In This Issue
Garden Centre sales reach record levels 2 weeks after re-opening
Today, #FloralFriday is all about the Children!
Grow your sales with Evergreen Garden Care’s GYO best-sellers
"Open For Business: Lessons Learned from Lockdown and The First Week of Trading". Watch the webinar replay now
GrowNation stores take 40% of sales outside business hours. Online garden sales booming.
Covid-19 Safe - Barton Grange Style
Post-Lockdown trading re-starts at 48% down year to date
Bump Up Your Colour Pot Sales
Good TV coverage for gardening
#FloralFriday was a great reminder of RHS Chelsea
Four Oaks Trade Show 2020 Cancelled
Massive increase in demand for VegTrug
LifestyleGarden® thanks keyworkers with special giveaway
CSY launch Ecommerce Sites to help Garden Centres during the Covid-19 Panademic
A cut above on ground below
Plant Area General Assistant
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
HTA Launches Virtual New Plant Awards
GIMA confirms Consumer & Design Trends webinar series
The UK’s Infrastructure Capacity to Reprocess Post-Consumer Plastic Needs to Double by 2022 to Meet Plastic Packaging Tax Demands
The best of last week's
Garden Centres back on the right track - UPDATED - New comment from Barton Grange, Newbank, Langlands and Green Pastures
Making garden centres friendly, safe and accessible again
Smart Face Masks
Orderly queues form as garden centres in England re-open
Solex Exhibition – Cancelled
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
Greenhouses used in trial of "Covid-safe" dining
lunch! postponed until September 2021
Catering Design Group's ten top tips for reopening your catering facilities safely
UK turns to delivery cream teas during lockdown
Situations Vacant
Plant Area General Assistant
£18k - £20k, Bristol
 
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Garden Centre sales reach record levels 2 weeks after re-opening

The second week of trading after the re-opening of garden centres has seen the GTN Bestsellers All Products index soar by 44% on the first week and reach an all time high for week 21...


The second week of trading after the re-opening of garden centres has seen the GTN Bestsellers All Products index soar by 44% on the first week and reach an all time high for week 21, only being beaten in the past 10 years by the early May Bank Holiday week of 2018.

 

We'll include the highlights of the GTN Bestsellers Epos Data analysis in the next edition of GTN Xtra at the weekend and subscribers to the GTN Bestsellers weekly newsletter will receive their copies of the first charts after lockdown of the Top 50 Bestselling lines across Garden Products, Growing Media, Plants, Veg 2 Gro and Wild Bird Care charts early next week.

 

To buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers please use this link.

Today, #FloralFriday is all about the Children!

Today (Friday 29th May), as its National Children’s Gardening Week, Greenfingers Charity would love to see photos that reflect the great way that children and families are embracing time in the garden, particularly during these challenging lockdown times.  And this week, all photos shared, which include the hash tags #NationalChildrensGardeningWeek and #FloralFriday, will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 National Garden Gift Vouchers...


Today (Friday 29th May), as its National Children’s Gardening Week, Greenfingers Charity would love to see photos that reflect the great way that children and families are embracing time in the garden, particularly during these challenging lockdown times.  And this week, all photos shared, which include the hash tags #NationalChildrensGardeningWeek and #FloralFriday, will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 National Garden Gift Vouchers.

 

Getting involved in this week’s #FloralFriday couldn’t be easier!

  • Post your favourite photo of your child/children in the garden
  • Use the hashtags #FloralFriday #NationalChildrensGardeningWeek
  • Tag @GreenfingersCharity  
  • If you can, make a donation to support the work of Greenfingers Charity by texting FLORALFRIDAY to 70085 to donate £5
  • Nominate a friend(s) to do the same

Why support #FloralFriday?

There is no doubt that the benefits of gardening and spending time outside in the fresh air are being felt more than ever as we continue to navigate through a world in lockdown.  Whilst this additional engagement with gardening can only be good for our industry, this message is also vitally important for Greenfingers Charity as it faces a challenging road ahead. 

 

To find out how the Greenfingers Charity Garden at Little Havens in Essex is being used to support children in crisis, click here

 

To find out more about the work of Greenfingers Charity and how you can help, contact Director of Fundraising and Communications Linda Petrons by emailing Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk or calling 01494 674749. 

 

 

Grow your sales with Evergreen Garden Care’s GYO best-sellers
GTN Xtra promotion

Good weather coupled with the COVID-19 lockdown has boosted Grow Your Own search and sales across the UK.  Evergreen Garden Care recognises that garden spaces are one of the key sanctuaries for households during this unprecedented time, with more people using their own safe, green retreat to exercise, relax and learn new skills...


Now that Spring is here and more people are at home than ever before, the Grow Your Own (GYO) trend is increasingly popular. It’s an activity that doesn’t require much space, whether that’s in or outdoor, but it rewards gardeners with visible and edible results.

 

Good weather coupled with the COVID-19 lockdown has boosted Grow Your Own search and sales across the UK.  Evergreen Garden Care recognises that garden spaces are one of the key sanctuaries for households during this unprecedented time, with more people using their own safe, green retreat to exercise, relax and learn new skills.

 

Marketing Director for UK and Ireland at Evergreen Garden Care, Ann-Marie O’Riordan, says “We are incredibly proud of our new and existing product lines. Growing your own fruit and vegetables is practical, but can also act as a form of escapism. It can be scaled up or down depending on the space available and by any gardener however skilled, making it the perfect opportunity for our customers to offer the best products to consumers looking for advice and guidance on easy things to do at home.”

 

In light of this, Evergreen Garden Care presents its top four GYO products to stock up on:

 

Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Fruit & Veg Compost

New to the Miracle-Gro family this year is the Miracle-Gro Performance Organics range. Certified by Organic Farmers & Growers Ltd and after years of work and hundreds of trials, this range can grow plants twice as big, organically. The range specifically targets the new consumer demand for sustainable and organic gardening products.

 

Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Fruit & Veg Compost feeds plants for three months after use, encouraging the growth of bigger, better produce. Your shopper’s home-grown fruit and vegetables deserve the best, so ensure you’re stocked up for your customers’ organic GYO needs. 

 

 

 

Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Fruit & Veg Liquid Concentrate Food

Another of the popular launches from the new range, this high-performance liquid plant food is perfect for pots, containers, beds and borders. In fact, this product is suitable for vegan growers and those with a focus on a sustainable lifestyle, as it’s packaged in 100% recycled and recyclable material. Ideal for novice gardeners looking to see fast results in their home-grown produce with results visible in just seven days! Grow your own has never been so easy.

 

 

Levington Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Food

A GYO staple for novice and experienced gardeners alike is tomatoes, whether you have a full vegetable patch or just a sunny windowsill. The nation’s favourite liquid plant food for tomatoes, Levington Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Food, is enriched with seaweed for full-flavoured tomatoes. Tomorite is also ideal for other crops such as sweet peppers and aubergines, so remind customers to purchase alongside your seed fixtures to drive incremental spend.

 

 

Levington Tomorite Giant Planter with Seaweed

For those looking for an easy win, Levington Tomorite Giant Planter with Seaweed is the perfect solution. This giant planter has been pre-enriched with Tomorite plant food, ready to grow your best tomatoes! Stock up now to help customers keen to kick off their GYO adventure with an easy, all-in-one solution.

 

www.lovethegarden.com/uk-en

 

 

"Open For Business: Lessons Learned from Lockdown and The First Week of Trading". Watch the webinar replay now

Last week we joined Boyd Douglas-Davies, Mike Burks, Adam Wigglesworth and Will Blake for the "Open For Business: Lessons Learned from Lockdown and The First Week of Trading" webinar.  Watch the complete hour long webinar now and hear how Adam is now a web trading convert, how Will's team at St Peters greatly enjoyed being able to re-open, how Mike believes some of his operational changes will have long term benefits and Boyd thanks suppliers for their great efforts and says as an industry we should not be looking for discounts from growers...


Last week we joined Boyd Douglas-Davies, Mike Burks, Adam Wigglesworth and Will Blake for the "Open For Business: Lessons Learned from Lockdown and The First Week of Trading" webinar. 

 

Watch the complete hour long webinar now and hear how Adam is now a web trading convert, how Will's team at St Peters greatly enjoyed being able to re-open, how Mike believes some of his operational changes will have long term benefits and Boyd thanks suppliers for their great efforts and says as an industry we should not be looking for discounts from growers.

 

Here's the link to the webinar: https://app.livestorm.co/hyve-group/open-for-business-lessons-learned-from-lockdown-and-the-first-week-of-trading

 

Brought to you by Glee, part of the Hyve Group, and hosted by GTN's Trevor Pfeiffer we touched on what they have learned about their own businesses during this period, their hopes for the future, and an honest account of what the first week of trading has really been like.

 

March 23rd signified the start of an unprecedented stage of retail, and for the last seven weeks garden centre retail has faced truly unique challenges. Despite large discount retailers being able to open, garden centres were classed as non-core retail and forced to shut their doors during what could have been one of the best starts to Spring we have had in recent years.

