Leading international horticulture supplier and family business, Mr Fothergill’s Seeds, has undergone a management buyout with the backing of Harwood Private Capital...
Leading international horticulture supplier and family business, Mr Fothergill’s Seeds, has undergone a management buyout with the backing of Harwood Private Capital.
The Suffolk-headquartered business will continue to be led by managing director Dave Carey and its experienced management team – supported by new non-executive chair Matt Atkinson – as it pursues further growth across its trade and direct to consumer channels.
The deal sees the exit of Mr Fothergill’s founding shareholders including joint managing director, John Fothergill.
Founded in 1978, Mr Fothergill’s has grown into a £50m turnover business with international offices in Australia and New Zealand, employing more than 250 people. The business supplies horticultural products via its direct to consumer channels and to more than 3,000 retailers and partners including large national retailers and garden centres worldwide with a focus on hobby seeds and supplementary products. The addition of Matt Atkinson brings significant direct to consumer experience to the board.
Dave Carey, managing director at Mr Fothergill’s Seeds, said: “The business my father Brian founded with Jeff Fothergill 40 years ago that Aaron Whitehouse, John Fothergill and I have led for the last decade, has remained true to its family values while becoming one of the world’s leading seed brands.
“Those values, and our commitment to supporting our customers with the best possible product and service, will continue to be at the core of our offer as we enter an exciting new era with Harwood Private Capital.
“I’m looking forward to working with the team as we target further growth across our international client base and the direct-to-consumer market.”
Having achieved the accolade of the “GIMA Supplier of the year” award in November, the company is forecasting further growth in 2022 and has made significant investments to facilitate this.
Having achieved the accolade of the “GIMA Supplier of the year” award in November, the company is forecasting further growth in 2022 and has made significant investments to facilitate this.
The dockside storage facilities at Garston have three new robotic packing lines and a state-of-the-art washing plant fully installed and commissioned.
Two further robotic lines are due to be installed at Rye, together they ensure the companies Premium washed aggregate products are ready for the season. This takes the company’s stock holding to over £7million across their multiple production sites.
Sarah Hill, Managing Director, stated:
“The company has increased its customer base by 25% due to having high stock reserves, which enabled record sales in 2021. The continued hard work from the team means we are perfectly positioned to react to the needs of our ever-increasing customer base. whilst maintaining the impeccable customer service and OTIF delivery record that made us GIMA Supplier of the year in 2021.”
The company is preparing for our biggest GLEE stand ever, with double the floor space, there will be plenty of room to showcase new products, merchandising options, improved Point of Sale and much more!
Make sure you visit stand 6E20-G21 at this summer’s GLEE exhibition (28th -30th June at the NEC Birmingham) to see how Meadow View Stone are transforming the face of the UK’s Garden Centres.
We know it sounds scary, but it’s already time to start thinking about stocking those Halloween displays with a range of ghoulish gifts and devilish decorations and what better place to start than Heaven Sends...
We know it sounds scary, but it’s already time to start thinking about stocking those Halloween displays with a range of ghoulish gifts and devilish decorations and what better place to start than Heaven Sends.
This year they have even more on offer covering a range of traditional spooky pieces to a more contemporary style that can be enjoyed throughout the Autumn season - featuring gorgeous leafy garlands & a harvest of pretty velvet pumpkins in vibrant hues. There really is something for every customer in their extensive range of Halloween stock.
Heaven Sends are renowned for their displays and we’ve been lucky enough to get a preview of their two newest Halloween wreath displays. They are truly fabulous, and well worth a visit to their showroom to view them in person & be inspired.
It really will be a Halloween of two halves this year at Heaven Sends, with shoppers being able to choose from a more traditional spooky style, packed with scary elements in darker colours or a colourful, fun autumnal celebration full of pumpkins and bright, rich tones.
Heaven Send’s vast Halloween 2022 collection is available NOW to preview & pre-order. You can even recreate their stunning Halloween Wreaths, with all featured display items & accompanying giant wreaths available to pre-order immediately.
You can find their Halloween Wreaths beautifully showcased alongside their bestselling Christmas and everyday home & gift ranges at their spectacular Showroom, based near Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.
Spanning over two floors, the Heaven Sends Showroom is an expansive, fully stocked experience that provides a safe & relaxed atmosphere to browse, discuss options and place orders with a delicious lunch & refreshments.
Appointments are available 7 days a week but they do fill up fast so book now to secure your slot, and prepare to get scarily impressed by Halloween at Heaven Sends!
People from the horticultural trade attending Peter Seabrook’s funeral on Thursday, February 24, have been asked to either wear a floral tie (as Peter always did) or pick a flower from their garden that morning and wear it in their buttonhole as a tribute to him for all his work for the industry...
People from the horticultural trade attending Peter Seabrook’s funeral on Thursday, February 24, have been asked to either wear a floral tie (as Peter always did) or pick a flower from their garden that morning and wear it in their buttonhole as a tribute to him for all his work for the industry.
The funeral is taking place at St Michael’s and All Angels Church, Galleywood, near Chemsford, CM2 8PW, at 12.30pm on Thursday 24 February held in Chelmsford on 24 February 2022.
Those wishing to attend are asked to contact Peter’s son and daughter, Roger and Alison, via aseabrookmoore@gmail.com because numbers are limited due to Covid-19.
In lieu of flowers, donations, if wished, be made to the David Colegrave Foundation, supporting the development of students studying horticulture in the UK and Ireland, or to Alzheimer’s Society c/o T Pennack & Sons, 1-3 Maldon Rd, Chelmsford, CM2 7DW.
Equally, Peter would have been delighted for people to plant a tree (and perhaps upload a virtual plaque to www.queensgreencanopy.org) as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy jubilee celebrations.
Sales of Primulas were three and a third times higher during the week leading up to Valentine’s Day this year, and that boost in sales helped overall plant sales grow by 76% vs 2021 levels and 51% up on 2019 volumes...
Sales of Primulas were three and a third times higher during the week leading up to Valentine’s Day this year, and that boost in sales helped overall plant sales grow by 76% vs 2021 levels and 51% up on 2019 volumes.
Highlights of the week were:
Antirrhinum led the way in terms of young plant sales, moving 32 places up the chart to No 13
Petunia were not far behind, up 29 places to No 18.
Anemone plants were the highest re-entry of the week, back in at No 17.
See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.
Barton Grange at Brock near Preston has done it once again. The multi-award-winning garden centre has been announced as the winner of the GCA's ‘Destination Garden Centre of the Year’...
Barton Grange at Brock near Preston has done it once again. The multi-award-winning garden centre has been announced as the winner of the GCA's ‘Destination Garden Centre of the Year’.
On top of this, Barton Grange have also won The Ruxley Rose, which presents the garden centre with the title of Best Plant Area in the UK. It is only the second time they have accomplished such a high achievement, highlighting the tough competition within the industry.
Judged in spring and autumn of last year, garden centres of the GCA were scored on their entrance, department areas, customer service, website, product range, product quality, sustainability and creativity.
Managing Director of Barton Grange Garden Centre, Guy Topping, said; “What an achievement? Winning Best Garden Centre and Best Plant Area in the UK is a dream! It’s a real honour to have been given these titles, especially with the challenges we’ve had to navigate over the year. The teams haven’t let the adaptations we’ve had to make due to the pandemic faze them, and have continued to work exceptionally hard. They’ve done an unbelievable job in making the garden centre such a fantastic and safe place to be, I couldn’t be more proud.”
Barton Grange Garden Centre have also been awarded prizes for their Creativity and Innovation, Indoor Lifestyle departments and Best Christmas Displays in the UK.
Tammy Woodhouse, Chairman of the GCA, visited Barton Grange on 16th February to present the Destination Garden Centre of the Year cup, and will be returning in early March to award the rest of the trophies and certificates.
The Old Railway Line Garden Centre were awarded ‘Garden Centre of the Year 2021’ at the national GCA Awards. This highly prestigious award is an amazing achievement for the independent garden centre located in Three Cocks between Brecon and Hay-on-Wye...
The Old Railway Line Garden Centre were awarded ‘Garden Centre of the Year 2021’ at the national GCA Awards. This highly prestigious award is an amazing achievement for the independent garden centre located in Three Cocks between Brecon and Hay-on-Wye.
The family-run business has won the title of ‘Best Garden Centre’ nine years running for the Wales and the West area, but this is just the second time they have achieved top spot at the GCA’s National Awards.
As well as this top prize, The Old Railway Line also picked up 1st place in the ‘Best Customer Service’ award and 2nd place for ‘Christmas 2021’ and ‘Best Garden Products Retailer’. All amazing achievements for an independent, rural business.
Usually, the awards are a big event taken place in person but due to the current restrictions, the GCA turned it into an online awards presentation.
Mark Cleary, founder of the local Garden Centre said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded as Best Garden Centre in the UK for 2021. Up against Garden Centres across the country, we were happy to have made it to the top 10. Then then be crowned top spot is a real honour, we’re all over the moon.
