In This Issue
The acquisition trail leads to...Scotland?
New Brochure...New Look Meadow View Stone
Oh dear – April was as bad as 2013 – official!
Cultivation Street to treble readership as Domoney switches to Sunday Mirror
Briers drives its North American expansion plans
Royal seal of approval for graduate entrepreneur who invented SeedCell
Thieves steal 8ft stag hedge from Notcutts garden centre
Briers' Gluvies photobooth boost for Greenfingers
Garden centre's green belt row to end up in court
#WorldNakedGardeningDay gets all fresh@burcot garden centre
Wyevale Garden Centres win gold for Malvern show garden
Hanging basket habits revealed by Thompson & Morgan
Squire's donate '80-year favourites' to Farnham park
Peter Williamson Travel Award for Pershore student
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Gloucester)
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Staffordshire)
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Wiltshire)
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Kent)
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Briers' gloves have the golden touch
Grafted plants are stars of Veg-2-Gro sales
Farmyard manure is a bestseller
Bents hand over £26k to cystic fibrosis charity
Juliana Oasis captures the imagination
BHETA recruits three more garden market suppliers
Lantra announces new trustee appointments
Landscape Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standards
Stunning iris and peony collections from Hawkesmill
Inside the May issue of Garden Trade News
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
All the latest news from the world of garden centre catering
Matthew Algie returns to the Caffè Culture Show at Olympia
Best ever Natural & Organic Products Europe
Situations Vacant
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Gloucester)
Salary: £24,000 - £28,000
Read more»
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Staffordshire)
Salary: £16,000 - £20,000
Read more»
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Wiltshire)
Salary: £19,000 - £22,000
Read more»
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Kent)
Salary: £16,000 - £19,000
Read more»
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Email neil.pope@tgcmc.co.uk, or trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 01733 775700
The acquisition trail leads to...Scotland?



Woof woof! Yes, it’s me again…GTN Newshound…and I’ve got a right old tail-wag on, I can tell you! Y’see, isstry (as we used to call it) was one of my fave subjects at puppy school, always something to get your fireman’s hose into…and this week, what have I got to work on a bit of an isstry project! Exciting,yeah? Like to know more? Then read on…


Woof woof! Yes, it’s me again…GTN Newshound…and I’ve got a right old tail-wag on, I can tell you! Y’see, isstry (as we used to call it) was one of my fave subjects at puppy school, always something to get your fireman’s hose into…and this week, what have I got to work on a bit of an isstry project! Exciting,yeah? Like to know more? Then read on …

Sometimes, you’ve just got to listen when a little bird sings, agreed? And this little bird, a sparrow with a limited repertoire, a somewhat cryptic turn of phrase and a huge capacity for long-distance flight, drops a fruity little clue to yours truly about something he’s spotted during a raid on an unattended peanut feeder.

“So?” I say. “Garden centre…,” he says. “New boss man…workers…something happening… frowns… smiles…toilet flushing. Can’t say more…”

“Just a mo,” I say. “You’re not making sense yet. Anything else?

“Hi-Fun,” he says. “Boss man’s name…having Hi-Fun.”

“You’re still not making sense, my old sparra. Where was this, anyway?”

“Scotland…in Derbyshire.”

“But..Scotland’s not in Derbyshire….or even vice versa.”

“Lot of isstry. Tweet tweet…bye-bye.”  And off he flits to the next fat ball.

I’m thinking….garden centre…new boss man…Hi-fun…Scotland…Derbyshire…isstry…a trail as cold as a frozen pie.

But then, but then…Let’s turn the bugle on good old Google and see what turns up.

Garden centres in Scotland…..OK, there’s a pile of em and not one is owned by anyone called Derbyshire. Garden centres in Derbyshire….mmm, that’s a more promising shortlist. So one might be getting a new boss…but where does Scotland fit in?….Oh no…oh yes! Look at this…Scotland Nurseries, Matlock.

And that nice Mr Google tells me that Scotland Nurseries does indeed have a lot of isstry…possibly 300 years of it, even if the evidence is a bit skimpy. Turns out they’ve been growing nursery stock there for 150 years (and potatoes and veggies when there were wars on). They even got a Royal Warrant in 1966 on account of having supplied Balmoral, Sandringham and the Castle of Mey. Twenty years further down the line, two local businessmen turned it into a garden centre, which is run today by one of their descendants, Peter Reynolds, and his wife Yvonne.