 

Host: Trevor Pfeiffer, Director, Garden Trade News

Panel: Boyd J Douglas-Davies, Director, British Garden Centres & President of the HTA
Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group & Chairman of the GCA
Adam Wigglesworth, Director, Aylett Nurseries
Will Blake, General Manager, St Peters Garden Centre


WATCH THE REPLAY HERE

 

 

GrowNation stores take 40% of sales outside business hours. Online garden sales booming.
GTN Xtra promotion

As the rush to online continues in the garden retail sector, GrowNation (grownation.co.uk) reports that almost half of sales are made whilst garden centres are closed for the day...


As the rush to online continues in the garden retail sector, GrowNation (grownation.co.uk) reports that almost half of sales are made whilst garden centres are closed for the day.

 

The industry has been slower than other retail sectors to embrace selling online, so many have been left far behind by those with the capability already in place.

 

 

Mark Scott, Commercial Manager at Gordale Garden Centre said: Moving forward, being online is inevitable for the whole industry. With GrowNation’s help, we've been able to get our web-shop off the ground in record time.

 

"Sales of garden furniture were way beyond expectations from the day we went live. They’ve made the whole experience quick, easy and above all, profitable.”

 

Online sales have been booming, with online searches for plants and gardening products exploding.

 

According to Google UK, breakout search terms for the last 90 days include:

 

Steve Meleka, Managing Director or GrowNation said: “The growth of online selling has been super-charged by lockdown. Online retailers are experiencing unprecedented demand and garden centres should be mindful of this opportunity.

Our offer to garden centres is unique; no up-front costs, no contractual obligation and the fastest site build and implementation in the UK.

 

"A new web shop can be built within an hour, fully populated with products including detailed product information and images from our partner suppliers.

 

"With no investment cost and no previous history of selling online, garden centres can be taking orders 24 hours a day. This is the perfect opportunity to future-proof their businesses.”

 

For Silverwell’s Garden Centre in Arbroath, where Scotland’s lockdown is still in force, their GrowNation web shop has made it possible to continue trading.

 

Silverwell’s owner, Adam Meldrum said: “We’ve added over 1,500 products to our site now and are doing brisk business. We started by offering local deliveries, but now we’re selling more to customers who want to click and collect.

This is great for us, as it means we can fulfil a lot more orders than before. Once we’re back open, it will allow us to make up for any shortfall in shop sales because of social distancing.”

 

Since Silverwells began offering click and collect, 54% of customers have requested it. This is set to continue after re-opening as elderly and vulnerable customers seek to continue avoiding physical contact.

 

On 25th May, the Government announced that all non-essential retail will be allowed to open from June 15th. Some garden centre owners have expressed concern that this will impact the number of customers they'll see as a result. It’s still not completely clear whether recent increased custom was a result of pent-up demand or simply the novelty of having somewhere new to visit during lockdown.

 

All GrowNation websites are completely free to set up and include:

  • The ability to list as many (or as few) products as each retailer wants.
  • Secure online payments via credit/debit card.
  • Simple, commission based fee with no up-front cost and no lock-in period.
  • A unique web address with its own storefront and product range.
  • A simple to use retailer dashboard to manage products, orders and customers.
  • Payment processing fees included, no more to pay.

Garden centres can now apply for their own web shops - fully populated with detailed product information and images from suppliers including Farplants, Hozelock, Porters Fuchsias/Happy Plants, Bransford Webbs, Lovania, Taylors Bulbs, SBM Life Science (Phostrogen/Baby Bio), Plantworks (Empathy/Rootgrow/After Plant), Vegepod, Daro Cane, IKON, Fallen Fruits and Primus.

 

GrowNation charges no up-front fees, instead, the business model is completely commission based, with credit card transaction fees absorbed by the company as part of the service. Retailers can get more information or claim their free website at: grownation.co.uk.

 

The GrowNation (grownation.co.uk) platform is one of a series of marketplaces from ConnectNation Ltd, a company formed to help address some of the unique business challenges posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

ConnectNation was founded by a group of colleagues with specialisms in marketing (including in the horticulture sector), CRM platform design & integration, business analysis, social media management and ecommerce website development.

 

The company is currently working with the award-winning ecommerce platform and digital marketing company, Visualsoft. Their VSCommerce platform underpins the GrowNation service, making it possible to rapidly deploy websites to allow garden centres to start selling online quickly. See: www.visualsoft.co.uk

Covid-19 Safe - Barton Grange Style

While some garden centres are managing their customer numbers by controlling the number of trolleys in at any one time Barton Grange are only allowing 100 cars at a time to park up, with other cars waiting in a queing system on the remainder of the sites car parking space.  GTN's North West corespondent Steve Myatt took the short trip up the M6 to bring you this GTN Xtra photo tour...


While some garden centres are managing their customer numbers by controlling the number of trolleys in at any one time Barton Grange are only allowing 100 cars at a time to park up, with other cars waiting in a queing system on the remainder of the sites car parking space.  GTN's North West correspondent Steve Myatt took the short trip up the M6 to bring you this GTN Xtra photo tour.

 

Steve's tour starts at the staff entrance: "The journey starts for the staff team as they enter the centre staff entrance. After I signed in I was asked to wear my visitor badge and sanitise my hands before entering. Safety signage was evident throughout the walk to the store itself, and additional hand sanitising was required just before entering the shop.

 

"For the customer the journey starts on entering the car park which is much reduced in size. Once this is full cars are directed to a queuing lane where they are asked to stay in their car until they find a parking space in the main car park.

 

"Signage in the car park is clear and reinforces safety by stating the sanitised trolleys are available. As the store become busier staff direct the customers to a queuing area highlighted by cones and ask them to remain safely distanced. Signs discouraging entry via the Farm Shop entrance help keep the flow in the right direction and staff are there to also discourage this.

 

"Clear signage asks customers to be aware of restrictions before entry, and staff are inside the entrance in marked safe zone asking customers to understand card payment only etc and monitor entrance numbers and distancing. Customers are asked to sanitise their hands prior to entry and they are given – again from a safe zone- a sanitised trolley for shopping. Reception is also a safe zone (as are all staff points) with clear 2m designation.

 

"Closure of internal joining doors encourages a natural one way trip through the centre.

 

"Merchandising is, as always, of a high standard within the centre, and the social distancing measures are repeated clearly throughout the centre. Main aisles have been widened to allow easier distancing.

 

"In the covered area and Planteria information points are clearly marked with social distancing measures in place.

 

"Directional signs to the tills are large and clear to encourage correct customer flow.

 

"As customers approach the tills signage directs them to the left where staff also are stationed to ensure 2m distance between shoppers.

 

"On approaching the tills the customers are asked to place their trolley by the till and then retreat to the marked square whilst the trolley is checked through the till. The staff stand back and ask the customer to pay via card. Once done the customer takes the trolley away, but if it is a large load and requires unloading then the products are placed on the table behind for customer collection after payment. Card machines are wiped after each transaction.

 

"On leaving a staff member in a safe zone controls the queue for safe distancing as some customers use the sanitiser again before leaving.

 

"The customer feedback has been very positive and they have been congratulated on their slick operation in the circumstances."

Post-Lockdown trading re-starts at 48% down year to date
GTN Bestsellers Analysis

The first set of Epos data for GTN Bestsellers after 7 weeks of lockdown showed total volume sales of barcoded products only 17% down on the same week last year despite two less days of trading and many less customers as a result of Social Distancing restrictions...


The first set of Epos data for GTN Bestsellers after 7 weeks of lockdown showed total volume sales of barcoded products only 17% down on the same week last year despite two less days of trading and many less customers as a result of Social Distancing restrictions.

 

Given the issues with non-barcoded plants and the two missing days that probably means sales were up by between 7% and 10% year on year.

 

That means our GTN Bestsellers All products index starts the Post-Lockdown trading period at -48%.  The data for the full week ending 24th May will give us all a better indicator of year on year comparisons and point to how much of the shortfall could be made up during the summer.

 

Within the complete GTN Bestsellers data there were notable omissions from food   and gift lines as customers concentrated their spending on plants and core gardening activity, plus some centres didn’t fully open all departments straight away and of course restaurants and coffee shops are closed, so that footfall and the resultant impulse purchasing is missing.

 

On a day by day basis we know many centres had record turnover, despite the restrictions and plants were the reported star performers.  Plants sold with barcodes on them were 26% down in volume compared top the same week last year.  However, many plants are being supplied direct from growers without barcoded labels due to time and social distancing restrictions at nurseries so the total volume of plants sold is likely to be considerably higher.  Watch this space for further detail when a “dump” code analysis is completed.

 

The volume of growing activity is up year on year as we come out of lockdown with the GTN Growing Media Top 50 sales index up by 22% on the same week last year.  And sustainability is still high on the gardening agenda with Westland’s New Horizon All Plant Compost 60 litres being the No 1 Bestselling Growing Media line for the week, outselling the second highest selling compost line by 2 to 1.

 

Garden products also got back off to a flying start, up by 10% on last year with Tomorite leading the way and pot feet sitting at No 2 and No 4 in the GTN chart.

 

Veg 2 Gro lines were down year on year by 36%, mainly due to restricted supply as far as we can tell.

 

Wild Bird Care sales volumes were up by 18% year on year.