“The team have been amazing through all of the challenges we’ve faced over the past couple of years. Their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed and it’s incredible to be recognised for this.
“We strive to deliver the very best shopping experience for our customers. The biggest reward for us is seeing them enjoying their time here at our centre. We couldn’t achieve this without the loyalty from our customers who have supported us over these testing times.
“I’m extremely proud of the team’s achievements at this years’ GCA national awards and I’m looking forward to seeing how we grow from here.”
The GCA represents over 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability. The awards are decided by the results of the annual inspections, which take place at all GCA garden centres. Garden centres have no advance warning about when their inspection will take place and they do not have the option to turn away the inspector.
The award-winning, independent, family-run garden centre was established in 1990 by founders, Mark and Christina Cleary. It provides customers with quality plants, gardening products, indoor and outdoor living goods, pet care products, giftware and furniture. The Old Railway Line is also home to a farm shop stocking products from over 60 local and Welsh suppliers and a 150-seater restaurant offering delicious home cooked food.
2022 is set to be a year of celebration at Glazebury based Bents Garden & Home. Not only is the family owned and run business marking its 85th anniversary this year, but it is also welcoming a new arrival to the Centre with the popular kitchenware and home brand, Lakeland set to join the wider Bents family later this year...
2022 is set to be a year of celebration at Glazebury based Bents Garden & Home. Not only is the family owned and run business marking its 85th anniversary this year, but it is also welcoming a new arrival to the Centre with the popular kitchenware and home brand, Lakeland set to join the wider Bents family later this year.
It is 85 years since Alfred and Margaret Bent started to sell roses from the front garden of their small terrace house, marking the start of what would be a very special journey. Over the past 85 years and whilst never forgetting its gardening heritage, Bents has worked hard to create somewhere that is no longer just focused on the garden but also encompasses home, lifestyle and leisure. The arrival of fellow family business Lakeland further enhances Bents’ appeal as a complete day out destination centre.
Says Matthew Bent, Managing Director: “As a family business we’ve never been ones to rest on our laurels. We’ve always followed our passions and taken chances, and we are committed to quality, outstanding customer service and innovation, all of which are in line with Lakeland’s own philosophies and approach to their own family business.
“With their unrivalled collection of creative kitchenware and practical, time and effort saving ideas for the home we believe that they are going to fit perfectly into our family business, and we are all looking forward to welcoming them in store.”
Emma Kay, Head of Property at Lakeland adds: “We are delighted to be opening a new Lakeland store at Bents Garden & Home. It is a fantastic centre for our customers to visit, and is run on the same strong family values that are so important to us. Lakeland customers enjoy exploring our innovative, high quality kitchen and homeware products, which we believe will complement the existing offering at Bents really well. We know that we have many loyal customers in this area who will welcome the opening of our new store and we are looking forward to announcing our opening date and welcoming into store later this year.”
Over the past 85 years Bents has undergone a number of key milestones many of which were introduced by Matthew’s parents, Ron and Wendy Bent and went on to establish a number of key trends within the garden centre industry.
2017 saw the launch of the UK’s first Open Skies Glass House, an all-weather destination where customers can shop for plants come rain or shine and more recent years have seen the opening of a £10m extension, housing a number of new home and leisure departments, including an extensive Food Hall and Pet Place with its own Pet Cafe. The arrival of Lakeland is another fantastic addition to the family and the latest step on the wider Bents’ journey.
Established in 1937 Bents is now in its third generation, with four of Alfred and Margaret’s grandchildren involved in the business: Matthew Bent, Managing Director; Rachel Bent Head of Visual Merchandising; Helen Bent, Head of Marketing and Katherine Bent, Head of HR. Under the guidance of three generations of the Bent family it is now a £25m turnover operation, employing over 400 colleagues.
Now, with a number of different dining destinations, outdoor play area, landscaped lake, Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf Course and on site nursery, where it grows and nurtures over 60% of its plants, Bents is a very different entity to when it began life 85 years ago, but says Matthew: “despite growing in size we’ve worked hard to keep the great family feeling and ambiance we have established a reputation for; something I think my grandparents would be very proud of if they could see us now.”
Calling all golfers – the annual GIMA Golf Day is confirmed to return to Belton Woods Hotel & Golf Course in Grantham on Thursday June 9th 2022...
Last year's winners, Zest 4 Leisure are expected to defend their title.
Calling all golfers – the annual GIMA Golf Day is confirmed to return to Belton Woods Hotel & Golf Course in Grantham on Thursday June 9th 2022.
Open to golfers of all abilities, this event is the perfect opportunity to bring together colleagues and customers for a day of team building and fundraising in aid of Greenfingers – this year’s beneficiary charity as chosen by GIMA president, Simon McArdle.
To add an extra element of competition to the day, golfers will be able to win a selection of prizes with the usual spot games and ‘Beat the Pro’, there may even be a special prize for any golfer who completes the golfing holy grail: a hole-in-one. Golfers can enter individually or as a team of four, together testing their mettle on the 6,623-yard course that carries a par 73 handicap.
Last year’s winners – Zest 4 Leisure (pictured above) – took home the trophy with a score of 96 and are expected to return to defend their title.
Following time spent on the course, golfers will get to enjoy a barbeque on the hotel’s veranda, complemented by a raffle and auction. All monies raised will be donated to Greenfingers, enabling them to create even more therapeutic gardens in children’s hospices across the country.
As always, the GIMA Golf Day will also offer a number of key sponsorship opportunities for brands wanting to support the event. Golf sponsorship packages include ‘nearest the pin’, ‘longest drive’, ‘straightest drive’ and ‘hole-in-one’. Brands can also sponsor a hole, drinks stations, booby prizes and golf balls, as well as sponsoring of the raffle and auction for additional brand awareness opportunities.
GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall said: “We’re so pleased to be returning to Belton Woods in June. Last year was the first time we took to its fairway, and it proved to be the perfect venue. Each year our Golf Day offers teams and individuals from across the sector the opportunity to come together for a bit of friendly competition and the chance to network with others. It’s always a great day and represents great value customer hospitality so we urge interested parties to register their interest now.”
Find out more
To join the GIMA Golf Day please visit https://gima.org.uk/charity-golf-day/ Prices to play and enjoy the post-round barbeque range from £85.00 (£185.00 including accommodation) to for an individual player to £299.00 (£699.00 including accommodation) for a four-ball team.
Launched way back in 2009, the Glee Innovators Zone has helped hundreds of companies break into the garden retail market and is the first port of call at the show for many visiting buyers...
Natural Grower has gone on to receive several important accolades including Soil Association approval.
Launched way back in 2009, the Glee Innovators Zone has helped hundreds of companies break into the garden retail market and is the first port of call at the show for many visiting buyers.
Designed to help nurture valuable grass-roots product development and one-off design ideas, this dedicated part of Glee bridges the gap between market-ready new product launches and established companies, and provides a showcase to pre-commercial product ideas. From leading brands to grassroot inventors, there is something new to see with every step of your journey around the show.
Adding additional benefit, the area is greatly supported by Glee’s trade association partner, GIMA, which each year crowns its winner for the GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund (GISCF) – a special award to celebrate those that have bravely taken a great idea and worked tirelessly to launch it to market at Glee. Every exhibitor within the Innovators Zone can enter this highly coveted prize, which includes a £6,000 grant and access to unrivalled industry and expert support. Here we look back on some previous Innovator Zone exhibitors and to see how their businesses have flourished.
VivaGreen scooped the award in 2016 with its chemical-free MossOff product. Speaking about the 2016 event, VivaGreen’s Head of Market/Product Development Russell Walsh said: “Winning the GISCF and exhibiting at Glee had a significant impact on our business. Since the show we gained an exclusive UK distributor in the shape of DLF Seeds; a partnership that undoubtedly has helped us to gain listings in garden centre chains and independent garden centres. Without our presence at Glee this would not have been realistically possible to achieve within the same timescale.”
The 2021 winners and Glee exhibitors, Pot-mate also credit the show with helping its growth plans become a reality. Pot-mate’s creator, Phil Wilson said: “Glee and the GISCF helped enormously in getting us noticed, as well as helping us to develop our website www.pot-mate.co.uk and our wider marketing plans. We have certainly had lots of interest and since Glee have secured a healthy order book for our product.”
Another winner was GYO specialists, Green Digit (Grow So Simple). Talking at the 2021 show, Green Digit’s Dan Robson said: “It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were making our Glee debut within the GIMA Innovators Zone, with one product and a head full of ideas and now, we are here as a fully-established brand that is growing its portfolio and international reach. It’s been an amazing journey. Glee certainly gave us the opportunities we wanted, including being introduced to key retailers and influencers - invaluable in helping us gain insight into how to further develop our offering. Within a year of making our debut at Glee [in 2015] we were being stocked by over 100 retailers, in Britain, Germany and Italy, including Homebase. Little did we know what impact our three days at Glee would have on our business.” And amazing it has been, with the brand now reaching an international audience and featuring three sub-brands, each pushing the envelope for home growing, food provenance and a healthy lifestyle.
