. Their van sales lorries were a welcome sight every Wednesday on our car parks as they were always full of goodies."

Weber Barbecues, the world leaders in outdoor cooking innovation, technology, and products, has opened its European-based manufacturing and distribution hub, helping to streamline UK production capacity and reduce environmental footprint from transportation.

Weber’s new facility located in Zabrze, Poland, which has been certified by BREEAM, the world's leading sustainability validation & certification system, improves the company’s ability to meet the fast-growing product demand within the UK. This includes supporting the customer journey with shorter delivery times and increasing production reactivity due to products now being shipped to the UK within Europe.

“Our new manufacturing and distribution centre marks an important milestone in Weber’s global expansion and European growth,” said Chris Scherzinger, Chief Executive Officer of Weber. “A key element of our growth plans includes our ‘Make-Where-We-Sell’ strategy. This approach focuses on manufacturing high-quality Weber barbecue products closer to our retail customers and consumers, improving our delivery and service speed. We also gain considerable efficiencies operationally and a new level of flexibility to respond and react to local market dynamics and needs.”

The centre is the company’s first manufacturing facility outside the United States.

The Weber manufacturing team in Europe will produce high-quality barbecues in the approximately 50,000-square-metre building. The hub also features a Weber Grill Academy Experience Centre and multiple green space areas for team members to enjoy. The Weber Grill Academy Experience Centre is a hands-on learning space dedicated to the art and skill of barbecuing through culinary classes, interactive chef’s tables, private parties, and corporate team building events held virtually or in person.  

“We appreciate the resilience and passion of our manufacturing and supply chain teams in building this remarkable facility despite the challenges of a global pandemic,” added Mr. Scherzinger.

“Through novel technologies like virtual reality and creative approaches, our local team in Poland worked closely with our US manufacturing leaders to navigate this facility's construction and ensure every square metre of the plant was designed to tight specifications. Further, we are deeply thankful for the support of the City of Zabrze and the Katowice Special Economic Zone throughout this project.”

Panattoni, a market leader in industrial real estate in Europe, partnered with Weber as the developer on the company’s European manufacturing and distribution hub.

For more information, visit: www.weber.com.

The hotly anticipated GIMA Awards (11th November, Celtic Manor Resort) are set to be a huge celebratory event, especially as it is now officially sold out! Manufacturers and suppliers from across the garden retail sector have been quick to snap up their place at the 40th-anniversary event, with many of them hoping to walk away with one of the coveted awards.

Following a two-year hiatus, where the GIMA Awards have been missed, the return of the annual awards ceremony has been met with unprecedented demand. As such, a waiting list is currently filling up for those who still hope to attend. 
  

This demand is perhaps, for many, not unexpected. Each year the GIMA Awards create a glittering night of celebration, rewarding those suppliers that have gone above and beyond to create innovative and profitable new products across 10 categories. Three marketing categories and the new-for-2021 sustainability award complete the roster, together creating a vibrant showcase of the creativity, resilience, and passion of so many within the garden retail sector.

GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall said: “I can’t believe we have sold out and have an ever-growing waiting list! It’s so great to see that despite a break of two years that the value of our awards programme has not dwindled – the exact opposite would, in fact, be true! To have so much support from the industry is wonderful, but more than this, it’s great that so many want to come together to network and celebrate the incredible work that has helped shape our industry in recent years. We certainly have some worthy winners, and we cannot wait to share them with everyone in a few weeks!”

This year, the GIMA Awards will be sponsored by a wealth of fantastic industry brands, including Glee which returns, once again, as headline sponsor, as well as the Ebay, Decco, Evergreen Garden Care, Hozelock, SBM, Primeur, Woodlodge, CJ Wildlife, Capi, Elho, More People, Garden Trade News, Gardenforum, Garden Radio, Garden Centre Retail, Horticulture Week, Barrus, CM Ventures and Hornby Whitefoot PR.  The event is also supported by a host of other industry partners including HTA, GCA & Gardenex. There are still a few sponsorship opportunities available - please contact GIMA to find out more. 

GIMA has also confirmed that it has secured a special celebrity presenter to lead the awards, however, their identity will not be revealed until the awards night itself!

For further information please contact the GIMA team on (01959) 564947 or info@gima.org.uk

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2018 as well as 2019 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 07973 504214, e-mail karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for last week are here

Highlights of the GTN Garden Plants Bestsellers chart for last week are here

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for last week are here

Highlights of the GTN Christmas Bestsellers chart for last week are here

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £100m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call 07973504214.

Buy your subscription today and start receiving the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.

A plant-based dog food company is not only helping dogs thrive with its healthy Michelin star chef recipes but is also protecting the planet with its new sustainable packaging.

DoGood based in Woking, Surrey offers a 100% plant-based, healthy, fresh, nutritionally complete, balanced dog food with a low environmental impact and now has packaging to match its product’s eco-credentials.

Co-founder at DoGood, Steve Hutchins, who set up the company with wife Christina, explains: “It was really important for us to have a brand that reflected our own planet-friendly passion.

“We’ve worked with top canine nutritionists, and a Michelin star chef, to develop recipes that combine locally-sourced, organic plant-based ingredients to provide a set of meals to meet dogs’ needs. They’re vet approved, made in the UK and fully sustainable.