 

While we do not currently produce separate charts for pot and garden lighting sales the total volumes change year on year is indicative of initial gardening activity and focus.  Compared to the same week last year pot sales volumes in the GTN Bestsellers Epos data were 54% higher while garden lighting sales were 20% lower.

 

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 20

•           Garden Products Top 50 – up 10%

•           Growing Media Top 50 – up 22%

•           Wild Bird Care Top 50 – up 18%

•           Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – down 36%

 

GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 20

•           All Plants with Barcode index – down 26%

•           All Items index – down 17%

 

Next week will see the first new issue of GTN Bestsellers with full Top 50 Charts published including week on week and year on year movements.  To buy a subscription to the GTN Bestsellers weekly newsletter use this link

Bump Up Your Colour Pot Sales

 

With the increased demand of Perennials over the coming weeks for premium pot colour in Garden Centres, Ball Colegrave have ensured there is good availability on many of our most popular varieties for immediate delivery...


With the increased demand of Perennials over the coming weeks for premium pot colour in Garden Centres, Ball Colegrave have ensured there is good availability on many of our most popular varieties for immediate delivery.

 

Their top-selling jumbo 5cm Ball 40 liners are a popular plug format for instant colour sales from May to August, perfect to extend the bedding season.

 

The First Year Flowering Ball 40 range are perfect to drop into 2 - 3 litre pots for quick-turn colour sales for sales through to July. All are automatically supplied with a full colour label.

 

These include varieties such as;

  • Astilbe Astary
    Campanula Rapido
    Gaura Sparkle White
    Geum
    Hollyhock Spring Celebrities
    Lychnis Molten Lava
    Papaver Moondance
    Solidago Golden Baby

The Tissue Culture Ball 40 liners are perfect to extend the sales season with premium nonstop colour in 2 – 3 litre pots right through to August. For example, the Heuchera make bold pots of foliage in June/July, whereas the Echinacea pack a punch of colour in July/August. These varieties are loaded with vigour and provide high performance plants that always look stunning at retail in big pots.

 

These include varieties such as;

  • Brunnera Jack Frost
    Echinacea Double Scoop Cranberry
    Echinacea Green Jewel
    Echinacea Sensation Pink
    Echinacea Sombrero series
    Echinacea Sunseekers Salmon
    Echinacea White Meditation
    Geranium hardy collection (including the popular Rozanne)
    Heuchera & Heucherella (8 newly released varieties)
    Rudbeckia Little Goldstar

To see the full range of Lasting Beauty Perennials. CLICK HERE

 

How to Order:

Ball Colegrave advise ordering quickly whilst there is availability. When its gone, its gone!

 

Log into WebTrack™ to check our full availability and order online. If you haven't yet registered with WebTrack™, it's quick and easy to do and offers lots of great tools and information.

 

Otherwise, please contact your local Ball Colegrave Technical Sales Representative or Customers Services to place your order.

Good TV coverage for gardening

 

Last Tuesday saw viewing figures for Monty Don & Joe Swift On BBC Chelsea at 1.9 million & a repeat of a ITV Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh & David Domoney at 2.4 million...


Last Tuesday saw viewing figures for Monty Don & Joe Swift On BBC Chelsea at 1.9 million & a repeat of a ITV Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh & David Domoney at 2.4 million. Good coverage for gardening.

 

A brand new TV Gardening show launched on Monday 25th May at 8.30pm on ITV where Alan & David along with Francis Tophill and Katie Rushworth are Growing their Own veg at their own homes with their partners filming them.  The programme has already received favourable reviews and it features "normal" gardening activities and references plants and products available at garden centres.  It will be interesting to see what impact it has on more new gardeners coming into garden centres.  In next weeks episode there is a project based around VegTrugs.  Have you got a stock ready for selling?

 

David Domoney was pick of the choice in last week's Radio Times with his kids (pic attached) who are also presenting on the show. "We really hope it gets the nation to continue to grow after lockdown ends," David told GTN Xtra.

#FloralFriday was a great reminder of RHS Chelsea

Once again Greenfingers Charity and friends shared their #FloralFriday photos on social media.  And last week, many used the occasion to celebrate days gone by at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. ..


Once again Greenfingers Charity and friends shared their #FloralFriday photos on social media.  And last week, many used the occasion to celebrate days gone by at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. 

 

Greenfingers Charity used #FloralFriday to say thank you to all those who make The Greenfingers Charity Garden at the 2019 show a great success.  The charity also shared a wonderful reminder that HRH The Queen visited their special celebratory garden. 

 

Although this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show was cancelled, it didn’t stop #FloralFriday regulars once again backing the social media campaign.  GTN, Hornby Whitefoot PR, Taylors Bulbs, Perrywood Garden Centre, British Garden Centres, LOFA, Glee, Barton Grange, Bridgman Furniture as well Ann-Marie Powell and David Domoney were amongst those who didn’t fail disappoint as they shared some of their wonderful memories of the world’s biggest and best loved Flower Show.

 

This Friday (29th May), as its National Children’s Gardening Week, Greenfingers Charity would love to see photos that reflect the great way that children and families are embracing time in the garden, particularly during these challenging lockdown times.   And this week, all images which include the hash tags #NationalChildrensGardeningWeek and #FloralFriday will be entered into a draw to win £100 National Garden Gift Vouchers.

 

Getting involved in this week’s #FloralFriday couldn’t be easier!

  • Post your favourite floral image or floral selfie social media.
  • Use the hashtags #FloralFriday #NationalChildrensGardeningWeek
  • Tag @GreenfingersCharity  
  • If you can, text FLORALFRIDAY to 70085 to donate £5 to Greenfingers Charity
  • Nominate a friend(s) to do the same

Why support #FloralFriday?

 

There is no doubt that the benefits of gardening and spending time outside in the fresh air are being felt more than ever as we continue to navigate w world in lockdown.  Whilst this additional engagement with gardening can only be good for our industry, this message is also vitally important for Greenfingers Charity as it faces a challenging road ahead. 

 

With a waiting list of hospices that need their help today, by joining the fun of #FloralFriday YOU will be helping to making difference to life-limited children and their families and helping to make these wonderful gardens a reality for those that need them the most. From a place to enjoy some fresh air, a place of quiet reflection or as a place to remember those lost, a Greenfingers garden plays many important roles.  

 

To find out more about the work of Greenfingers Charity and how you can help, contact Director of Fundraising and Communications Linda Petrons by emailing Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk or calling 01494 674749. 

 

 
Four Oaks Trade Show 2020 Cancelled

Last week it was announced that the Four Oaks Trade Show for 2020, the 50th anniversary event, has been postponed due to the Coronavirus crisis...


Last week it was announced that the Four Oaks Trade Show for 2020, the 50th anniversary event, has been postponed due to the Coronavirus crisis.

 

Pat Coutts, Event Director, said: "It is with great regret that Four Oaks has taken the decision to cancel the 2020 Trade show on September 8 -9th, particularly as it would have been the 50th anniversary of the show.

 

"The risks to exhibitors and visitors would have been too great under the present circumstances, even with the most stringent controls. The deciding factor has been the 14 day quarantine period at UK airports. As 35% of exhibitors plus a high percentage of visitors come in from Europe, the event would not have been viable with this restriction in place and we could not have delivered the quality show that the industry has come to expect.

 

"Having spoken to a cross section of the 260 companies booked in to the show, the general feeling has been one of relief as many have staff furloughed until October. The 3 weekly government reviews do not guarantee a way forward so the decision had to be taken now for the sake of our loyal exhibitors who invest so much in the show.

 

"The dates of Four Oaks 2021 will be September 7-8th when we will be able to celebrate properly the 50th event."

 

Massive increase in demand for VegTrug

VegTrug have reported a massive increase in demand for their iconic product range during the Covid 19 crisis with the company taking very early decisions and employing a smart strategy to see them through...

 


VegTrug have reported a massive increase in demand for their iconic product range during the Covid 19 crisis with the company taking very early decisions and employing a smart strategy to see them through.

 

Very early in the crisis (and several weeks before lockdown) they declared their Colchester premises an ‘isolation’ area with no visitors allowed and staff practising self distancing and increased hygiene throughout the premises. Several staff changed to working from home immediately and with systems the company had already invested in, they were able to trade throughout the period working remotely where necessary.

 

No staff were furloughed and customer demands were met with a few fundamental changes. The lead time was extended early on and trade stock availability was also limited so that they could ensure nobody was let down.

 

Joe Denham (CEO VegTrug) commented: “We have supported trade customers in the UK who stayed open during the crisis as far as we possibly could. Those online customers and garden centres who reacted early and worked with us to come up with creative solutions, quickly implementing safe ‘click and collect systems’ appreciated our support throughout the crisis. We had to think creatively in all areas of our business and trading relationships.

 

Demand from consumers has been overwhelming but our staff have managed to step up to the task and meet it head on. Our support staff have been working evenings and weekends and I could not be more proud of them.

 

What has been most interesting is that we have seen the business operating at maximum capacity. This has shown us where our shortcomings are and as a result we have made several staff responsibility changes and will be implementing an automated trade portal for our UK customers which will be launched within the next 10 days.