Being sustainable, eco-friendly and chemical-free also helped Natural Grower to be noticed when it exhibited within the Glee Innovators Zone in 2019. Having also scooped the GISCF the event helped kickstart the phenomenal growth of the Natural Grower portfolio of organic and vegan garden and houseplant fertilisers. Fast becoming a household name, the brand has gone on to receive several important accolades including Soil Association approval and endorsement from the Vegan Society, as well as a handful of awards from the consumer media and leading business award bodies.
Glee’s Event Director, Matthew Mein said: “Innovation is vital to the future of our industry and is undoubtedly the lifeblood for retailers who want to set their offering apart. The Glee Innovators Zone has been designed to specifically assist those brands or inventors that have lovingly nurtured an idea into a real life, tangible product. With so many such innovators expected to enter our market following the boom of gardening during the pandemic, there is no question that time spent in the Innovators Zone at Glee 2022 will pay dividends.”
Glee 2022 takes place in late June (28th – 30th) at the NEC Birmingham. Exhibiting floorspace is filling up fast with over 80% now sold. Brands and manufacturers interested in exhibiting are being urged to do so now to avoid missing out.
Find out more
To keep up to date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com. To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2020 call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.
Garden centre sales had another great week in the run up to Valentines Day according to the Epos data supplied for GTN Bestsellers. Sales were up by 36% on the same week last year and 51% up on 2019...
Garden centre sales had another great week in the run up to Valentines Day according to the Epos data supplied for GTN Bestsellers. Sales were up by 36% on the same week last year and 51% up on 2019.
So far this year, total garden centre sales are way ahead of last year when we had Lockdown #3 in place, but also 34% ahead of pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Of course, until the arrival of storms Dudley and Eunice, the weather has been particularly good for gardening and visits to garden centres so we wait to see how week 7 sales fare. It’s fair to say, however, that when the weather in is our favour their really is more love for gardening in 2022.
GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week in 2021: week 6.
Garden Products Top 50 – up 11%
Growing Media Top 50 – down 10%
Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – down 2%
Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 26%
GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week in 2021: week 6
• All Plants with Barcode index – up 76%
• All Items with Barcode index – up 36%
See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.
Since the Greenfingers charity announced the return of the Garden Re-Leaf Sponsored Walk & Cycle Challenge on March 18th, the organising team have been inundated with individuals and corporate teams confirming their place at the start line. Not only this, but many others have also confirmed their plans for the big day – let’s find out more!
Since the Greenfingers charity announced the return of the Garden Re-Leaf Sponsored Walk & Cycle Challenge on March 18th, the organising team have been inundated with individuals and corporate teams confirming their place at the start line. Not only this, but many others have also confirmed their plans for the big day – let’s find out more!
The Garden Re-Leaf Sponsored Walk & Cycle Challenge
One of the most popular activities in the Garden Re-Leaf roster, the Sponsored Walk & Cycle Challenge has helped to raise over £730,000 since its inception in 2012. This year the event will welcome teams from across the industry including Durstons Garden Products, Deco-Pak, GIMA, Mr Fothergill’s, as well as Glee, headed up by Event Director, Matthew Mein, who was the brains behind the walk all those years ago and has since completed every walk.
Joining Matt on the start line will be fellow Garden Re-Leaf ‘all-star’ walker, Kimberley Hornby from Hornby Whitefoot PR, alongside her wider team, as well as Capi Europe’s Kate Ebbens, who will be using the walk as part of her training for the London Landmarks Half Marathon on April 3rd, which she will be running to raise funds for Greenfingers.
Cyclists set to tackle the course will include Simon Mullholland from Westland; Rivington Garden Designs’ Beverley Coleman, Chris Ramsden from Hozelock; and Frost Garden Centre’s Jack Goodhand. Samantha Broadway, James Nutt, Jon Honeyball, Michael Wallis and Amanda-Jane Camp from Mr Fothergill’s will also be saddling up to join the fun!
Of course, the walk is only possible thanks to those who work behind the scenes to support on the day. This year, water bottles will be sponsored by Hozelock, whilst Jane Lawler and Colin Wetherley-Mein have volunteered to help on the day. To find out more about other sponsorship and support opportunities please get in touch with Linda Petrons. She would love to hear from you!
Garden centre support
Each year, garden centres from across the country pull out all the stops to celebrate Garden Re-Leaf Day and use this as the ideal opportunity to kick start the gardening season. In fact, many make it Garden Re-Leaf weekend to help maximise the FUNdraising total across three days. So far this year, garden centre support has been confirmed by British Garden Centres, Millbrook Garden Centres and The British Garden Centre Group who will be holding a series of events – more details to follow shortly. And, at Perrywood Garden Centre, the much-loved quiz is back!
Other activities
Leading brands QVC and AMES UK will also be showing their support, watch this space for more information about their generous support of the event.
Elsewhere, Greenfingers Trustee, Rob Jones (of The Garden Design Company) will be offering complimentary garden blitzes or free garden design consultation to anyone that makes a £250 (suggested) donation to the charity. Places are strictly limited so Rob is asking any interested parties to contact him directly to secure one of these highly coveted prizes.
How to get involved in Garden Re-Leaf Day 2022
Registration for the 2022 event is now live, and as already mentioned, Greenfingers is also on the look-out for sponsors of the event. To find out more please contact Linda Petrons by emailing linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk
FUNdraising ideas for Garden Re-Leaf Day 2022
Here’s just a few ways you can get involved and help Greenfingers to continue creating magical gardens in children’s hospices across the nation:
Plantathons are perfect for generating some buzz instore whilst simultaneously generating more stock and donating to Greenfingers. Previous events have included 12- and 24-hour Plantathons.
Hold a virtual quiz, with a minimum donation for all entrants.
Raffles and tombolas are a great way of getting lots of people involved. Gather prizes from around your store, or ask friends and colleagues to donate prizes, before selling raffle tickets ahead of the grand unveiling of the lucky winner!
Cake sales and coffee mornings – are simple yet effective FUNdraisers.
An online auction is a great way to raise funds and involve your friends and colleagues
Team up with friends and colleagues to complete a virtual walk or cycle challenge. Set yourselves a target – 100 miles for example – and work together to achieve it. Walk around your local area, on a treadmill, whatever it takes! Keep in touch via Zoom to keep the group enthusiasm going!
For more FUNdraising ideas or to obtain a copy of the 2022 fundraising pack drop Linda a line - she’d love to hear from you.
Wyevale Nurseries is celebrating half a decade of success within its in-house apprenticeships and trainee manager programmes this month...
Wyevale Nurseries is celebrating half a decade of success within its in-house apprenticeships and trainee manager programmes this month.
The company currently has eight members of staff who have graduated from the initiatives into more senior roles or are actively working through the training and management scheme.
Andy Johnson, Managing Director at Wyevale Nurseries based in Hereford, said: “It is really encouraging seeing so many energetic and enthusiastic young people coming into the business.
“This is a great time to embark on a career in production horticulture. With so many opportunities and technical challenges there should be a very rewarding career ahead for those who embark on the journey. These initiatives provide the opportunity for adding to and learning from the wealth of experience already in the business. I look forward to seeing leaders of the future emerge.”
The members of staff who have benefitted from the programmes include Carla Nash, who was voted 2016 Midland Regional Grower’s Apprentice of the Year and successfully completed her apprenticeship in 2016. She now works as a Potting and Resource Supervisor at Wyevale Nurseries.
Kyle Ross, Container Unit Production Manager, oversees the growing, stock control, crop protection and product development departments. He completed the trainee manager programme in 2018 after graduating with a BSc in Horticulture from Pershore College.
He is also responsible for Wyevale Nurseries’ biosecurity and plant health protocols.
He said: “Wyevale Nurseries offer so much support to their apprentices and trainee managers, who are given every opportunity to shine and thrive in the business. Valuable skills are gained as well as invaluable plant and technical knowledge that can be applied to all aspects of horticulture.”
Harry Downes graduated from the trainee manager programme in 2021, working through a COVID-19 struck season, and now holds the role of Propagation Supervisor.
Cian Lynch and Sam Lloyd both passed through the apprentice programme in 2021 and now have the positions of Amenity Sales Executive and Potting Shed Team Leader respectively.
New additions to the company are Oliver Handscomb and Josh Pascoe who joined as apprentices in September 2021, and Julia Germaniuk, who is working towards completing the trainee manager course.
Steve Reed, Production Director at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “As someone at the other end of his career, it is great to have young, enthusiastic people coming through the company. They really care about plants, the environment, and what we do. It is always a pleasure to work with them.”
Wyevale Nurseries’ product selection is envied across the industry and the talented team regularly introduces new, award-winning plant varieties.
Its main business is to supply garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.
For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, please call 01432 845 200 or visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk.