Isstry? Luv it!

But there’s still one piece of this puzzle not fitting, isn’t there.

A new boss man called Hi-Fun. Chinese? North American? East Anglian, perhaps? Nope…none of the above. Having hi-fun….of course, cracked it, what took me so long! Not Hi-Fun but hyphen…new boss man’s name has a hyphen.

If it’s who I think it is, he runs a garden centre chain beginning with H and he’s just about to buy his 10th garden centre.

Thank-you, thank-you! Send the tip to Greenfingers. Woof woof!

 

Postscript: if the little bird is right, and Wyevale GC end up buying Dobbies, this is how the State of the National Garden Centre chart will look this summer…

 

Leading Garden Centre Groups by number of outlets

May 2016?

May 2015

Group

Outlets

change since May 2015

1

1

Wyevale Garden Centres

188

41

2

3

Klondyke

24

0

3 =

5

Blue Diamond

18

1

3 =

4

Notcutts

18

0

5

6

Squires

15

0

6

7

Hilliers

12

0

7 =

10 =

British Garden Centres

10

2

7 =

8 =

Cherry Lane

10

1

7 =

8 =

Hillview

10

1

9 =

10 =

Home & Garden

9

1

Source and speculation GTN

 
New Brochure...New Look Meadow View Stone
With the intent to make products more accessible to stockists, Meadow View Stone have combined their three distinct product collections of aggregates, stoneware and paving all together in one concise but extensive catalogue. Furthermore, this entire product collection is distributed from their central depot, giving stockists complete flexibility to mix and match this comprehensive collection of products to meet order parameters...

With the intent to make products more accessible to stockists, Meadow View Stone have combined their three distinct product collections of aggregates, stoneware and paving all together in one concise but extensive catalogue.

Furthermore, this entire product collection is distributed from their central depot, giving stockists complete flexibility to mix and match this comprehensive collection of products to meet order parameters. 

Marketing Director Sarah Hill stated “Combining all three product areas within one ultimate collection gives stockists a complete feel for how our products relate to one another and inter-connect. This collection embraces our brand ethics of providing quality products that not only offer great profit return, but equally a point of difference to our many stockists in a competitive market place.” 



Also featured within the brochure is a selection of “close up snap shots” of their newly re-designed POS merchandising to give retailers a true feel for how the products are promoted in store. 

The new brochure eloquently delivers all the products and sales tools that are available to retailers, giving them the confidence to order a collection of quality products on a single cost efficient delivery, from a single trusted supplier.



For further information, contact Meadow View Stone on 01948 841607 or download your copy here

www.meadowviewstone.co.uk/brochure
Oh dear – April was as bad as 2013 – official!


April was as bad as 2013 in the end and that is official! The GTN Bestsellers All Product Index for April came in at 15% down on April 2015 and just on a par with April 2013, which was previously one of the worst Aprils for a long time...



April was as bad as 2013 in the end and that is official! The GTN Bestsellers All Product Index for April came in at 15% down on April 2015 and just on a par with April 2013, which was previously one of the worst Aprils for a long time.

Unsurprisingly plant sales were hit last week, down 4.4% according to the EPoS data supplied by garden centres for GTN Bestsellers every week.

The frosts didn’t deter those customers brave enough to venture out from buying Pelargoniums, Fuchsias and Petunias in increased volumes.

The three most popular plants grouped by genus saw week on week sales increases of 47%, 25%and 47% respectively.

The biggest week-on-week jump by plant genus grouping came from Verbenas. Sales grew by 150% to make them the 9th most popular UK Garden Plant as we move into May.

With plant areas fully stocked and looking good, how do you plant to make up for the lost sales in April?  Are you just relying on the weather or have you got your social media activity up to full throttle to make sure customers come and buy from you?

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year...
  • Garden Products - static 0%
  • Veg-2-Gro - down 46%
  • Growing Media - down 24%
  • All Items Index - down 17%

Cultivation Street to treble readership as Domoney switches to Sunday Mirror

David Domoney’s Cultivation Street community gardening campaign is set to treble its readership following the switch of his week-end newspaper column from the Sunday People to the Sunday Mirror...