 

With trade exhibitions looking doubtful for 2020 we are currently in production with a number of video presentations which buyers should expect to receive over the coming weeks. Our new product line up for 2021 has never looked more exciting. Trading with VegTrug will be easier, smarter and more profitable than ever before.

 

Our most difficult problem was the closure of the business in America. Our warehouse and offices in Pennsylvania are still closed but we have managed to achieve our budgets with Amazon and QVC sales better than ever and shipments from stock we were holding in 3rd party out-of-State warehousing. It was imperative for us to keep our staff supported in America and we have managed to achieve that and continue to pay our bills over there!

 

We feel very lucky to have come through this crisis relatively unscathed when many businesses within the industry have struggled and may not survive. I believe it is a testament to the quality of our products and the service we give that has seen us through”.

 

Any customer wanting details of the VegTrug range for in store sales should contact Mark Crowley by email mark@vegtrug.com. Online customers should contact James Allan by email james@vegtrug.com

 

LifestyleGarden® thanks keyworkers with special giveaway

Running across the company’s social media platforms, the LifestyleGarden® team asked its followers to nominate the keyworkers in their life for the chance to win a set of the company’s rainbow-inspired Nassau dining sets...


It’s hard to think of a way that will truly demonstrate our gratitude for all the keyworkers that are holding this country together during the Covid-19 lockdown. LifestyleGarden® - one of the UK’s leading outdoor furniture suppliers – knew they couldn’t sit back and do nothing which is why the company recently launched a special #FeetUpWithLifestyleGarden giveaway as a way of showing their thanks for these incredible human beings.

 

Running across the company’s social media platforms, the LifestyleGarden® team asked its followers to nominate the keyworkers in their life for the chance to win a set of the company’s rainbow-inspired Nassau dining sets.

 

10 sets were up for grabs and followers made nominations in their droves, with over 60 entries received. A random winner generator selected the lucky recipients who were quickly informed of their win. However, saying thank you from the team just didn’t feel enough so they also enlisted the help of TV’s Helen George, also known as Trixie from the popular BBC drama, Call the Midwife. In a short video, Helen congratulated all the winners and thanked them for everything they have done and continue to do as we work to navigate this pandemic.

 

Click picture to watch video

 

Paul Cohen, Sales Director at LifestyleGarden®, said: “Keyworkers deserve every bit of praise we can give them, but they also deserve to have somewhere they can put their feet up and relax after a long shift helping on the frontline or keeping our essential businesses functioning. We selected our Nassau sets as they are available in peony pink, pastel green and honey yellow, reminiscent of the rainbow emblem that has become synonymous with the nation’s support of keyworkers.

 

“The winners are currently eagerly awaiting delivery of their prizes and we’re excited to share photos of them once they have everything set up. For now, I’d just like to thank all those that nominated keyworkers, to Helen for her fantastic video, and of course the biggest thanks to those keyworkers that are keeping us safe during these unprecedented times. You are a true inspiration to us all.”

 

If you want to find out more about LifestyleGarden® and the company’s market leading outdoor furniture collections, please visit www.lifestylegarden.com or follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.

CSY launch Ecommerce Sites to help Garden Centres during the Covid-19 Panademic

CSY have been pulling out all the stops to help customers during the Covid-19 Pandemic...


CSY have been pulling out all the stops to help customers during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

 

Ross Pierrepont told GTN Xtra: "We quickly recognised that customers who didn't have ecommerce capability were potentially going to need it, so we launched our Vector Ecommerce Lite offer.


"This provides a quick and low-cost ecommerce platform directly linked to their Vector EPOS system. A linked solution means quicker times to launch and more efficient customer order processing while still providing stock control and reporting.

 

"The take up has been fantastic and we have many more customers who are now able to take online orders. They are getting items to their customers through a mix of local deliveries and safe collection from store. This is keeping them trading whilst also allowing them to keep their staff and customers safe.

 

"In the garden centre sector so far we have launched online stores for:

Brookfields Garden Centre - https://www.brookfields-gardencentre.co.uk/
Bell Plantation Garden Centre - https://shop.bellplantation.co.uk/
Earlswood - https://shop.earlswoodgsy.com/
Monkton Elm Garden Centre - https://shop.monktonelm.com/

Thetford Garden Centre - https://www.thetfordgardencentre.co.uk/

 

CSY were also instrumental in getting the new Blue Diamond online store live and trading and new sites are going live imminently for:

* Nunhead Gardener
* Summerhill Garden Centre
* Silica Lodge Garden Centre
* Thorngrove Garden Centre

 

CSY have also produced Ecommerce Lite sites for our customers in Food Retail, DIY, Equestrian & Country Stores.

 

"We are offering all our customers the opportunity to upgrade to our complete website offering later thus making the most of their investment from both a financial and time perspective" added Ross.

 

"To make sure that everyone has the help that they need we made a swift investment in upgrading our phone system so that our helpdesk staff could work seamlessly from home. This has allowed us to continue the same levels of service still offering 7 day-a-week support from 8am to 8pm."

 

CSY are contactable on 01159 484848 or email info@csy.co.uk

A cut above on ground below

Developed to meet the demands of the commercial market, the new EGO RotoCut attachment has dual sharpened blades made of high strength alloy steel and a cutting width of 23cm...


With two sets of specially designed counter-rotating blades to minimise the scattering of debris, the new EGO Professional-X RotoCut attachment (RTX2300) means professional gardeners can clear weeds and grass safely, even on hard and challenging surfaces.

 

Developed to meet the demands of the commercial market, the new RotoCut attachment has dual sharpened blades made of high strength alloy steel and a cutting width of 23cm. Combined with an integrated guard, it’s designed to cut close to the ground, quickly and safely in areas where scattering debris could be damaging.

 

Weighing in at just 1.9kg, it’s powered by market-leading 56-volt Arc lithium-ion technology, eliminating the noise and pollution generated by petrol powered equipment. With low vibration rates (1.1/1.5m/s2) and a LpA noise level of 79.3dB(A), it’s ideal for prolonged professional use, especially in built-up areas.

 

EGO Professional-X RotoCut is a compatible attachment for EGO’s commercial line trimmers and brush cutter (BCX3800, STX3800, ST1530E and BC3800E), which are manufactured from durable materials, including an amazingly strong carbon fibre shaft which won’t break, bend or lose its shape even under heavy workloads or if thrown.

 

Vince Brauns, Group Product Manager at EGO, said: “We were keen to meet the demands of the market with a solution for flying debris causing damage and our RotoCut attachment means professional gardeners and landscapers can now clear weeds and cut grass safely with ease and speed. In addition, environmentally-minded businesses can complete the same tasks but without using plastic line.”

 

The EGO Professional-X RotoCut attachment retails at £209.

 
Plant Area General Assistant
£18k - £20k, Bristol

With a rich history spanning nearly 80 years, Almondsbury Garden Centre is Bristol’s largest independent garden centre. Based five minutes from Cribbs Causeway, we are passionate about plants and helping our customers to achieve their gardening goals, whether that’s an ambitious outdoor project or adding some luscious greenery to their indoor space.

 

We’re one of the best-stocked garden centres in the South West and are proud of our reputation for finding the perfect plant or flower for any gardening project.

We are now looking for a Plant Area General Assistant to join our dedicated team and assist with the sales of our vast plant range.

 

The Benefits

- Salary of £18,000 - £20,000 per annum DOE
- 28 days’ annual leave including Bank Holidays
- Staff discount scheme
- Subsidised social events
- Benefits package commensurate with a progressive company

 

If you have a real passion for plants of all kinds and experience of working in a garden centre or department, this is a fantastic opportunity to transform your enthusiasm into a flourishing career.

 

Joining a friendly team of experts, you will be provided with the ideal environment in which to develop and thrive.

 

We believe that plants bring joy, beauty and wellbeing to the world. If you share these values and are looking to join a forward-thinking company that will support your growth, we’d love to hear from you.

 

The Role

As a Plant Area General Assistant, you will deliver an exceptional service to customers and maximise plant sales.

 

You will use your outstanding knowledge to advise customers on plant care and encourage purchases.

 

About You

To join us as a Plant Area General Assistant, you will need:

 

- Experience of working in a garden centre or garden department within a larger retail store
- Have a passion and strong understanding of bedding plants and house plants
- Fantastic communication skills

 

Ideally, you will have a qualification in a horticultural-related subject, but this is not essential. Due to our location, a full and valid driving licence and access to your own vehicle would also be beneficial.

Other organisations may call this role Plant Area Assistant, Garden Department Assistant, Garden Centre Assistant, Retail Assistant, Plant Shop Assistant, or Plant Department Assistant.

 

Applications, please to: richard.truscott@almondsbury.co.uk

 
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HTA Launches Virtual New Plant Awards

The New Plant Awards are usually one of the highlights of the National Plant Show, held by the HTA in June each year. Due to the coronavirus crisis, the plant show was cancelled, but the HTA has decided to run the New Plant Awards as an independent online event in 2020...


The HTA (Horticultural Trades Association) has announced that it will be hosting its New Plant Awards as a ‘virtual’ event this year.

 

The New Plant Awards are usually one of the highlights of the National Plant Show, held by the HTA in June each year. Due to the coronavirus crisis, the plant show was cancelled, but the HTA has decided to run the New Plant Awards as an independent online event in 2020.