Garden centre staff across the country are celebrating after receiving awards at a virtual presentation day held by the Garden Centre Association. The live streamed event looked back on best practice in 2021 and included a pre-season inspection area presentation...
Garden centre staff across the country are celebrating after receiving awards at a virtual presentation day held by the Garden Centre Association. The live streamed event looked back on best practice in 2021 and included a pre-season inspection area presentation.
Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “Following the understandable decision to cancel the January conference, we felt it was important to still share our experiences and celebrate our members’ achievements of 2021.
“It was great to see so many faces, albeit virtually, tuning into our inspection round-up highlighting the best of garden centre retailing seen by our team of inspectors in 2021.
“We also announced the winners of our Christmas and Ruxley Rose competitions and our garden centre awards, followed by our pre-season inspection presentation to help centres prepare for spring 2022. This was presented by the four 2022 inspectors.
“I’d like to congratulate all of our award winners as they are extremely deserving and are a shining example to others.”
The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.
Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.
The full list of winners announced were:
Christmas Competition (Garden Centre category) sponsored by Gisela Graham – Castle Gardens
Christmas Competition (Destination Garden Centre category) sponsored by Gisela Graham – Barton Grange Garden Centre
Environment and Community Award – Coolings Nurseries
Ruxley Rose (Garden Centre category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre
Ruxley Rose (Destination Garden Centre category) – Barton Grange Garden Centre
Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Creativity and Innovation – Barton Grange Garden Centre
Customer Service Award – Best Customer Service – The Old Railway Line Garden Centre
The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Garden Centre category) – RHS Harlow Carr Plant Centre & Gift Shop
The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Destination Garden Centre category) – Barton Grange Garden Centre
The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Garden Centre category) – Klondyke Group – Garden Wise
The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Destination Garden Centre category) – Perrywood Garden Centre – Tiptree
Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Garden Centre) – Hillier Garden Centre – Eastbourne
The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Klondyke Group – Stokesley Garden Centre
The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Fron Goch Garden Centre
GCA Grow Training Award – Blackbrooks Garden Centre.
The Burpee Europe team have waved their wand of positivity again in 2022 to bring you the magic of their bright and cheerful veg seeds, to sprinkle liberally on to gardens, greenhouses and finally, into kitchens...
On a week of grey skies and the wind blowing a hooley outside, nothing beats looking forward to selecting the varieties you will be sowing this year.
The Burpee Europe team have waved their wand of positivity again in 2022 to bring you the magic of their bright and cheerful veg seeds, to sprinkle liberally on to gardens, greenhouses and finally, into kitchens!
With Freegan February being the buzzwords this month, nothing can be as sustainable or eco-friendly as growing your own foods. And nothing can be as healthy or invigorating as producing colourful veg, which as we all know, offer an abundance of health benefits depending on the hue.
Aubergine 'Violet Knight' (also known as 'Purple Knight')
Is the newest member of the knight family, and is a pretty striking example of how un-boring aubergines can be! Prolific and easy to cultivate, with an adaptable plant habit, this variety is perfect for mid-sized containers or growing directly in the ground.
Cucumber 'Brocade' (previously called 'Prolific')
May not be brand new for this year, but has a hidden secret which has been discovered! It has been found that this fascinating and useful cucurbit is actually from the melon family! After tests it has been revealed genetically as Cucumus melo, although it looks and is treated like a cooking cucumber. Fruits can be stored for months and have a high level of resistance to powdery and downy mildew.
Want to know how to cook it? Then look no further than our recipe here: Cucumber Curry.
Tomato 'Rose Crush'
Is a rosy delight with its gorgeous pink colour! It has that lovely combo of an outstanding balance of taste of umami, sweetness and acidity. ‘Rose Crush’ is highly blight-resistant and produces a good yield of medium-large beefsteak fruit.
Swiss Chard 'Fordhook Giant'
This is no shrinking violet...what a whopper! It has thick, dark-green tender leaves and is classic Burpee! The enticing, slightly bitter, earthy flavour offers itself to a number of dishes, especially those which spinach is usually used in. It is a dependable yielder, producing from late spring until winter even in hot weather. It LOVES the sun!
Burpee Europe do not sell direct to the consumer, but their seeds are sold via top UK seed companies. Details of these on request from rabbitattackpr@gmail.com or 07895184395
Dobbies relaunches its highly requested free in-store ‘Grow How’ demonstrations, taking place on the first Saturday of every month...
Dobbies relaunches its highly requested free in-store ‘Grow How’ demonstrations, taking place on the first Saturday of every month.
Available across the UK, Grow How offers customers an interactive opportunity to learn from Dobbies’ horticultural experts and finesse their gardening skills. Encouraging the nation to be more green, sessions will cover sustainability and growing your own, working with the seasons to maximise your outdoor space, no matter how big or small, and how to create sought-after landscapes.
Dobbies’ Grow How educational sessions are built to be flexible, fun and interactive, taking around 10-15 minutes. Customers can look forward to a live demonstration with a Dobbies’ horticulture expert and an ask the expert section, where the floor will open to relevant questions.
Sarah Murray, Dobbies’ Partnership and Events Manager said: “We couldn’t be more excited that Grow How is relaunching next month. We’d encourage customers to take advantage of our free expert advice in-store and hopefully learn something new about how to make their green space bloom.”
Marcus Eyles, Dobbies’ Horticultural Director said: “Our team of horticultural experts across the UK thoroughly enjoyed hosting these relaxed ‘how to’ sessions in previous years and we can’t wait to get our gardening gloves back on for this interactive and popular experience. We would encourage anyone, no matter their gardening experience, to come along and give these sessions a go – we’ll provide tips and recommendations to ensure you can make the most of your outside space, whether you have a window sill or sprawling lawn.”
The demonstrations will take place in Dobbies’ 69 garden centres on the first Saturday of each month at 10:30am. In addition to this, selected Dobbies stores will also be offering bonus Grow How sessions throughout the month.
Topics for March-September are detailed below, but may be subject to change depending on customer feedback:
March: put the spring into your pots
April: create an Alpine garden
May: sustainable gardening
June: caring for roses
July: instant summer colour and lawn care
August: grow your Christmas dinner
September: grow your own fruit bowl
GTN’s Greatest Christmas Award winners revealed Gold awards for Altons, Ayletts, Barton Grange, Bents, Brigg, Burford House, Gates, Kaemingk, Pengelly, Perrywood, Planters, Pughs, Sapcote, Silverbirch, Squires, The Old Railway Line & Webbs
Burford House (BGC), Brigg (BGC), Squire Badshot Lea, Silverbirch, The Old Railway Line and Bents have picked up Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Team golds in GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards, presented at Spring Fair on Monday. Kaemingk walked away with The Greatest Christmas Supplier gold...
Burford House (BGC), Brigg (BGC), Squire Badshot Lea, Silverbirch, The Old Railway Line and Bents have picked up Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Team golds in GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards, presented at Spring Fair on Monday. Kaemingk walked away with The Greatest Christmas Supplier gold.
Here are all the winners:
The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team - kindly sponsored by Woodlodge
The Greatest Group Garden Centre Christmas Team - kindly sponsored by Woodlodge
Smaller Group Centres
Gold:Burford House - BGC
Silver: Albrighton – BGC
Bronze: Blue Diamond Newbridge, Little Dobbies Richmond, Thatcham – BGC
The Greatest Group Garden Centre Christmas Team - kindly sponsored by Woodlodge
Larger Group Centres
Gold:Squires Badshot Lea, Brigg – BGC
Silver: Blue Diamond Cadbury, Blue Diamond Derby
Bronze: Braintree – BGC
All Group Centre Finalists: Albrighton – BGC, Blue Diamond Cadbury, Blue Diamond Derby, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Braintree – BGC, Brigg Garden Centre – BGC, Burford House – BGC, Little Dobbies Richmond, Squires Badshot Lea, Thatcham – BGC
The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team - kindly sponsored by DCUK
Gold:Silverbirch
Silver: Newquay Garden Centre
Bronze: Pengelly Garden Centre
Finalists: Hillmount Cheshire, Newquay Garden Centre, Pengelly Garden Centre, Pughs Wenvoe, Silverbirch
The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team - kindly sponsored by DCUK
Gold:The Old Railway Line
Silver: Fron Goch
Bronze: Woodlands Garden Centre
Finalists: Bosworths, Fron Goch, Perrywood Sudbury, Tates South Downs, The Old Railway Line, Woodlands Garden Centre
The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team - kindly sponsored by Festive
Watch out for The Greatest Christmas Awards photo tours of the centres in future issues of GTN Xtra, starting this coming weekend and in the next issue of GTN magazine.
Core garden product sales continued at over 30% ahead of pre-pandemic levels in the second week of February with signs of early propagation activity showing through in the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart...
Core garden product sales continued at over 30% ahead of pre-pandemic levels in the second week of February with signs of early propagation activity showing through in the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart.
Highlights of the week were:
Westland PlantPak Propagator Lid moved up 6 places to No 3.