David Domoney’s Cultivation Street community gardening campaign is set to treble its readership following the switch of his week-end double-page spread from the Sunday People to the Sunday Mirror.

The column provides valuable publicity for the campaign through case studies of schools, neighbourhoods and community gardening projects with practical gardening hints and tips.

The Cultivation Street competition to find the best neighbourhood gardens boasts a prize pot of £20,000 of National Garden Gift Vouchers through its association with the HTA and now has ‘ambassadors’ in more than 180 garden centres.

Domoney promotes the benefits of gardening on his television shows ITV1 This Morning, Channel 5’s Saturday Show and ITV1’s flagship gardening programme Love your Garden.

Briers drives its North American expansion plans


The Briers team presented the new Briers International Collection at this year's National Hardware Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nevada...



The Briers team presented the new Briers International Collection at this year's National Hardware Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nevada.

On Booth #10471, the accomplished Briers trio of Jackie Eades (Managing Director), Liam Walsh (International Sales Manager, he's the one on the right) and Matt Jackson (UK National Sales Manager) were busy welcoming everyone into the beautiful world of Briers.

As part of the company's commitment to further expand and grow in North America, Briers exhibited on its very own booth, or stand as it’s known in the UK, for the first time at this prestigious and influential show.

The collections being showcased were:

  • Historic Royal Palaces Baroque Collection (as seen on HSN in 2016)
  • Briers Kids Range (increasingly popular Briers range in the USA)
  • The Children's Gruffalo Collection (best-selling book characters)
  • William Morris Collections (iconic and famous patterns brought to life)

Briers - designed in Somerset, United Kingdom

www.briersltd.co.uk

Royal seal of approval for graduate entrepreneur who invented SeedCell






Dan Robson, founder of Green Digit Gardening and inventor of the innovative seed SeedCell germination system, has won The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Award...



Dan Robson, founder of Green Digit Gardening and inventor of an innovative seed germination system, has won The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Award.

Dan set up Green Digit in 2014 while studying design for industry at Northumbria University. After a work placement in a plastics packaging business, he realised that he could help to reduce waste by making packaging part of the product.

He developed SeedCell - a seed germination system made with recycled packaging. The packaging is used to directly push seeds into the soil. It is fully biodegradable and retains water, which ensures that the germinating seed receives sufficient moisture but cannot be over-watered.

The system has already earned him a grant through GIMA’s Seed Corn Award for new garden industry businesses.

Northumbria University's student and graduate enterprise scheme provided Dan with business start-up advice, office space within the Northern Design Centre and mentoring that has provided access to investment capital.

SeedCell is already sold in Homebase and B&Q with plans for distribution in Europe, the USA and the Middle East.

The Duke of York, who presented Dan with his award at the University of Huddersfield, accepted some samples, which he said he would pass on to the Prince of Wales.

Dan said: “We are really excited about how much has happened over the last six months. We have had a fantastic response to the product and are working on a new product that will allow you to grow herbs indoors all year round. The Duke of York himself seemed very taken with the product and went home with three SeedCells in his bag, adding he would pass them on to the Prince of Wales. Maybe one day we can have SeedCell by Royal appointment!"

The 100-plus graduate companies supported by Northumbria University since 2009 today employ around 950 staff and have a combined turnover of £62.2 million. Most are based in the north-east but are trading nationally and internationally.

 
Thieves steal 8ft stag hedge from Notcutts garden centre
A large privet hedge cut in the shape of a stag was dug up and stolen by thieves from  Notcutts garden centre, Nuneham Courtenay, near Oxford, this week...
A large privet hedge cut in the shape of a stag was dug up and stolen by thieves from  Notcutts garden centre, Nuneham Courtenay, near Oxford, this week.

Between about 7pm on Monday and 8am on Tuesday the hedge was plundered from the driveway of the centre.

It measured about 2ft wide, 8ft long and 8ft tall and was supported by wire mesh inside the foliage.