 

HTA President, Boyd Douglas-Davies said: “We are so excited to be able to launch a virtual version of the New Plant Awards. The Awards are an important and eagerly anticipated event within the horticulture calendar, and they allow our UK growers and plant suppliers to showcase the wonderful new plants they have been cultivating. We hope that running the event, despite the current circumstances, will provide a much-needed boost for the industry, and provide a positive focus for the horticulture community.”

 

The Awards will include both a professionally judged and an online visitor vote award. In each category the judges will be deciding Bronze, Silver and Gold winners. Best in Category winners will be put forward for Best Overall Winner.

 

Exhibitors can enter plants into the following categories:

  • Herbaceous Perennials
    Annuals
    Houseplants
    Shrubs & Climbers
    Trees & Conifers


‘Virtual visitors’ will be able to vote on their favourite plants via a link which will be publicised on Monday 15 June. Winners will be announced on Wednesday 17 June.

 

The HTA has also announced its judges for this year’s Awards:

Matthew Biggs - TV & radio gardening personality, garden writer
Tamsin Westhorpe - Horticultural journalist & gardener, Joint Chair, Garden Media Guild
Ian Hodgson - Garden writer, editor, consumer magazines
Jonathan Savage - General Manager, Scotsdales Garden Centres
Lesley Watson - Director of New Hopetoun Gardens

 

Head Judge, Matthew Biggs commented: “Undeterred by the current crisis, the HTA’s Virtual New Plant Awards are going ahead. It is a wonderful opportunity for our talented British nurseries to promote some of the fantastic new plants they are breeding, and I am honoured to be part of the judging team for these highly prestigious Awards.”

 

There is still time for virtual exhibitors to register their interest by emailing events@hta.org.uk, but entries must be submitted by the deadline of Friday 29 May.

 
GIMA confirms Consumer & Design Trends webinar series

Due to the Covid-19 lockdown, GIMA’s Consumer & Design Trends seminar was sadly cancelled, however delegates – including GIMA members, non-members and for the first time, retailers - are being offered a second chance to learn more about the trends that are expected to influence consumer shopping decisions regarding interior and exterior products with the launch of GIMA’s new webinar series...


Due to the Covid-19 lockdown, GIMA’s Consumer & Design Trends seminar was sadly cancelled, however delegates – including GIMA members, non-members and for the first time, retailers - are being offered a second chance to learn more about the trends that are expected to influence consumer shopping decisions regarding interior and exterior products with the launch of GIMA’s new webinar series.

 

Led by leading trends agency, Scarlet Opus, these one-hour webinars will look at not just the garden and outdoor product, colour and design trends for spring/summer 2021 but will also explore the consumer behaviour consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, the Scarlet Opus team will be providing insight into what consumers of 2021 will want to buy, plus they’ll be offering ideas on how to future proof new product development, visual merchandising, packaging and marketing plans.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

There is no doubt that people’s gardens and outdoor spaces have become their haven of calm during lockdown. These outdoor spaces have, more than ever, become a recognised and valued place of wellbeing, a place to escape to, to exercise in, to spend valued time with other members of the household, but more importantly a place where life feels safe – one of the few spaces where we are able to control normality.

 

Throughout summer 2021, it is expected that the UK will appreciate the emotional value and potential of their outdoor spaces. But as life settles into a new normal in 2021, how will these spaces and this emotional connection develop? How will our garden spaces serve many functions and satisfy many desires?

 

All these questions and more will be answered in this special series of webinars, open to both suppliers and retailers.

 

Praise received for previous trends seminars includes: “I can strongly recommend the Scarlet Opus presentation. It was carried out to a very high degree of detail and related very well to the gardening industry. It gave great food for thought to how we may look to develop our product ranges and designs in the years to come”, “GIMA events such as trends enable suppliers to remain relevant and professional”, and “Well worth attending, and don’t think trends are not for your business, the content was for all types of business.”

 

Taking place between 3:00pm and 4:00pm on Tuesday 2nd, Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th June, it has been confirmed that all delegates will have access to the live webinars and follow up copies of the presentation with transcripts of the trend translations for each company attending. GIMA’s Consumer & Design Trends webinars will be priced at £200 for members, with each additional delegate priced at £25. Non-members and retailers are invited to contact the GIMA team via info@gima.org.uk to learn more about joining the webinars, including prices.

 

To find out more please visit www.gima.org.uk or call 01959 564947.

 
The UK’s Infrastructure Capacity to Reprocess Post-Consumer Plastic Needs to Double by 2022 to Meet Plastic Packaging Tax Demands

The UK could be set to face significant challenges in its ability to recycle household plastic packaging, with reprocessing infrastructure potentially needing to double, according to new research...


The UK could be set to face significant challenges in its ability to recycle household plastic packaging, with reprocessing infrastructure potentially needing to double, according to new research by RECOUP.

 

RECOUP has released an update of its Household Plastic Packaging Sorting and Infrastructure Report, which aims to inform and provide context around the design of a new tax on the production and import of all plastic packaging that doesn’t include at least 30% recycled content.

 

The report highlights how the UK’s infrastructure to sort plastic packaging to the required quality and reprocess this material needs to increase in order to handle the additional demands created by both the recycled content target and also to service ambitious commitments by brand leaders to increase circular and environmentally sustainable manufacturing.

 

With Her Majesty’s Treasury set to implement the Plastic Packaging Tax, which is currently in its second round of consultations, in April 2022, there is a level of urgency to understand the impact of this and how this recycled content target can be achieved.

 

Currently, RECOUP report that sorting capacities at Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) and Plastic Recovery Facilities (PRFs), by volume at least, is not a barrier to meeting a 30% recycled content target. The UK has an estimated annual permitted MRF capacity of between 1.6 and 1.9 million tonnes for sorting plastic packaging, and an estimated actual throughput of up to 1,000,000 tonnes.

 

However, research found there are significant shortfalls in reprocessing capacity, with an estimated current operational output of 230,000 tonnes. There are also particularly challenging commercial conditions and fine profit margins in this sector, with very specific operational and technical challenges around reprocessing plastic film, non-bottle PET and food grade packaging.

 

Scenarios detailed in the report show the extent of which capacities may be unable to cope with specific changes and requirements. When comparing the reprocessing capacity against 30% recycled content from plastic packaging types placed on the market, there are significant shortfalls. These scenarios suggest that the UK’s reprocessing capacity may need to increase by 100% to meet 30% recycled content in all household plastic packaging placed on the market, and by over 200% to meet that target for food grade rigid household plastic packaging.

 

Steve Morgan, Policy & Infrastructure Manager at RECOUP, said: “The research conducted by RECOUP in producing the Infrastructure Report highlights the need for the UK to shift towards more domestic recycling in the UK, in order for the industry to be able to cope with the increasing demands for high-quality recycled plastic. Reforming and delivering a well-designed Packaging Producer Responsibility System in the UK is essential to deliver the infrastructure to meet a recycled content target. This would provide the underpinning foundations to ensure the necessary investment and confidence are in place for a sustainable business model to build and maintain the required recycling infrastructure for plastic packaging.”

 

The 2020 RECOUP Household Plastic Packaging Sorting and Infrastructure Report is available to all RECOUP members through the RECOUP website.

 
The best of last week's

If you missed last week's GTN Xtra, below are the most-read stories...


 
Garden Centres back on the right track - UPDATED - New comment from Barton Grange, Newbank, Langlands and Green Pastures
Trading records broken as garden centres in England and Wales get back to business

GTN Xtra asked garden centres how their first real Saturday of the season had been and how their teams had coped with the “new normal.” 

 

"We’ve sold almost as much in the last 4 days as we did all through the shutdown online!”

"Sales have been between 50 and 60% up on the same days last year. Stocking up again hasn't been straightforward as suppliers are also having to catch up."

"What a docile and well behaved nation we have become in six weeks.  I can’t imagine anyone standing in a queue for twenty minutes, back in ‘normal’ times, without there being confrontation."

"“We are expecting 10 days of bank holidays! Pent up demand, money saved up, no holidays this year, time off work furloughed, new interest in the garden!"


Read comment from Coolings, Hilliers, The Gardens Group, Rosebourne, Blue Diamond, InExcess, British Garden Centres, Klondyke, Dobbies, Perrywood, Bosworths, Planters, Bents, St Peters, Baytree, Barton Grange, Newbank, Langlands and Green Pastures

Following the re-opening of garden centres in England and Wales last week the constant queues of customers were indicative of the pent-up demand everyone hoped there was.

 

To allow for safe social distancing many centres have altered their layout to create a one-way system. None more so than Baytree Garden Centre who have adopted a London Underground scheme with a Plant Line, a Gardening Line, a Landscape Line and used other underground terminology in their signage.  See our photo gallery at the bottom of this article.

 

GTN Xtra asked garden centres how their first real Saturday of the season had been and how their teams had coped with the “new normal.” 

 

Russell Winteridge at Barton Grange has told GTN Xtra about the success of their social distancing measures: "We are only allowing 100 cars at a time to park which means people don't have to stand in queues outside the centre.  All customers are required to sanitise their hands before entering the store, even if they are wearing gloves and we are not allowing any under 16's or groups of more than 2.  If we spot people gathering in groups while around the centre we are actively breaking that up.