Stewart Premium Seed Tray with Holes 20cm Dark Green was a re-entry at No 26.
Westland’s Gro-Sure Visiroot Windowsill Propagator Set, launched at Glee 2021, was the only new entry of the week, in at No 42.
See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.
Growing Media volume sales may have been lower year on year for the second week of February 2022 but they were 71% up on the same week in 2019.
Growing Media volume sales may have been lower year on year for the second week of February 2022 but they were 71% up on the same week in 2019.
And year to date they are sitting at 264% up on 2021 levels and 56% up on 2019.
Highglights of the week were:
Evergreen Garden Care Levington Multi Purpose Compost 40 litres continues at No 1 with high volumes of early bird multi-buy offers.
Westland Composted Bark 70 litres was the highest re-entry of the week.
Bloomin Amazing Soil Enricher 70 litres also re-entered at No 41.
See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.
Onion sets dominate the top of the Veg-2-Gro chart this week with five lines in the Top 10 and 11 lines in the Top 25...
Onion sets dominate the top of the Veg-2-Gro chart this week with five lines in the Top 10 and 11 lines in the Top 25.
Total Veg-2-Gro volumes dippied below last year’s levels for the first time this year, but year to date volume sales are significantly up on past years – 91% up on 2021 and 53% up on 2019.
Highlights of the week were:
Whilst onion sets dominate the Top 10, Boulton's Strawberries In Variety are still the No 1 GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro Line.
Taylors Asparagus Gijnlim is the highest re-entry of the week, in at No 19.
Taylors Shallots Red Value Pack climbed furthest up the chart from No 45 to No 20.
See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.
The HTA’s Ornamental Management Committee has serious concerns that the plant health inspection regime is not fit for purpose and will not deliver satisfactory biosecurity controls for the UK.
The HTA’s Ornamental Management Committee (OMC) has serious concerns that the plant health inspection regime is not fit for purpose and will not deliver satisfactory biosecurity controls for the UK.
With the introduction of Border Control Points less than six months away, the unsatisfactory inspection process was a key discussion point at yesterday’s grower representative committee meeting, and attendees agreed it seems things will only get worse from 1 July when new rules come into effect and costs look set to rise dramatically.
The meeting’s regular ‘state of trade’ agenda item was dominated by a familiar theme of supply chain issues, with the ever-increasing cost of plastics being mentioned by all of those present, and continued difficulties with recruitment and retention, particularly of skilled staff for permanent roles. Discussions on the issue of seasonal labour also highlighted the lack of provision for ornamental horticulture businesses via the Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme, with several members commenting that they’d been told by agencies the places had already been allocated.
The HTA’s new Technical Horticulture Manager, Wayne Brough, outlined his plans for a Technical Communications Strategy and the group agreed his proposal of forming an Ornamentals Technical Committee, made up of up-and-coming growers and technical managers. This group will hold their first meeting next month and will have a remit that considers growing media, research and development and funding, sustainability, labour and automation and plant protection products (PPPs) and approvals.
There was also discussion about the need to produce member guidance on claiming back R&D tax credits. With the dissolution of AHDB horticulture, funding for research and development is now difficult to identify and so the HTA will also be looking into what is available in terms of funding.
An agenda item on sustainability led to the group asking that the HTA investigate and develop a standardised and appropriate scheme for the auditing of carbon footprints/lifecycle for the horticulture industry.
Hillier has enhanced its Forsythia range by introducing a new variety ‘Forsythia x intermedia ‘Discovery’ (John Mitchell)...
Hillier has enhanced its Forsythia range by introducing a new variety ‘Forsythia x intermedia ‘Discovery’ (John Mitchell).
The company is excited to present this delightful new variety as it adds striking variegated foliage to the already impressive flowers of this Genus. The unique form has attractive, green ovate leaves, with a variegated margin. This contrasts against the deep red stems, and from late February into March, the bare stems are smothered in beautiful, lightly scented pale-yellow flowers. This new plant will be available in all 19 Hillier garden centres across the South of England as well as through the new Hillier Online Shop.
Forsythia Discovery, like many other plants, has an interesting story behind it. The introduction of Forsythia Discovery comes following its discovery 15 years ago in the garden of John Mitchell, first officer in the UK merchant navy. John propagated the variety from just a single 15cm twig he found on a Forsythia bush.
Sadly John passed away in 2013 after a two-year long battle with dementia but had a great love for the sea throughout his life, and finished his career working on the UK Oceanography research vessels. The story behind the name comes from one of his last ships RSS ‘Discovery’, making ‘Discovery’ an apt choice and a moving way of honouring John and his gregarious, sociable manner.
With more than 155 years of horticulture knowledge, Hillier is celebrated for growing exceptional quality plants and is proud to be adding this one to its offering.
Chris Francis, Hillier Garden Centre and Wholesale Nurseries Director, stated: “Launching this new Forsythia variety, Forsythia Discovery, is another significant step towards widening our product offerings for our customers whilst also giving an inspirational story behind the shrub, which Liz, John’s sister was very kind to share with us. With Hillier’s core principles being innovation, quality and family values, this seemed like the perfect Forsythia to add to our range.”
The Horticultural Trades Association attended the prestigious Trade Association Forum (TAF) Best Practice Awards at Drapers Hall in London. The awards are designed to recognise excellence, innovation and best practice amongst Trade Associations in the UK.
The Horticultural Trades Association attended the prestigious Trade Association Forum (TAF) Best Practice Awards at Drapers Hall in London. The awards are designed to recognise excellence, innovation and best practice amongst Trade Associations in the UK.
The HTA were delighted to be shortlisted for two awards, recognising the organisation’s delivery of significant member value in the past year.
The HTA’s ‘Let Britain Grow’ campaign, the aim of which is to promote seamless trading post-EU Exit, won the award for ‘Sector Representation of the Year’. The win was a result of government lobbying, and advice and communications to members to support them through post-Brexit changes. We successfully helped to reduce regulatory burdens and prevented millions of pounds worth of costs for members’ businesses. The judges felt we had “achieved genuine impact” and “changed government perceptions”. The HTA were also praised for building long-term relationships with multiple government departments.
The HTA was also shortlisted for ‘Sustainability Initiative of the Year’. The judges were impressed by the “practical guidance to achieve sustainability” and “personalised action plans” allowing members to forge their own paths to becoming more sustainable. They particularly appreciated the way these initiatives tied into our broader profile raising and lobbying work.
This win follows our award in December 2021 for offering the ‘Best Member Support during Covid-19’, presented by the UK Association Awards.
James Clark, Director of Policy and Communications, said: “A fundamental role of trade bodies is representation to government of members’ interests. We’re delighted that our campaign achievements have been recognised, but this accolade was only possible because of members consistently sharing their business experiences on how the Government’s actions have affected them. This engagement was crucial to help us succeed on their behalf. Being a member of the HTA allows businesses to shape our approach and ensure their voice is heard to government.
While we celebrate this achievement, we are cognisant that our work is not yet done. This year myself and the HTA team will continue to advocate for our industry’s needs - not only on the fast emerging 1 July cross-border trade regulatory changes, but on shaping government policymaking around sustainable change to peat removal and seeking access to the necessary labour that our industry needs to grow”.
For the first time since before the pandemic, on 7 March 2022, organisers from forthcoming AIPH approved International Horticultural Expos will be presenting their progress reports in person at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dubai, UAE...
For the first time since before the pandemic, on 7 March 2022, organisers from forthcoming AIPH approved International Horticultural Expos will be presenting their progress reports in person at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dubai, UAE.
International Horticultural Expos are beautiful events that showcase nature, are enjoyed by millions of visitors, and leave environmentally positive legacies for the host city's residents. The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) has a mandate agreed by the 1928 Paris Convention and subsequent protocols. Since 1960, International Horticultural Expos have been approved and regulated by AIPH – International Association of Horticultural Producers. A gallery of these Expos can be viewed online https://aiph.org/expos/history/
This Expo Conference in Dubai is an excellent opportunity to learn more about upcoming International Horticultural Expos as well as hosting or being involved with an International Horticultural Expo and network with Expo organisers, city representatives interested in hosting an expo, urban developers, AIPH members, NGOs, international city and environmental organisations and suppliers to major events.
Millions are spent developing these international spectacles that can stimulate the development of entire cities and transform the international reputation of hosting regions. Each Exhibition attracts many international participants and millions of visitors and lasts up to six months, with sites ranging from the smallest of 25 hectares to the largest of 500 hectares or more. Every Expo is carefully regulated, steered, and monitored by AIPH.
Progress reports will be from the following AIPH-Approved Expos
From now until 2027 AIPH has approved the following Expos in the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, China, Italy and Thailand.