Officers would like to speak to anyone with information about the theft or the whereabouts of the hedge. Please call 101 if you can help.
Briers' Gluvies photobooth boost for Greenfingers


Greenfingers received a welcome boost from the Briers Gluvies photobooth at the GCA conference earlier this year. As well as recognising the great work done by everyone concerned in organising this worthwhile event, GTN Xtra felt it would be a good idea to brighten up the week with a galary of never-seen-before pictures from the Briers Gluvies photobooth...

Click to see the gallery of pictures
2016-01-28 05.24.36-1.jpg

Greenfingers received a welcome boost from the Briers Gluvies photobooth at the GCA conference earlier this year. As well as recognising the great work done by everyone concerned in organising this worthwhile event, GTN Xtra felt it would be a good idea to brighten up the week with a galary of never-seen-before pictures from the Briers Gluvies photobooth.
Garden centre's green belt row to end up in court
The row over an enforcement notice served on the owners of Hare Hatch Sheeplands garden centre near Reading is to end up in court, following the local council’s rejection of a petition signed by thousands...

The row over an enforcement notice served on the owners of Hare Hatch Sheeplands garden centre is to end up in court, following the local council’s rejection of a petition signed by thousands.

The garden centre was ordered to close a number of facilities in 2012 for green belt infringement. More than 10,000 customers and staff signed the petition asking Wokingham Borough Council to withdraw the notice.

But the council argued that as the notice related to a “planning decision”, it could not be reviewed. It then proceeded with an injunction against the owners and several of the concessions trading there.

The case was due to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday, this week but was postponed because both parties felt insufficient time had been allocated for the hearing, which is now likely to take place in June.

In a statement, the council said: “Unfortunately, the petition refers to an enforcement notice that has been deemed to constitute a ‘planning decision’.

“Under the council’s constitution, petitions which refer to ‘any matter relating to a planning decision’ cannot be accepted.”

Earlier, the council had turned down two planning applications designed to meet the enforcement notice conditions. The owners now intend to fight for a judicial review

A public enquiry into their appeal against the council's refusal to grant a certificate of lawful use for various activities on the site will be held on 6 September.

Owner Rob Scott said: “It is a kick in the teeth to the 10,000 individuals who have signed a petition calling on the council to grant us this certificate.

“Wokingham Borough Council seems hell bent on taking action which will close us down and which is totally against the wishes of thousands of the people who elected them into power.

“By taking this action the council has effectively found us guilty before we have even had the opportunity for our case to be heard by a government appointed inspector in September.”

#WorldNakedGardeningDay gets all fresh@burcot garden centre
  

While gardeners were posing naked at RHS Malvern Flower Show for World Naked Gardening Day Neil and Nicci Gow from Fresh@Burcot led the way with garden centres joining in...



While gardeners were posing naked at RHS Malvern Flower Show for World Naked Gardening Day Neil and Nicci Gow from Fresh@Burcot led the way with garden centres joining in.



Flopro tweeted: Get your hose out: it's



While the team at Chessington Garden Centre said: "It's ! Unfortunately we didn't find any volunteers for this so here's a naked tree instead! "



You can see the pictures of the naked gardeners at RHS Malvern Flower Show on the BBC News website here





Wyevale Garden Centres win gold for Malvern show garden
Wyevale Garden Centres, in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, were awarded Gold at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival this week for their show garden ‘Gardening Amidst Ruins: a homage to Capability Brown’...


Wyevale Garden Centres, in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, were awarded Gold at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival this week for their show garden ‘Gardening Amidst Ruins: a homage to Capability Brown’.

The garden’s designer, Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, and David Mitchell from Wyevale Garden Centres also became the first recipients of a Gold Medal for the new Best Construction award. The award recognises outstanding achievement in the construction of the show garden and the team’s expertise in the challenge of turning a blank space into a captivating tribute to Capability Brown, with every plant in bloom.



David Mitchell, who is the plant buyer at WGC, said: “Against the odds we have successfully created a vision that will encourage gardeners at home with all plants on display available at our centres nationwide. We hope that everyone who visits over the next four days comes away feeling inspired however green fingered they are.”

TV presenters Alan Titchmarsh and Monty Don visited the winning garden. Alan described it as ‘astonishing’ and ‘total perfection in a rustic kind of way’ whilst Monty labelled the garden ‘imaginative and beautiful, nothing like I’ve ever seen before’.