"Thanks to our Revero covered planteria we were very well stocked with plants before lockdown, and with our own nursery, restocking of plants which are selling really well is not a problem just yet."

 

James Ducker's three Langlands Garden Centres have been trading well since re-opening. "So far so good," he said, "both staff and customers have adapted to the "new normal" well.  Our Leeds centre has sold a lot of garden furniture in the four days since re-opening."

 

Jon Bottomley at Newbank reported: "Saturdays trading was very good, over 25% up on the equivalent day last year, Sunday tailed off slightly but it has been quite cold today.

"Social distancing is working very well and we have had no negative comments, it has led to basket spend doubling which indicates we won't see people as regularly as normal. You can't follow hta guidelines per square foot as it would be dangerous, everyone heads straight to the planteria and feels full very quickly.

"It's all about making as much profit as possible to cover the September - October lull, we are concerned about Xmas now as our centres are normally nose to nose and the grotto show takes 600 kids a day but that's worries for another time!

"All in all this week has been a massive success and we couldn't be happier."

 

James Debbage from Green Pastures in Norfolk sent us this feedback which he hoped would be useful: "Just when we thought we couldn't be any more shattered than we already were!

"It's never ceased to amaze me just how the last few weeks have evolved, from the food rush to the gardening rush, from the grow your own rush to the bedding plant rush and now from the delivery rush to the retail rush! We've certainly been in the thick of it all of this so far. Who knows what´s next around the corner?

"Green Pastures was in a relatively unique position, being allowed to trade (to a certain extent) ever since Easter with the blessing of the council due to us having a farm shop and post office. The difficulty was "policing" people making their journey for "essentials" before we could serve them with gardening. However, whilst we had the go ahead to trade, we didn't feel that it would have been wise to have advertised the fact. We felt, being the only centre open in the area, we would have been totally overwhelmed by visitors and it would also have been very unfair to our neighbouring garden centres too.

"Our transition last Wednesday was therefore from "quietly" trading from the site for the last few weeks to "publicly" trading, so it wasn't quite the same abrupt step up as everyone else had. To rub salt into the wounds the first two days of openly trading saw our stretch of the main road closed due to a burst water main! Our first two days were therefore a bit underwhelming but Friday onwards has been totally crazy!

"Friday was a clear record breaking day for us and now the battle is stocking back up and bedding plant stocks virtually wiped out already. Luckily we got some late batches of plugs through so our basket plant offering should still end on a
high!"

 

At Coolings, Paul Cooling said: “Even at Coolings Green & Pleasant, we’ve been inundated with requests for plants of all descriptions and compost is still selling like there’s no tomorrow.  There is also a huge pent-up demand for BBQs and garden furniture.  We’ve sold almost as much in the last 4 days as we did all through the shutdown online!”

 

Gary Carvasso added: “If we had been closed until mid-June as first suggested in early March we would have seen almost 100,000 plants wasted by then.”

 

Chris Francis at Hilliers told GTN Xtra:  “We had an outstanding Saturday which followed 2 incredible days trade.

“Currently we are on track to match the full weeks like for like sales of last year in just 4 days. The 5 new centres are also performing well above expectation.

“We have sold over 22,000 plants from our nursery in just 3 days. Sales very much in core garden categories with majority of sales in veg plants, bedding, particularly zonal geraniums, nursery stock and Hillier multipurpose compost (10,000 bags).

“The team have coped exceptionally well and all customers have been very respectful of social distancing measures. A positive start. Let’s hope our suppliers can keep up with demand.”

 

Mike Burks, The Gardens Group told us: “The new systems worked really well with customers behaving well in just about every case. We have a had a few who have been difficult, but the vast majority are loving being able to shop with us again and to do it safely.

“Coping with the numbers has been straightforward, average spend is well up and its gardening stock that is selling. We haven't yet re-opened furniture.

“Sales have been between 50 and 60% up on the same days last year. Stocking up again hasn't been straightforward as suppliers are also having to catch up. But overall very positive.”

 

Carol Paris, new CEO at Rosebourne said: “It’s great to be back open. All centres have been very busy since we opened on Wednesday. Saturday was a fabulous day. The majority of customers were wanting plants and gardening, although we also did well on garden furniture. Very pleased with trade, clearly much pent up demand. Plants, compost & seeds all top sellers.

“Staff and customers coped very well with the new layout of the stores and the social distancing requirements. We have put entrances from the carpark into our plant areas so that the core gardening customer does not need to go indoors unless they want to. We have installed new tills in the plant departments so they can be totally self-sufficient.

“We also had a good number of NHS and front line staff utilising their priority shopping times.”

 

Alan Roper, Blue Diamond reported that Saturday was a huge day at £1.6m ex VAT all gardening with plants over 50%.  “The team worked tirelessly for 7 weeks on Home delivery racking up £10.6m and now have seamlessly readied businesses to deal with the huge instore demand. Credit to them all.

“Our managers comments from yesterdays What's App chat sum up the atmosphere at Blue Diamond.” 

 

Carl Chambers, InExcess was a little more sceptical: “If you observe the rules properly, I suggest that you can’t make enough money to cover costs. Yes we are very busy now but the cliff edge is a few weeks away!

“The “new normal“ is going to be tough!”

 

At British Garden Centres, Boyd Douglas-Davies reported:  “Sales have been much bigger than we expected over the first few days. Saturday was the busiest day so far by a considerable margin with garden plants - both hardy and seasonal - being in huge demand along with compost, pots and gardening goods. Comparisons with last year are a little tricky as BGC only had 16 of the now 57 centres but safe to say yesterday was a record day whichever way you look at it.

“The team has been amazing and coped incredibly well with the new social distancing measures. At many centres, the restaurant teams have taken responsibility for queue control in the car park and till areas. So many regulars have been into the centres and they’ve really appreciated seeing familiar faces. Or at least the eyes and hair of familiar but masked faces!! Customers have no problems with the social distance policy and are patiently queuing then shopping at high-speed as soon as they get in.

“Suppliers have been excellent, getting stock to us as quickly as possible and working with us throughout the weekend ensuring we can restock at the earliest opportunity in the coming days.

“Charles Stubbs summed it up perfectly last night (as he drove his truck home from the south!) “The BGC family, all 2,500 of them, have done me proud!”

 

 

David Yardley, Klondyke, while still awaiting the decision to re-open in Scotland said: “Trade has been good and as you say especially plants and gardening. Customers shopping habits have changed and they are visiting throughout the day with a slight lull over lunch. Basket spends are much higher and overall visits are shorter with customers not browsing too much. We have had some queues but no traffic issues and customers are very accepting of the situation. We have had lots of comments from customers and staff that they are very happy with the measures we have put in place to keep them all safe.

“Overall since Wednesday like for like excluding restaurants and Scottish centres we are 84% up on last year until Saturday night. I don’t expect sales to continue at this level but hopefully we will still see some good figures for the next few weeks. Furniture has started to sell well in the past few days both in store and online.”

 

Also awaiting the decision for re-opening in Scotland, Graeme Jenkins at Dobbies told GTN Xtra: “Trade has been very strong, with record days across the estate.

“Customers have been particularly keen to buy plants and gardening, as they continue to enjoy the Spring.

“From both team members and customers we have received very positive feedback on the social distancing measures we have put in place.

"I would hope that news we can re-open in Scotland comes very soon from the Scottish Government and I know the HTA are working very hard to support this.”

 

Simon Bourne at Perrywood said: “Yesterday was really busy and lots of money in the till. Plants have been flying out as well as compost, garden furniture and barbecues. Social distancing measures are working well but it is hard work.

“Most of the team are pleased with the measures we have put in place especially at the Tiptree tills where we have created a lot of space to enable the till team to do their job. Sudbury has seen some incredible numbers through the till and a great reaction from the public to our new Plant House full of Perrywood Grown bedding and vegetables.

“It will be interesting to see what will happen over the next few weeks. Can we sustain the trade or is it a surge which will slow down? Will suppliers keep up if sales carry on strong?”

 

Sam Bosworth, Bosworths, didn’t open at Burton Latimer until Friday lunchtime, so Saturday was their first full day of trading:  “Plant sales were exceptional, as was basket size and value.  Peaks and troughs through the day were flattened out by restrictions to number of people on site (45), so tills steady all day.  Weekend sales were on a par with a very good May weekend, so very pleased.

“In some ways it was a ‘normal’ weekend, with project stuff, plants, compost, pots etc selling really well on Saturday, and then the dressing stuff such as furniture selling better on Sunday.  Except that it wasn’t normal at all!

“What a docile and well behaved nation we have become in six weeks.  I can’t imagine anyone standing in a queue for twenty minutes, back in ‘normal’ times, without there being confrontation.

“Even though we grow our own bedding and herbaceous, we are now struggling for stock, especially pack bedding.

“The team coped well, few new ‘tweaks’ to implement early this week, but even those staff who were clearly very nervous before we opened, have settled down quite quickly.