A1 World Horticultural Expos
Expo 2022 Floriade (the Netherlands)
14 April – 9 October 2022.
Theme - Growing Green Cities
Expo 2023 Doha (Qatar)
2 October 2023 – 28 March 2024
Theme – Green Desert, Better Environment
World Horticultural Exhibition 2027 Yokohama (Japan)
March – September 2027
Theme – Scenery of the Future for Happiness
B International Horticultural Exhibitions
Expo 2021 Hatay (Turkey)
1 April–30 June 2022
Theme: Garden of Civilisations
Expo 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Turkey)
23 April–31 October 2023
Theme: Nature-Friendly City and Sensitivity
Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo 2023 (South Korea)
22 April–22 October 2023
Theme: The Garden of the Earth
International Horticultural Exhibition Chengdu 2024 (China)
A Leeds-based retailer is celebrating a record-breaking end to 2021, with the business achieving a turnover of over £190,000 between April - December and has expanded into new premises as it continues to grow in 2022...
A Leeds-based retailer is celebrating a record-breaking end to 2021, with the business achieving a turnover of over £190,000 between April - December and has expanded into new premises as it continues to grow in 2022.
Grow Tropicals specialises in exotic and rare tropical plants and indoor gardening accessories and is currently based in a 3,500 sq ft store, tropical hydroponics and terrarium plant nursery in Leeds, which opened its doors in March 2021.
Jacob James, 27, initially launched the business during the first lockdown as a side project, before switching to work on the business full-time last spring.
Since launching, Grow Tropicals has experienced rapid growth, which has led to the business expanding into a brand-new 2,500 sq ft unit based next door to the retailer’s current home in order to help meet demand.
The new space will allow the retailer to invest further in new machinery and greenhouses so it can increase the business’s on-site propagation and reduce reliance on imports – enabling the team to achieve their ambitious target of 70 per cent propagation for their own grown plants as a business by the end of its second year.
In addition to the new unit and turnover success, Grow Tropicals has seen growth in the sales of its peat-free houseplant substrates, including the customer-favourite, Jungle Mix, with record sales of over 5,000 units per month of these products alone.
To support the continued growth and expansion of the business, Grow Tropicals has secured further investment, which has seen the value of the business balloon to five times its original value.
Discussing the continued success, founder of Grow Tropicals, Jacob James, said: “Throughout this journey we have seen incredible results for the business, with over 5,000 units of our peat-free substrates being sold monthly, which has help contribute towards the six-figure turnover in our first nine months of trading full-time. The value of the business has jumped fivefold in this time, which has helped us secure further investment to grow.
“We have ambitious plans for 2022 and our team is excited to continue the good work we’ve become known for, and the new unit will certainly allow us to focus on further growth and increasing our sustainability to 70 per cent moving forward.”
Grow Tropicals is the only UK exotic and rare tropical plants retailer with an ongoing focus on conservation and sustainability.
Plant-lovers have a choice of more than 600 species that can be ordered online then collected or delivered to their door across the UK and EU. There is also a variety of accessories available including terrariums and enclosures, as well as dry goods, pots, and growing tools.
Customers in Europe buying EGO battery-powered outdoor power equipment will now be contributing to a global environmental initiative...
Customers in Europe buying EGO battery-powered outdoor power equipment will now be contributing to a global environmental initiative.
EGO Power Plus is partnering with the Eden Reforestation Project charity to plant as many trees as possible throughout the year. For every EGO product purchased in Europe, Eden will plant a tree in its global restoration network, spanning regions such as Latin America, Africa, and South-East Asia. This initiative covers the purchase of all products in the EGO Power Plus range, including battery-powered brush cutters, mowers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws and in addition, Eden will plant a tree for each tool that is registered for extended warranty.
Steve Roskell, Director of Marketing (EMEA) at EGO, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with such an incredible charity. Our investment in reforestation and sustainable job creation demonstrates the depth of our commitment to fighting climate change. We believe that being a responsible, ethical company means going beyond selling greener products. We all have a duty to leave this world in a healthy and secure state for future generations.”
The Eden Reforestation Project does more than just plant trees - it is also creating livelihoods for thousands of people currently living in extreme poverty by empowering them to restore and protect forests on a massive scale. This helps reverse climate change, global deforestation, habitat loss for endangered species, and extreme poverty.
EGO’s partnership with the charity builds on the Challenge 2025 initiative launched by EGO in 2020. This campaign aims to educate and empower people to make batteries the principal power source for outdoor power equipment, leading to significant reductions in emissions and noise, whilst increasing tool safety. While the EU and UK have imposed strict emissions standards on diesel and petrol engines for vehicles and plant equipment, emissions from the smaller petrol engines on outdoor power tools are not regulated in the same way.
Research commissioned by Challenge 2025 found that a petrol-powered brush cutter emits four times as much nitrogen oxides (NOx) as a Ford Fiesta, and a leaf blower emits 11 times as much carbon monoxide (CO) as the same car.
Steve added: “The COP26 climate conference made crystal clear the task that lies ahead of us if we are to keep global temperature rises to within safe levels. Research undertaken through our Challenge 2025 initiative shows the positive impact that switching to battery-powered outdoor equipment can have on both greenhouse gas emissions and air quality.
“Our new partnership with Eden Reforestation Project builds on the success of Challenge 2025. We will now also be helping to create new forests and new economic opportunities in some of the world’s poorest regions.”
Garden Connect is pleased to introduce an Augmented Reality (AR) extension for webshops so consumers can see for themselves what garden furniture looks like in their own living space...
In the coming months, many consumers will go online to buy new garden furniture sets. In 2020 alone, 34% purchased or looked at garden furniture online, and these numbers are expected to increase in 2022. But purchasing new garden furniture online can be tricky as the size of a product is often hard to estimate with just pictures alone.
Garden Connect is pleased to introduce an Augmented Reality (AR) extension for webshops so consumers can see for themselves what garden furniture looks like in their own living space. "With the help of a link on the product page, consumers can virtually place the garden furniture set in their garden using only their smartphone. This makes the purchase of new garden furniture a lot easier", says Edwin Meijer on behalf of Garden Connect.
AR leads to more online sales
“A lot of research has already been done into the effectiveness of AR in webshops. The use of AR increases conversion rates by about 94%. This is not surprising because consumers get a true picture of whether a product fits their home or garden."
There are already several webshops using AR to display garden furniture. "Garden furniture is an expensive purchase, so it was a great place to start with for AR. Aside from furniture, we have also created a pot and plant configurator, which is already live and running. It allows visitors to choose a pot and a plant and place the combination in their living room. The visitor can then add the chosen combination to their shopping cart with just one click."
AR models
"Our ambition is to help every webshop in the garden industry to use AR, even if they are not using our platform. It is a new technology that fits well with garden centre products because they are visually strong and sometimes quite expensive. In addition to garden furniture, this includes barbecues, decorations, and plants."
Every user gets access to the database of AR models: "The biggest challenge in implementing AR is creating all the necessary models. Because we have more than 300 shops that partly sell the same products, we can organise this quickly. We already have more than 500 models of well-known brands available, and that number is growing rapidly."
So what is Augmented Reality (AR)?
Augmented Reality allows website visitors to virtually place products in their own home or garden via their smartphone since it combines digital images with reality. It is ideal for consumers to get an impression of whether that set of garden furniture will look good in their garden or on their balcony. Almost every Android and iOS phone supports AR.
The Augmented Reality solution is accessible to everyone, even if they do not use the Garden Connect online platform.
The team at British Garden Centres (BGC) have announced the arrival of the groups 59th garden centre. Timmermans Garden Centre of Nottingham, and team, joined the BGC family today, Monday 14th February 2022...
The team at British Garden Centres (BGC) have announced the arrival of the groups 59th garden centre. Timmermans Garden Centre of Nottingham, and team, joined the BGC family today, Monday 14th February 2022.
As with all the centres in the group this centre will also carry a local name so will be renamed Epperstone Garden Centre.
Phillippa Stubbs, Director of BGC South said “We have known the site for many years and admired the way the Timmermans family have developed its strong reputation for quality plants, a wonderful restaurant and a great family shopping experience. We are looking forward to working with the team to develop the business further and build on its heritage.”
Timmermans Garden Centre has developed over the last 30 years in to one of the leading garden centres in Nottinghamshire. In recent years Sophie & Greg Timmermans-Delves have invested in the centre and restaurant. Following an extensive refurbishment programme in 2011 the team went on to be named 2016 Garden Centre of the Year at the Garden Retail and Garden Industry Awards.
Speaking of the sale, Sophie, daughter of the founder, said, “Having grown up in the business we thought long and hard about who should become the next custodians of it. We are delighted that our team is joining the British Garden Centres family. As our family embarks on a new adventure we are confident that the centre will flourish and continue to serve the good people of Nottinghamshire well”
Epperstone Garden Centre is on the north-east side of Nottingham. Well situated between Nottingham & Newark to serve the area. The 8½ acre site has long been known as an horticultural hotspot having been home to Timmermans Roses for many years – a business dating back to the 1880s.
Local newspapers are reporting that Bosworths Garden Centre in Burton Latimer have submitted planing applications to move to a new site on the A6 at Irthlingborough...