Landscape designeer Todd Longstaffe-Gowan said it was his first ever show garden. “I feel incredibly proud to not only have been part of a winning team, but also to have worked with such determined and creative individuals on this challenging project,” he added. “We feel that this garden is a deserving tribute to the enduring legacy of Lancelot Capability Brown in his 300th year.”

Hanging basket habits revealed by Thompson & Morgan


Thompson & Morgan has surveyed the nation’s gardeners to see how they use them to best effect in their garden, with some interesting findings...



Love them or loathe them, nothing sets up the garden for summer like a vibrant display of hanging baskets. As the UK’s leading mail order supplier of seasonal basket plants, Thompson & Morgan has surveyed the nation’s gardeners to see how they use them to best effect in their garden, with some interesting findings. Highlights include:
  • Red is the nation’s favourite basket flower colour
  • Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’ named best basket plant 
  • Begonias, fuchsias and petunias hold the top slots but....
  •  60% of gardeners are planning to try something new in their summer baskets this year
  • Hanging basket numbers per garden ranged from 1 to 28, but the average is 5.4 per plot
  • 15% of gardening households don’t include hanging baskets in their summer displays

Hanging baskets are all about showing off and adding colour to the garden scene, so Thompson & Morgan was keen to identify the nation’s favourite floral basket shades. When gardeners were invited to take the Thompson & Morgan online survey this spring, the top three flower colours were red (24%), purple (22%) and pink (17%). Just 5% prefer white flowers, and while only 10% chose yellow and 9% orange, Begonia ‘Apricot Shades’ received the most mentions as a favourite hanging basket plant, with trailing begonias, petunias and fuchsias in general filling the top slots.

The survey findings reveal that the majority of basket gardeners use just two or three flower colours in their basket displays (38%), with only 9% sticking to one colour. 26% go all out with a riot of mixed colour in their baskets, while 27% of respondents said they employ a combination of single colours, duos, trios and mixes across their various baskets.

Hanging baskets seem to be the place for gardeners to experiment with new plants, with over 60% looking to try something different in their displays this summer. Thompson & Morgan sales analysis shows that the new edible Fuchsia Berry and the unusually speckled Petunia ‘Night Sky’ are stand out ‘experimental’ basket options for customers this season.

Tastes in basket style are fast changing too, with just 13 per cent opting for traditional moss-lined wire baskets. Coir matting is now the preferred option for lining older style baskets, but 45% of respondents said they had no need for basket liners as they now use pre-lined wicker baskets or plastic Easy Fill Baskets that need no lining at all. These were also chosen for their durability and ease of planting and upkeep through the season.

Only 36% of basket gardeners have tried fruit or vegetables in their hanging displays, despite many edible plants being suitable for baskets. For those that do grow their own this way, strawberries, tomatoes and mixed herbs were the most common planting option, but the new edible Fuchsia Berry and basket Blackberry ‘Black Cascade’ look set to shake things up.

Gardeners are savvy about the benefits of regular deadheading of basket plants to promote more flowers and extend the life of their baskets – Just 1% admitted to never deadheading, saying life is too short. But 31% dead head their basket plants on a weekly basis, and 29 % do it daily. 23% deadhead twice a week, leaving 15 percent to do it “when remembered”.

Thompson & Morgan’s survey also threw up some interesting findings when it comes to the nation’s use of winter and spring hanging baskets, to be revealed soon.

Squire's donate '80-year favourites' to Farnham park

Squire’s Garden Centres have donated plants from their ‘80th Celebration Collection’, a range of their favourite plants over the past 80 years, to make a flowerbed in Gostrey Meadow Park in Farnham...


Left: Kevin Taitt and Councillor Stephen Hill of Farnham Town Council help Squire's deputy chairman Sarah Squire to plant up the bed.



Squire’s Garden Centres have donated plants from their ‘80th Celebration Collection’, a range of their favourite plants over the past 80 years, to make a flowerbed in Gostrey Meadow Park in Farnham.

The planting list includes roses, geraniums, lavender and trachelospermum (Star Jasmine) for scent as well as colour.

The bed is close to a war memorial in a public park with a traditional bandstand and stream.