“Online, and now click and collect, are still available and being used by those who are still self-isolating.  Despite it being hard work, we are trying to keep this channel open to see where it goes.

 

Gerald Ingram at Planters reported on Sunday evening: “We are expecting 10 days of bank holidays!

“Pent up demand, money saved up, no holidays this year, time off work furloughed, new interest in the garden!  We had a good first day, unbelievably smooth followed by three record breaking days and a very good Sunday. 

“Our big issue is lack of plant stock especially bedding and we will soon be short of Garden Furniture.

“The big sellers are bedding, hardy plants, furniture, gravels and garden sundries.”

 

Matthew Bent, Bents Garden & Home says: “It seemed to be that the Thursday and Friday were busy, but then Saturday was extra busy.  We did not have any expectations but we are up on last year (excluding restaurants) which is great and hope it continues.
“The team are on board and are happy with the new normal, the customers are also ok with the new normal, although there are a few of customers are struggling and want to go back to how it used to be.
“Plants, plants, compost and pots are selling like mad, I have never seen so many full trollies going through the tills.  We have less customers their average sale is a lot higher and they are spending less time on site.”

 

After being served with a Prohibition Notice last week Will Blake at St Peters had a big smile on his face: “It went well thank you and I did my bit on national TV & radio.

“The team all seem to love being back at work, albeit a bit stretched because we are running with a limited team, and busier than we anticipated. I can't remember what our target would have been for yesterday, but we definitely beat it, and well on track to do the same again today. It would be nice if we can maintain this for a while and make up for some of the lost ground.

“The Garden Radio recordings are working perfectly, and the level of messaging is just right, to support the briefing customers receive when they arrive.”

 

Finally a comment from Nigel Wallis on the Gardening Line at Baytree Overground Garden Centre:  “We have had a lovely but busy day on our opening. We opened at 10:00am and had a steady flow, from 11.  It got really busy with a queue of up to 49 at the most, but with an average of 40 on site the wait was not long, shut the gates at 4.30.

“Great compliments from customers and great effort from all of our staff.”

 

 

 
Making garden centres friendly, safe and accessible again
GTN Xtra promotion

Some garden centres have already taken massive steps to reopen safely. Many in the garden industry, and in retail at large, will be keenly watching and evaluating what works and how customers respond. No doubt over the coming weeks there will be refinements and many improvements as it becomes clear things will stay ‘different’ for a long time.

 

Green Magic Co (Sign-Holders.co.uk) has been beavering away during lockdown to discover, devise and deliver new solutions...

 


Some garden centres have already taken massive steps to reopen safely. Many in the garden industry, and in retail at large, will be keenly watching and evaluating what works and how customers respond. No doubt over the coming weeks there will be refinements and many improvements as it becomes clear things will stay ‘different’ for a long time.

 

Making customers and staff feel secure and relaxed once again will take time. Some of the emergency measures may disappear as all that sticky tape on the floor gets grubby and peels. Other changes will become entrenched in our new culture and retailers will want to make some temporary solutions prettier, friendlier and more professional.

 

Innovation is everywhere

Like many, Green Magic Co (Sign-Holders.co.uk) has been beavering away during lockdown to discover, devise and deliver new solutions. Our core signage products are suddenly in great demand. Our specialist wire suspension systems have been flying out as businesses appreciate that protection screens and guidance signs can be hung from roof-spaces to position them in clear line of sight. Additionally we have developed several new virus protection products, with the first production quantities arriving very soon.  Be warned, demand is high.

 

Here is a quick preview

At many counters and checkouts, hanging sneeze guards offer a low-cost alternative to rigid acrylic guards fixed to the counter. When scanning plants and bulky items a narrow aperture is not practical. A suspended sneeze guard can be set at a sensible height to allow adequate access. Our suspended protection screens are made of tough crystal-clear PET with aluminium top and bottom rails. These are much lighter than rigid acrylic (such as Perspex) – though we also supply an extensive range of adjustable hanging wire systems to suit the acrylic type.

 

Protecting staff and customers from airborne transmission requires different solutions away from the checkout. When staff need to assist customers a face shield visor is a useful option. The visors we supply do not look overly obtrusive. They are comfortable to wear with through ventilation combined with an adjustable elasticated head strap. They can be worn with glasses.

 

To supplement two metre social distancing, there are occasions when freestanding clear screens are valuable for protecting people via a physical divider – in and out of the loos for example. We will soon launch the modular floor screen system pictured above. We aim for a good looking yet affordable solution, to supplement the similar screwed-down designs we already offer for reception desks and information counters.

 

Hand sanitising is going to be with us long term. For an investment less than the wage of a member of staff for a day, you can have a smart hand sanitiser station with integral poster frame in which to display your own branded message.

 

Our new hand sanitiser stands feature a 1 litre capacity lever dispenser, which can be operated by elbow, with an optional accessory for dispensing gloves or wipes if required. From June we will be supplying our own brand of 60% alcohol hand sanitiser gel (in 5 litre bulk bottles). Contactless dispensers are coming, but the reliability of lever action dispensers is already well established. We anticipate customers will soon expect to see professional hand sanitiser stations everywhere.

 

Returning to our core products, many garden centres are using the signage systems they have previously purchased from Green Magic to great effect. A few examples are pictured, sporting the HTA themed posters which we recommend garden centres use or adapt.

 

Here too we have been busy innovating – for example we have a simple new fitting which slips onto our existing models of FreeStander floor signs to attach any kind of chain, to direct foot traffic or restrict access. For a recap of existing lines, whose potential you might have overlooked, please click our weblink below.

 

Finally some words of advice

  • Demand for protection equipment is very high from every sector: advance planning and pre-ordering is highly recommended.
  • Avoid being panicked into paying crazy prices for the wrong solutions.
  • Do not endanger your staff and customers by feeling pressurised to reopen before you are ready. React quickly if things are going wrong.
  • Learn what works and be prepared to refine and improve, so that your garden centre looks less like a hazardous assault course and returns to being relaxed, safe and accessible.
  • Stay safe and Be alert (Oh no! I’ve only gone and said it).

 

All Green Magic products are available to order (or pre-order as applicable) online at www.sign-holders.co.uk/virus-protection.html

 

Article written by Nigel Spelman, founder and chairman of Green Magic Co.

 

 
Smart Face Masks

Smart Garden have tapped into their extensive Chinese supply chain and are importing a large quantity of 3-ply disposable, medical-grade, face masks...


Smart Garden have tapped into their extensive Chinese supply chain and are importing a large quantity of 3-ply disposable, medical-grade, face masks. They say this is a temporary measure to help their customers protect staff and shoppers for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

“We checked with the NHS to ensure we would not be depriving them and were told that such masks were in plentiful supply and that PPE shortages lay elsewhere, with gowns in particular” said Paris Natar, Smart’s Chairman.

 

With garden centres and other home and garden retailers re-opening across the United Kingdom and in Europe, Smart believe that this initiative will be welcomed. The masks come in bar-coded boxes of 50 so can also be sold to shoppers as a retail line.

 

Paris added “This is not something one should take any chances with so we have gone for fully compliant, TUV, CE and ISO certified masks. In particular, they conform to Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC.”

 

Smart’s first consignment is already in transit from China and they expect to be delivering nationwide from Monday June 22nd.

 
Orderly queues form as garden centres in England re-open

This was the scene at British Garden Centres Osterley garden centre just before 9:00am on Wednesday morning.

 

Send us your pics and videos of your re-opening experience, thanks to the team at Downtown Garden Centre (below), and we'll publish as many as we can in GTN Xtra at the weekend...

 

 


This was the scene at British Garden Centres Osterley garden centre just before 9:00am on Wednesday morning.

 

 

Send us your pics and videos of your re-opening experience, thanks to the team at Downtown Garden Centre (below), and we'll publish as many as we can in GTN Xtra at the weekend.

 

Send to trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 

Have a great weekend everyone who has re-opened.  Stay Alert and Stay Safe!

 

 
Solex Exhibition – Cancelled

Solex has been cancelled for 2020...


Solex has been cancelled for 2020.

 

The following statement was released last week:  "It is with regret that Premier Promotions and Exhibitions Ltd has taken the decision that, as a result of the Coronavirus situation, it is not possible for us to hold Solex, the Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition 2020,  7-9 July, NEC, Birmingham.

 

"We have been following the UK Government’s guidelines and, it is with much regret that we have taken the decision to postpone the event until July 2021.

 

"The safety and wellbeing of our staff, exhibitors, visitors, partners and contractors is of the utmost importance to us and the protection and prevention of harm to all involved is vital."

 
 
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp

Haskins Garden Centre in Snowhill, Crawley, has opened its doors to customers following a 12-month refurbishment costing £15m...


Read more and see GTN Xtras photo tour of the new centre

Haskins Garden Centre in Snowhill, Crawley, has opened its doors to customers following a 12-month refurbishment costing £15m.

 

The new centre boasts a retail space of 11,813 sq.m., including an outdoor plant area and 440-seat restaurant complete with a newly installed pizza oven. Additional space has also been created to accommodate 170 restaurant guests on an outdoor patio.

 

Up to 70 new jobs have been created to accommodate the centre's expansion. Car parking has increased to 346 spaces.  See GTN Xtra's photo tour of the new centre below.