Local newspapers are reporting that Bosworths Garden Centre in Burton Latimer have submitted planing applications to move to a new site on the A6 at Irthlingborough.
Sam Bosworth told GTN Xtra this morning that the application was actually submitted in December last year and they are now going through the process towards, hopefully, approval later this year. "Ever since I left college it has always been in our minds that the restrictive Burton Latimer site would become housing eventually and at last we have found a site, still within our catchment triangle of Kettering, Wellingborough and Rushden."
Sam explained it will be a while before the garden centre, which will be twice the size of Burton Latimer, takes shape as despite all the good news around garden centres at the moment getting the finance in place is very complicated for garden centres.
"We've been looking seriously for 5 to 6 years and saw this plot in Irthlingborough in September 2019. I thought getting planning on a new site would be easire than the planning to change the existing site for residential but it has turned out to be the other way around.
The new site is just 4 miles away from Burton Latimer at Litchfield Farm, A6, Irthlingborough Bypass
Value garden centre group, Cherry Lane, has acquired Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre in Nottinghamshire to take the group to 16 centres...
Value garden centre group, Cherry Lane, has acquired Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre in Nottinghamshire.
Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre is located on Bar Road, Saundby. The acquisition, the latest in Cherry Lane’s strategy of ongoing expansion, brings the group total to 16 garden centres across East Anglia, Yorkshire and the Midlands. Cherry Lane has acquired both the garden centre and its on-site Citrus Café.
Nick Rubins, Chief Executive of the QD Group which owns Cherry Lane, said: “The latest acquisition of Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre is another step in the ongoing growth and success of Cherry Lane. We already have garden centres in Tickhill and Beverley so this is an ideal new location for us. Retford & Gainsborough has been trading for more than 20 years and is well known and loved locally.
“We are very pleased to welcome the garden centre team, who bring with them outstanding gardening knowledge and expertise. As a family run business, we look forward to continuing the centre’s rich history of serving the community and to introducing our great value, excellent quality and ever-changing spectacular deals.”
The garden centre, which currently employs 18 members of staff, will be known as Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre by Cherry Lane. All staff will be retained. The garden centre will be managed initially by Lee Jackson, current manager at nearby Cherry Lane Beverley.
Cherry Lane is introducing a number of improvements and developments over the next few months. New product ranges will include Cherry Lane’s famous range of outdoor furniture, as well as solar lighting, water features and barbecues, not to mention indoor furnishings and homewares, with many ranges exclusive to Cherry Lane. A brand-new Scallywags pet shop is also coming to the centre.
The garden centre will remain open to customers throughout the improvement works.
The new owners also plan to continue the garden centre’s well-established homegrown hanging basket operation, which will work alongside Cherry Lane’s existing four nursery operations where they produce the popular Grown By Us range, which is sold across all Cherry Lane garden centres. A new menu is being developed for Citrus Café too, including customers’ existing favourites.
The Cherry Lane environmental strategy, Value Our Planet is the company’s commitment to responsible retailing, caring for the environment and the world in which we live. The initiative will see Retford & Gainsborough stocking more environmentally friendly ranges and eco products, as well as the introduction of a flowerpot and compost bag recycling scheme, where customers will be encouraged not to throw them away but to bring them to the centre for recycling or reuse.
Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre by Cherry Lane is located on Bar Road, Saundby, Retford DN22 9EU. For more information, visit www.cherry-lane.co.uk.
Notcutts has launched a year of celebrations to mark 125 years of glorious gardening with a special event hosted at their new-look Notcutts Woodbridge Garden Centre in Suffolk...
Caroline Notcutt (centre) cuts the ribbon to the new entrance at Notcutts Woodbridge Garden Centre with (far right) Cllr Sue Bale, Mayor of Woodbridge, alongside the Notcutts board, Notcutt family members, and (far left) Notcutts Woodbridge manager Darren Brooks.
Notcutts has launched a year of celebrations to mark 125 years of glorious gardening with a special event hosted at their new-look Notcutts Woodbridge Garden Centre in Suffolk.
Guests, family and Notcutts colleagues joined Vice Chairman Caroline Notcutt and Councillor Sue Bale, Mayor of Woodbridge, for an official ribbon cutting and guided tour around the garden centre, which has recently undergone extensive refurbishment.
Notcutts is a family-owned garden centre group first established by Roger Crompton Notcutt in 1897, and it has since become a leading name in horticulture with 18 garden centres nationwide. While plants and gardening has remained at its core, Notcutts has enhanced the overall experience for customers by investing in spacious new restaurants, and show gardens to inspire gardeners with planting ideas.
Notcutts Woodbridge, which was their first garden centre to open in 1958 on the same Ipswich Road site in Suffolk, has recently undergone a phased modernisation and improvement programme including a new 250-seater restaurant with alfresco dining terrace, and a restored woodland nature walk which will remain a permanent wildlife conservation area for customers to enjoy for free. In recent months, works have also completed on a new entrance area at the front of the garden centre, and two large outdoor canopies where customers can browse and plants can thrive in all weathers.
The new plant canopies at Notcutts Woodbridge.
Speaking at the celebratory event, Caroline Notcutt, Vice-Chairman and Great-Granddaughter of Notcutts’ founder Roger Crompton Notcutt, said: “It was wonderful to welcome customers, colleagues and friends of Notcutts to join the official opening of our new-look Woodbridge garden centre and to launch our special year of anniversary celebrations. It is inspiring to realise how much Notcutts has grown and diversified over the past 125 years, while our passion for gardening and expertise has remained at the heart of all we do. In this celebratory year, I’m excited to look to the future of Notcutts and how we can continue to inspire the next generation of gardeners.”
Notcutts has planned a year of celebratory activity with the theme of ‘looking forward’ to the future of gardening and the environment. Notcutts will be launching a new and exclusive rose named by the public in May, and later in the year they will be planting 2,500 trees across their 18 garden centre locations nationwide.
To find out more about Notcutts or to keep up to date with celebratory plans visit notcutts.co.uk.
Spring Fair, the UK’s largest and longest running trade show for home, gift and fashion, has generated millions of pounds worth of business kick-starting and refuelling the retail industry...
Spring Fair, the UK’s largest and longest running trade show for home, gift and fashion, has generated millions of pounds worth of business kick-starting and refuelling the retail industry.
A return in buyer confidence and the buzz, enthusiasm and energy throughout the show has been backed up by reports of huge volumes of orders and the average order values going up.
Buyers including John Lewis, Next, Morleys, Wayfair, Oliver Bonas, Fortnum & Mason, Fenwick, National Trust, V&A, Merlin Entertainment, Tesco, Sainsbury, Argos, B&Q, Paperchase, Scribbler, Funky Pigeon, Waterstones, Hobbycraft, Matalan, as well as garden centres such as Squires, Notcutts, Dobbies, Blue Diamond, British Garden Centres, and Barton Grange attended. Charlotte Overend, Buyer from La Redoute said; “We have been to the Spring Fair a few times now and it's better than before, so happy with meeting all our suppliers and new ones too, placed a few orders and its definitely the show to be at. Will be back for Autumn Fair.”
Julie Driscoll, Divisional Managing Director, Spring Fair & Moda, says; “It’s been a truly extraordinary four days at Spring Fair, we’re so pleased to be able to report on such overwhelming success stories and hear the brilliant feedback from our visitors and exhibitors.
“Backed up by our 72-year heritage and experience, Spring Fair continues to look forward, to listen to and understand the marketplace, to evolve and innovate, to strive to deliver the ultimate buying experience and the best return on investment for our exhibitors. Despite the two-year break, the team haven’t stood still. We have invested in our people and in new products such as Curated Meetings to ensure we not only have our finger on the pulse of what our customers and the retail industry needs, but also to continually think ahead to the future to create the new ways of doing business. We look forward to putting on another retail spectacle at Autumn Fair and look forward to welcoming you all back.”
Curated Meetings continued to offer the wow factor with its super-charged and game-changing way of doing business. Hundreds of focused face-to-face meetings took place leading to new partnerships and connections. Maritia Osipova, Buyer, Wallaces Homevalue & Garden Centre, Ireland said; “Curated Meetings are great, short, one to one meetings, and you have the full attention to your potential customer or new supplier. It’s a quick and really easy way to communicate. It’s a brilliant opportunity and everybody should try it. I’ve met with nine companies all in one day. It’s great, really energizing. I’ll definitely be placing orders with some of them when I get home. I would 100% join Curated Meetings again.”
Peter Allinson, Director, Whirligig Toys said; “Curated Meetings is great for meeting new suppliers and contacts in a little more depth than you have going around the stands. When I did the trial at Autumn Fair I met three new suppliers I’ve now been working with full time. I saw a product I wasn’t expecting to like, heard the story behind it, learned how it had been made, saw how they can relate to me and made an order. The value [of Curated Meetings] is the longer conversation, you’re not in a sales mode, you can just hear the story. I will do Curated Meetings every time I am invited to.”