Pictured: Kevin Taitt and Councillor Stephen Hill of Farnham Town Council help Squire's deputy chairman Sarah Squire to plant up the bed.
Peter Williamson Travel Award for Pershore student


Nicholas Russell from Pershore College has been presented with Wyevale Nurseries’ Peter Williamson Travel Award...



Nicholas  Russell from Pershore College has been presented with Wyevale Nurseries’ Peter Williamson Travel Award.
 
The 25-year-old, who is in his second year of a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture, scooped the accolade after wowing the judges with a written submission and an interview.
 
Steve Ashworth, Director at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, explained: “We would like to congratulate Nicholas on winning. The award was designed to encourage a student towards a career in nursery stock production by assisting with a practical placement at a nursery in the Netherlands.
 
“Nicholas won the award by displaying a spirit of adventure backed up by knowledge of and commitment to horticulture as a career. Nicholas also stood out because he was the lead student behind the college’s successful gold medal winning design for the Ideal Home Show.
 
“The Peter Williamson Travel Award was started in memory of Wyevale Nurseries former owner and chairman, Peter Williamson, who very sadly passed away in 2011.
 
“Annually the award is presented to a student at Pershore College in Worcestershire, which was Peter’s own seat of learning in the 1960’s. The award subsidises and organises for the successful applicant to do a period of work in the Netherlands during the college summer vacation, as Peter also did more than 40 years ago.”
 
Nicholas will be working for six weeks during the summer at a Dutch herbaceous nursery. He was also presented with £500 from Wyevale Nurseries to help pay for his travel costs.
 
Nicholas said: “I am absolutely delighted to receive this award. This opportunity offered by Wyevale Nurseries will extend my experience from my Welsh origins and a Pershore College horticultural education to the hub of the European nursery world and my prime interest, which is herbaceous production. I will come back much wiser, I’m sure.”
 
The award was first presented to Ben Gregory, who was a second year horticulture degree student at Pershore, in 2012. He worked at Poppelaars Nurseries in the Netherlands. Ben is now the Product Development Coordinator at Wyevale Nurseries.
 
This year a second presentation was also made to 21-year-old, Christopher Horton, who is in his first year studying for a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticultures at Pershore College, to offer him a four-week work placement at Wyevale Nurseries this summer.
 
Wyevale Nurseries is one of the largest family-run wholesale nurseries in the UK. It was established in 1930 by Harry Williamson, a horticulturist and entrepreneur. It became the company it is today under the leadership of his son, Peter, who passed away in 2011.
 
The Williamsons’ saw the opportunity to sell their product to an undeveloped retail market, creating one of the first garden centres, followed by a chain. In 1987, the retail side needed to expand, and the 19 garden centres were sold as a PLC.
 
The family then turned its focus to Wyevale Nurseries Ltd. It continues to be a family-run business with ownership and joint chairmanship currently being held by the third generation, Heather and Simeon Williamson, with plans for the fourth generation to takeover in the future.
 
Wyevale Nurseries has a significant product range and is regularly introducing new plants. It offers a large variety of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants to garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners.

Pictured: (Left) Heather Williamson, Joint Chairman of Wyevale Nurseries, and (right) Steve Ashworth, Director at Wyevale Nurseries, present Nicholas Russell from Pershore College with the Peter Williamson Travel Award.
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Gloucester)
Salary: £24,000 - £28,000


Horticultural / Plantarea Manager | Gloucester (ref:DS8232)

Location: Gloucestershire
Salary: £24,000 - £28,000
Date: 28 Apr
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

Our client is a Nationwide group that are continually growing and developing their leading garden centres across England and Wales. They are proud of their heritage in the gardening industry and each and every one of their garden centres has its own identity and for this reason each of the garden centres is separately branded and the staff and customers are loyal to their centre.

Currently they are seeking an outstanding Plants Person / Horticultural Manager to manage their Plantarea.

The Role

The role will be to take responsibility for one of the largest departments within the centre. As Horticulture / Plantarea Manager you will look after the day to day merchandising and maintenance of the plant stock as well as motivating the team to provide the highest standard of customer service. The role will also have duty management responsibility across the entire centre.

The Candidate

For this role we are seeking a leader with superb retail experience to head this busy department.

Candidates MUST HAVE strong horticultural knowledge both practical and academic and be able to demonstrate a very high level of plant knowledge.