 

Chief executive Julian Winfield said the Snowhill team worked tirelessly to ensure the centre was able to remain open for the majority of the project, with minimal disruption.

 

“We can't wait to receive our customers' feedback on our new and improved facilities,” he added. “Over the years, we have built a loyal customer following and we are proud to be able to give back to them in this way with our new expanded centre.”

 

Haskins acquired the Snowhill site in 2003, inheriting a number of ageing buildings.

 

Haskins also has centres in Ferndown in Dorset, West End in Southampton and Roundstone in West Sussex. The family business recently acquired Forest Lodge Garden Centre, Bird World and Garden Style in Farnham.

 

Pictured (left to right): Julian Winfield, Jamie Haskins, Ally Haskins (married to Jamie) and Warren Haskins, the group's chairman. 

 

The opening event was attended by the current GCA Chairman Mike Burks and three past Chairs; Warren Haskins, Sue Allen and Julian Winfield.

 

 

 
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week

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


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 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

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


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

 

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care Products chart for this week are here

 

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro chart for this 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.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 01733 775700.

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

Greenhouses used in trial of "Covid-safe" dining

Did you see this video on the BBC News website about an Amsterdam restaurant trialling "Covid-safe" dining in small glasshouses?  Could this be an idea for garden centres to adopt when restaurants are able to open again..


Did you see this video on the BBC News website about an Amsterdam restaurant trialling "Covid-safe" dining in small glasshouses?  Could this be an idea for garden centres to adopt when restaurants are able to open again.  Watch the video here:

 

lunch! postponed until September 2021

lunch! organiser Diversified Communications UK has confirmed that this year’s show has sadly been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The UK’s leading trade event for the café, coffee shop and food-to-go sector will now take place on 23-24 September 2021 at ExCeL London...


lunch! organiser Diversified Communications UK has confirmed that this year’s show has sadly been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The UK’s leading trade event for the café, coffee shop and food-to-go sector will now take place on 23-24 September 2021 at ExCeL London.

 

New dates have also been announced for Commercial Kitchen, with the show now set to run alongside lunch!.

 

The magnitude and unprecedented scale of the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent government restrictions has affected the lives and livelihoods of people and businesses around the world. With the people working in, and supplying, the foodservice, hospitality, catering and leisure industries among the worst hit. While the UK’s strict lockdown measures are expected to ease over the coming months, social distancing and restrictions on mass gatherings will remain for the foreseeable future. Notably, many of lunch!’s exhibitors and visitors are among the 7.5 million people currently furloughed, with tens of thousands of outlets shut until at least July, which makes it even harder for firms to plan many months ahead.

 

Chris Brazier, Diversified UK’s group event director, says: “Like all businesses, we have been closely following the rapidly changing developments during these difficult times. Whilst we were hopeful that the current tough measures on restricted social interaction would be lifted by the autumn, there are still too many questions surrounding hotels, travel, social distancing measures, and individual company policies, to make it viable to run lunch! this year. Clearly, the best and most responsible option for everyone involved is to wait and host an even better show in 2021.

 

“We appreciate how important lunch! is to the industry it serves and are very sorry to disappoint the thousands of attendees that were planning on exhibiting and visiting. However, the success as well as the safety of our exhibitors, speakers and visitors has always been our priority and we are hoping that everyone will get behind this tough but necessary decision.

 

“The good news is that much of the event planning is already in place, and we go into 2021 with an incredible amount of good will and support. The lunch! team would like to thank everyone – our exhibitors, visitors, speakers and partners – for their support. We look forward to working together to ensure that it continues to be the celebration and gathering the industry deserves – and can be proud of.”

 

“Great things are worth waiting for,” comments Shereen Ritchie, MD of LEON, “and I have no doubt that lunch! 2021 will be worth the wait! It will be back bigger, better and even more awesome than before. I can't wait to see you all there.”

 

lunch! and Commercial Kitchen will take place on 23-24 September 2021 at ExCeL London. Although the two shows will maintain separate identities and focus, visitors and exhibitors will benefit from a potential boost in seeing an even greater range of products and customers respectively.

 

The move of Commercial Kitchen to September has been supported by the event’s key partners ceda and Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI UK & Ireland), plus scores of exhibitors.

 

Adam Mason, director of ceda, says: “ceda fully support the unfortunate postponement and look forward to September 2021, where ceda partners should now see even more end user buyers to do business with.”

 

Louise Willis, executive director at FCSI (UK & Ireland), says: “The FCSI UK&I fully supports the Commercial Kitchen Show, and believes that by holding it alongside lunch! it will be even more beneficial to members.”

 

Anthony Pettit, head of business development at Hupfer, says: “Hupfer are delighted to continue our ongoing support for Commercial Kitchen. We’ve enjoyed great success in previous years and look forward to welcoming industry colleagues to what will surely be a terrific event.”

 

Steve Morris, sales director at Jestic Food Service Equipment, says: “We are looking forward to the new dates in September 2021 and think it’s a great idea to combine with the lunch! show. Hopefully by next year, it will be an event that the industry can come together and look forward to.”

 

For more information, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk and www.commercialkitchenshow.co.uk.

 
Catering Design Group's ten top tips for reopening your catering facilities safely
  1. Review restaurant layout and flows to promote social distancing
  2. Think about zoning and reorientation of areas – use screens for divisions and segregation in high risk areas
  3. Introduce protective screens around counters and till stations
  4. Minimise ‘touch points’ within high risk areas – introduce ‘hands-free’ operation wherever possible
  5. Increase Hygiene/sanitisation points – consider additional technology...

  1. Review restaurant layout and flows to promote social distancing
  2. Think about zoning and reorientation of areas – use screens for divisions and segregation in high risk areas
  3. Introduce protective screens around counters and till stations
  4. Minimise ‘touch points’ within high risk areas – introduce ‘hands-free’ operation wherever possible
  5. Increase Hygiene/sanitisation points – consider additional technology
  6. Use signage and removable graphics on walls, floors and furniture for information, controlling traffic and ensuring social distancing
  7. Consider alternative order/collection points and the use of technology throughout the restaurant
  8. Review kitchen flows and work stations to reduce the elevated risk of cross-contamination and ensure equipment is maintained
  9. Consider developing your outside spaces further
  10. Be creative! - think about how changes will impact the overall customer experience

Aware of the challenges faced by the foodservice sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Catering Design Group (CDG), has created ‘Designing Safe Spaces for Catering Environments’, an insight document highlighting the steps garden centres can take to help reopen their cafes and restaurants or to get them fully operational again with minimum risk to staff and customers.

 

The commercial kitchen and restaurant design company has considered all aspects of a catering operation, from design and operational requirements to the use of technology to help reduce risk of contamination.

Everything from the layout and flows to both front and back of house to materials and equipment is covered. 

 

Phil Howard, managing director of CDG said: “This is an incredibly tough time for garden centres, with a visit to the restaurant being a huge part of the overall experience, and we wanted to share our ideas and expertise with our clients and other operators to help with their plans to get their restaurants up and running again. This isn’t just about removing some tables and chairs to manage social distancing. Restaurant operators understand that there has to be a complex rethinking of an entire operation to make it a safe space for all, while still maintaining ambience and the dining experience.

 

“Mindful of the timescales involved and the cost to deliver these necessary changes, we see this as very much a collection of initial ideas to highlight and provoke further thought on the key areas where changes could be made. Clearly, these would need to be tailored to each individual garden centre.”

 

CDG has factored in considerations such as increased hygiene points, reviewing front and back of house layout and the flow of customers, minimising touch points, reviewing storage and waste capacity and introducing measures for social distancing compliance.

 

Mindful of how long the Covid-19 virus remains on different surfaces, the independent design company has also included advice on materials, with recommendations such as anti-bacterial wall cladding, anti-microbial upholstery and anti-bacterial touch screen technology.

 

 

“Design elements such as directional signage and graphics on walls and floors will be essential for social distancing compliance,” said Phil. “Operators will also have to consider touchless sanitisers and the availability of technology for contactless ordering, payment and collection. They will also need to think about zoning and the re-orientation of areas such as kitchen workstations to reduce the risk of cross contamination. For many garden centres there is a huge opportunity to develop their outside eating spaces to maximise the number of covers, whilst still implementing social distancing measures.

 

“We have scrutinised every aspect of a typical catering operation and hope that our thoughts will be of benefit to operators in these challenging times.”

 

‘Designing Safe Spaces for Catering Environments’ is available on request by emailing Steve Hutchings: steve.hutchings@cateringdesign.co.uk

UK turns to delivery cream teas during lockdown

Given garden centres success at delivering The Greatest Afternoon Teas across the country, did you see the story on BBC News about the rise in demand for cream tea deliveries during lockdown?


Given garden centres success at delivering The Greatest Afternoon Teas across the country, did you see the story on BBC News about the rise in demand for cream tea deliveries during lockdown?

 

It was based on some data from Google Trends and you can read the whole story here:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52771095

 

When hospitality is re-opened, perhaps Afternoon Teas at a garden centre will become one of the first great pleasures to tempt people back to your restaurants.  Al Fresco, of course!