Kirsten McNee, Director, Fawn & Thistle said; “I did the trial last year and got some good stockists, so I thought [taking part again] would be another good way for me to meet people. I recommend it if you want to start up meaningful relationships with buyers and stockists.”
Sarah Patterson, Director, By Molly & Izzie added; “We’ve got a stand at the show and Curated Meetings has been a nice add on to that. It’s been nice to have the time to sit down and only concentrate on the buyer you are talking too. With Curated Meetings you can build the relationship without them feeling like they are an afterthought. I’ve taken a few orders during the meetings and there are a few leads to follow up on. Every meeting that I’ve had has been positive.”
Exhibitors from across the show also reported their success stories. Clive Ruben, Out of the Blue said: “It's been an absolutely brilliant show, probably the best show we've actually done in terms of customer response and orders taken. It's been really good, very very pleased with it.”
David Lyk, Ling Design: “Thanks to everybody who's come to visit us as Spring Fair this year, to all the customers, our friends, our colleagues. We've had an amazing show, we've written more orders, taken more leads and met loads and loads of fantastic people. See you again next year, we'll be back at the front of Hall 3!”
Graham Tunstall, The Knight Shop; “We've had an amazing show here at Spring Fair 2022, so much so this is the first year we've actually already rebooked for next year and we're already excited about what's going to happen this coming year, and the year after.”
Dan at Widdop & Co; “I'd just like to say what a great show it’s been, great to be back in front of people after a couple of years without the shows, it's been really exciting to have lots of great buyers come onto the stand and we're hoping to see more results after the show.”
Bex Hassett, Bexy Boo; “This has definitely been the best show that I've ever done. We've been going for 7 years and I've done lots of Spring Fair's and this has been the best one by far.”
Paul from Ty UK; “Spring Fair has been really really good, from the start on Sunday through to the end it has been non-stop. We are so pleased to be here.”
Liz Ireland, BigJigs Toys: “It is very good to here and to back on the show floor talking to buyers, the visitor attendance has been extremely high for the first day. The quality of buyer has been fantastic.”
Visitors to the show also expressed how pleased they were to be back to in person trading again. Rachael Evens, Owner, New England Country, said; “It has been great to be back to see new products and new suppliers but also to meet with existing suppliers. Thank you for creating a safe environment to allow us to start getting back to normal.”
Marie-Louise Lucas, Sourcing Manager, Gibbons Company said; “It’s really exciting to be able to see products again and see the vendors face-to-face after 2 years. We love seeing the new trends, new designs this year at Spring Fair. I like the App too, with everything in one place including my badge, the meetings, it’s really good.”
Bel Samra, Flamingo Events said: “I absolutely LOVE attending. I look forward to it all year round. It’s such a highlight. I've been coming for some years now. I also go to Autumn Fair; it's an absolute must and I go every year. Very excited to be here; Spring Fair is a springboard to start everything.”
Lauren Ramsay at Ruby & Ed said; “It's our first time at Spring Fair and we've been pleasantly surprised. The stands are great, there's so much variety and loads of inspiration to take away. The layout is great, we've been able to find our way around easily and everyone we've spoken to have been lovely.”
Gift of the Year Awards Judging
As part of its ongoing partnership with the Giftware Association, Spring Fair hosted the live judging of the prestigious Gift of the Year Awards 2022 on the final day of the show. Beautiful displays of all the shortlisted products took centre stage in Hall 4 and with categories including Beauty & Wellbeing, Branded Gift, Cards & Wrap, Contemporary Gift, Design & Craft, Ethical & Sustainable Gift, Fashion Accessories, Home & Garden, My Gift of All Time, Kitchen & Dining, Novelty, Stationery, Under £15, and the overall Judges’ Choice winner, who receives a free exhibition stand at Autumn Fair 2022.
Judges including Helena Stopher from Products of Change, Lex Clarke from FY!, Maxine Lister form Natural History Museum, Samantha Gibbs from independent gift shop Nest, Peter Allinson from independent toy retailer Whirligig Toys Limited, Mairita Osipova from Wallaces Homevalue & Garden Centre, Alice Brook from National Gallery Company, Joanna Pollard from ebay for change, Alison Paterson from The Gift Cartel, Nitesh Sant from TJC, Jon May from mooch gifts and home, Rita Rooney from Museum of London, Michael Apter from Paper Tiger, Steph Briggs from La Di Da Interiors, Rachel King, Editor of Greetings Today, and Sue Marks from Progressive Gifts and Home commented on the high quality of shortlisted entries and highlighted the number of businesses incorporating ethics and sustainability into their products.
A selection of shortlisted brands include Wanderflower, Yes Studio, Marmalade of London, Beefayre, Puckator, Gift Republic, Crafty You Crafty Me, The Beeswax Wrap Co, Willsow, Puzzle Post, St. Eval, Clockwork Soldier and The Bottle Baking Co. Spotlight was shown onto new, exciting and innovative products including Beevive Ltd’s Bamboo Bee Revival Kit, a dual use keyring for sowing seeds, planting trees and saving bees; FYG’s Memories Candle Collection; Willsow’s world’s first ever plantable children’s book and Sass & Belle’s Cottage Garden.
Sarah Ward, CEO, Gift Association said; “Although our virtual judging for the 2022 Gift of The Year Awards has worked over the past 2 years, there is nothing like seeing and touching the products in person. Being able to hold our judging at the Curated Meetings area within Spring Fair has created the most wonderful environment and a perfect set up for our shortlisted members. We would not have had so many great judges had it not be held here, they have been able to get more value from their day, by judging the Gift of The Year Awards and being able to visit the show. Running within Spring Fair and being able see all exhibitors at the show also means they see the full spectrum of trends and come to the judging with the latest product trends.”
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 07973 504214, e-mail karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.
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.
Wild bird care specialist WHM Pet Group, whose brands include Marriage’s Feed and Honeyfield’s Wild Bird, will be flying the flag for sustainability at PATS Sandown next month...
Wild bird care specialist WHM Pet Group, whose brands include Marriage’s Feed and Honeyfield’s Wild Bird, will be flying the flag for sustainability at PATS Sandown next month.
The UK’s Spring pet industry exhibition takes place on Sunday, March 27, and Monday, March 28, and the company will be unveiling it products and services in the WHM Pet Group Lounge.
The Lounge, located in a special position inside the Surrey Hall of Sandown Park, will allow WHM Pet Group to showcase its sustainable initiatives to their full potential.
“We’re delighted to be showcasing at PATS Sandown this year in the new WHM Pet Group Lounge,” said brand manager Emily Scruton.
“We’re excited to be bringing our new 100% recycled, recyclable, and biodegradable wild bird care packaging to the show.
“We’ve got plenty of new and innovative products, and the WHM Pet Group team can’t wait to bring them to the UK wild bird care market.
“PATS Sandown will also be the perfect opportunity for customers to come and see our fantastic wooden POS offering, transforming the way the wild bird care areas in stores are displayed.”
The WHM Pet Group will join more than 130 other companies and brands at the exhibition, where all available stand space has been sold out.
With five weeks to go before the show, pre-registration of visitors is higher than it was at the same point in 2020, the last time PATS Sandown was held.
Organiser Gordon Thomas said: “All the signs point towards PATS Sandown being a highly successful show.
“Sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives will feature prominently at the exhibition, so we’re pleased to host the WHM Pet Group Lounge at PATS Sandown for the first time.”
Visitors to the show will be able to see an unrivalled array of products in the New Products Showcase, sponsored by pbwnews, and watch demonstrations from the country’s leading dog groomers.
For all the latest news, a full list of PATS Sandown exhibitors and how to register for free entry to the show, visit www.patshow.co.uk.
To add an extra element of competition to the day, golfers will be able to win a selection of prizes with the usual spot games and ‘Beat the Pro’, there may even be a special prize for any golfer who completes the golfing holy grail: a hole-in-one. Golfers can enter individually or as a team of four, together testing their mettle on the 6,623-yard course that carries a par 73 handicap.
The 2021 winners and Glee exhibitors, Pot-mate also credit the show with helping its growth plans become a reality. Pot-mate’s creator, Phil Wilson said: “Glee and the GISCF helped enormously in getting us noticed, as well as helping us to develop our website 
Cian Lynch and Sam Lloyd both passed through the apprentice programme in 2021 and now have the positions of Amenity Sales Executive and Potting Shed Team Leader respectively.
Forsythia Discovery, like many other plants, has an interesting story behind it. The introduction of Forsythia Discovery comes following its discovery 15 years ago in the garden of John Mitchell, first officer in the UK merchant navy. John propagated the variety from just a single 15cm twig he found on a Forsythia bush.
Nick Rubins, Chief Executive of the QD Group which owns Cherry Lane, said: “The latest acquisition of Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre is another step in the ongoing growth and success of Cherry Lane. We already have garden centres in Tickhill and Beverley so this is an ideal new location for us. Retford & Gainsborough has been trading for more than 20 years and is well known and loved locally.