“Until now, our packaging wasn’t fully reflecting our brand’s environmental ethos and, as a start-up, we were struggling to find a solution that would benefit us cost wise and help us get the business off the ground.

“We approached Newton Print to help us develop on-brand cardboard sleeves for our food trays. As they’re also Carbon Balanced printers, not only were we using recyclable materials and vegetable-based inks for our sleeves, but we were also offsetting carbon at the same time.

“The team and Tim provided fantastic service, put our minds at ease and were a pleasure to work with. Newton Print’s low minimum order allowed us to have a short print-run of our packaging, which also reduced any potential wastage from overprinting. And there was the added benefit of super speedy delivery.”

In collaboration with Newton Print, the start-up used its sampling service and low minimum order volumes to produce printed cardboard sleeves made from certified FSC cardboard for the dog food trays, which were freezer safe, fully recyclable and Carbon Balanced to further complement their brand values.

Simon Besley, Sales and Marketing Director at Newton Print, says: “We work closely with many start-ups and SMEs on their packaging, helping demystify the process and our team was thrilled when Steve got in touch to ask us to help develop DoGood’s sleeves.

“The aim was to produce samples of their nine artwork versions, and then take advantage of our low minimum order volumes to print a short run, 250 of each version, at an affordable price. This was supported by quick delivery times to get the product ready for consumers to buy and dogs to enjoy.”

DoGood is a brand born out of necessity. Steve and Christina started to create their own food a few years ago when they lived in Cambodia.

Steve adds: “Over there, dogs are considered food, not pets, and after adopting our own beagles, Bella and Watson, we were shocked when it came to the food that was available for them, so we decided to make our own instead.

“On returning to the UK, we wanted to create something to support man’s best friend, as well as our own environment. The meat-based industry is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases and with more people owning dogs, especially since the pandemic, demand has soared.”

Founded in 1983, Newton Print Ltd is an approachable, friendly, forward-thinking and carbon-balanced printed packaging firm that provides a collaborative approach to client partnerships based on traditional customer relationships, married with pioneering, innovative ideas, to create successful and sustainable results.

Benefitting from its own on-site production and inhouse creative expertise, Newton Print is a packaging mentor for SMEs. It aims to help demystify printed packaging to allow start-up brands like DoGood to develop, succeed and grow.

It provides print runs of anything from 1,000-250,000 with a focus on beautiful, luxury, sustainable printed food packaging, including food sleeves. It is also able to offer short-term special edition print-runs – perfect for product testing, tailoring products to specific retailers or for bespoke promotions.

The hard-working, skilled team ensures its clients receive top-quality workmanship and ultra-fast delivery.

Ninety-seven per cent of its customers rate Newton Print with five stars on the independent review site Feefo for speed and exceeding expectations, while 98% have rated the team’s friendliness as five-star too. Feefo has also awarded the company with a prestigious Platinum Trusted Service accreditation.

To find out more about DoGood, please visit https://wearedogood.co.uk and for Newton Print Ltd, please visit https://www.newtonprint.co.uk or call 01626 368986.

Seven fantastic new aquatic, reptile and water garden innovations have been confirmed as this year’s winners of the coveted AQUA 2021 New Product Awards.

The winners were chosen by a panel of highly respected retailers from an entry of more than 80 products on the first morning of the two-day exhibition.

The judges were impressed by the high standard of innovation on show. Their decisions took into account a number of guideline criteria such as product innovation, design, quality, packaging and value for money.

The awards were presented by Mark Winter, chairman of OATA Impact Exhibitions, the organisers of AQUA 2021.

Here is a full list of the winners together with the judges’ comments:

Marine Food, Care, Accessories & Decor

Winner: Fuzz Out

Entered by: Aquatic Now (stand J11/H11)

The judges said: This is a unique all-in-one filtration media dedicated to the removal of hair algae. It also removes toxins, metals, odours, organics and phosphates.

Marine Equipment & Aquaria

Winner: Reef Delete

Entered by: Aquatic Now (stand J11/H11)

The judges said: This is a stand out product, showcasing the very best in innovation. It’s also a professional looking piece of equipment. It has great packaging and is a truly unique product.

Freshwater Equipment & Aquaria

Winner: CrystalSkim Aquarium

Entered by: Oase UK (stand D21)

The judges said: It’s a well-built, solid piece of equipment with an acceptable price point. It feels new and innovative.

Aquarium Food, Care, Accessories & Decor

Winner: Absolute Wormer+

Entered by: Cloverleaf (stand C11)

The judges said: This product helps to address an issue that is not discussed enough…and that is worming fish. It’s a range of three anti-wormer treatments  designed for use in freshwater tanks with invertebrates.

Pond Equipment & Construction

Winner: Tempest

Entered by: Evolution Aqua (stand G51)

The judges said: This is an amazingly good and efficient product that will help to deliver crystal clear water. It offers additional mechanical and biological filtration.

Pond Food, Care, Accessories & Decor

Winner: Pro-Tect Advanced Dosing System

Entered by: Cloverleaf (stand C11)

The judges said: This could develop into a revolutionary product. It will bring technology usually associated with the marine world to the pond sector.

Reptile 

Winner: biOrb Earth

Entered by: Oase UK (stand D21)

The judges said: This is an outstanding vivarium with everything you could possibly need. Every aspect of this product’s environment – temperature, humidity and lighting – is controllable via an app.