The plantarea is the focus point of any garden centre and your standards for customer service, merchandising and the little details that make a department special will make you stand out. Experience within a garden centre is desirable as is supervisory skills.

To apply for this role click here


Horticultural / Plantarea Manager | Staffordshire (ref:DS8224)

Location: Staffordshire
Salary: £16,000 - £20,000
Date: 28 Apr
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent


Our client is a Nationwide group that are continually growing and developing their leading garden centres across England and Wales. They are proud of their heritage in the gardening industry and each and every one of their garden centres has its own identity and for this reason each of the garden centres is separately branded and the staff and customers are loyal to their centre.

Currently they are seeking an outstanding Plants Person / Horticultural Manager to manage their Plantarea.

The Role

The role will be to take responsibility for one of the largest departments within the centre. As Horticulture / Plantarea Manager you will look after the day to day merchandising and maintenance of the plant stock as well as motivating the team to provide the highest standard of customer service. The role will also have duty management responsibility across the entire centre.

The Candidate

For this role we are seeking a leader with superb retail experience to head this busy department.

Candidates MUST HAVE strong horticultural knowledge both practical and academic and be able to demonstrate a very high level of plant knowledge.

The plantarea is the focus point of any garden centre and your standards for customer service, merchandising and the little details that make a department special will make you stand out. Experience within a garden centre is desirable as is supervisory skills.

To apply for this role click here

Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Wiltshire)
Salary: £19,000 - £22,000


Horticultural / Plantarea Manager | Wiltshire (ref:DS8223)

Location: Wiltshire
Salary: £19,000 - £22,000
Date: 28 Apr
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent


Our client is a Nationwide group that are continually growing and developing their leading garden centres across England and Wales. They are proud of their heritage in the gardening industry and each and every one of their garden centres has its own identity and for this reason each of the garden centres is separately branded and the staff and customers are loyal to their centre.

Currently they are seeking an outstanding Plants Person / Horticultural Manager to manage their Plantarea.

The Role

The role will be to take responsibility for one of the largest departments within the centre. As Horticulture / Plantarea Manager you will look after the day to day merchandising and maintenance of the plant stock as well as motivating the team to provide the highest standard of customer service. The role will also have duty management responsibility across the entire centre.

The Candidate

For this role we are seeking a leader with superb retail experience to head this busy department.

Candidates MUST HAVE strong horticultural knowledge both practical and academic and be able to demonstrate a very high level of plant knowledge.

The plantarea is the focus point of any garden centre and your standards for customer service, merchandising and the little details that make a department special will make you stand out. Experience within a garden centre is desirable as is supervisory skills.

To apply for this role click here
Horticultural/Plantarea Manager (Kent)
Salary: £16,000 - £19,000


Horticultural / Plantarea Manager | Kent (ref:DS8221)

Location: Kent
Salary: £16,000 - £19,000
Date: 28 Apr
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

Our client is a Nationwide group that are continually growing and developing their leading garden centres across England and Wales. They are proud of their heritage in the gardening industry and each and every one of their garden centres has its own identity and for this reason each of the garden centres is separately branded and the staff and customers are loyal to their centre.

Currently they are seeking an outstanding Plants Person / Horticultural Manager to manage their Plantarea.

The Role

The role will be to take responsibility for one of the largest departments within the centre. As Horticulture / Plantarea Manager you will look after the day to day merchandising and maintenance of the plant stock as well as motivating the team to provide the highest standard of customer service. The role will also have duty management responsibility across the entire centre.

The Candidate

For this role we are seeking a leader with superb retail experience to head this busy department.

Candidates MUST HAVE strong horticultural knowledge both practical and academic and be able to demonstrate a very high level of plant knowledge.

The plantarea is the focus point of any garden centre and your standards for customer service, merchandising and the little details that make a department special will make you stand out. Experience within a garden centre is desirable as is supervisory skills.

To apply for this role click here
 
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Briers' gloves have the golden touch
There were two significant new entries into the GTN Bestsellers Garden Product chart this week  – Briers Golden Leather Gloves (Medium and Large sizes)...
Garden product sales picked up significantly on the previous week, according to GTN Bestsellers, and were similar to figures for the same week in 2015.

There were two significant new entries into the Top 50 – Briers Golden Leather Gloves. The Medium size has gone straight to No 1 spot with the Large version making it to No 4.

Other notable performancies this week were:
  • Woodlodge Small Pot Feet is the highest climber, jumping 15 places to No 6.
  • Gardman Solar Ice Orb (10cm) is the highest re-entry at No 16.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 
Grafted plants are stars of Veg-2-Gro sales
There were five new entries in this week’s GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro chart, headed by Quantil Grafted Tomato Supersweet (10cm) Cherry at No 26.


There were five new entries in this week’s GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro chart, headed by Quantil Grafted Tomato Supersweet (10cm) Cherry at No 26.

The other newcomers were Grafted Tomatoes from Quantil – Sungold, Sheffa, Shirley – plus Grafted Cucumber Baby Rocky.

This week’s Veg-2-Gro other star performers are:
  • Bean Runner Dwarf Patio Hestia Strips was the highest climber, moving up 34 places to No 8.
  • Chilli Pepper Scotch Bonnet 8cm was the highest re-entry at No 28.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
 
Farmyard manure is a bestseller
Arthur Bowers Blended Farmyard Manure was the biggest mover in the GTN Bestsellers Growing Media chart, as sales of compost were down on the previous week...
Arthur Bowers Blended Farmyard Manure was the biggest mover in the GTN Bestsellers Growing Media chart, as sales of compost were down on the previous week.

It jumped 21 places to No 19.

This week’s other Growing Media star performers were:
  • Vital Earth Organic Compost was the highest re-entry at No 13.
  • Another product returning to the chart was Scotts Levington Organic Blend Topsoil (25 litres) at No 18.
  • Scotts  Levington Multipurpose + John Innes (56 litres) retains the top spot for another week.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 
Bents hand over £26k to cystic fibrosis charity
Bents Garden & Home have handed over a cheque for £25,907 to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, breaking the centre’s fund-raising record...

Bents Garden & Home have handed over a cheque for £25,907 to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, beating their target by more than £10,000 and breaking the centre’s fund-raising record.

Matthew Dickinson, whose two-year old son Isaac was diagnosed with the condition at birth, led the campaign.

Bents has nominated Epilepsy Action as its 2016 charity of the year. MD Matthew Bent’s son Elliot was diagnosed with the condition last year.

Matthew Bent said:  “We are absolutely delighted to have raised so much for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and have to say a massive thank you to Matthew and his passion and commitment to a cause which is so close to his heart.

 “And a huge thank you also to all our customers and colleagues who have helped throughout the year to make the campaign such a success.  We are now looking forward to working with Epilepsy Action and are keen to do just as well in 2016.”

Epilepsy can affect anyone at any age and from any walk of life. “I have had a direct personal experience of this year’s charity, of the vital work and support they provide,” Matthew Bent said. “Along with my wife Vicky and the rest of the family I’m looking forward to taking on some special challenges this year and hoping we can have another successful year of fundraising.”

 
Juliana Oasis captures the imagination
The new Juliana Oasis combines the perfect technical attributes for raising plants and vegetables with an appealing space for use as a garden room...


Described as the epitome of Scandinavian garden design, with clean lines and innovative features, the new Juliana Oasis combines the perfect technical attributes for raising plants and vegetables with an appealing space for use as a garden room. 

Designed and manufactured in Denmark, the high eaves and roof angle create a striking look while the new roof vent system ensures a pleasant atmosphere.  

The Oasis is tested to the Danish standards of wind resistance and able to withstand substantial snowfall.

Available in aluminium or powder coat anthracite finish, the Oasis is supplied with contrasting black powder coated doors and vents. The Oasis also features the signature Juliana leaf guard gutter system, for easier cleaning with a neat uncluttered look.  A low threshold provides easy access and the double stable doors work with the side vents to further increase ventilation.

Juliana Oasis measures 12’ x 12’ and has a starting price of £4500 including home delivery.   It comes with 3mm toughened full-length safety glass as standard and a black greenhouse base for ease of installation.

Pete Monahan, marketing manager of Eden Halls Greenhouses, commented: “The Juliana is a very well respected brand at the top end of the market and the Oasis is a perfect example of its garden room credentials.  It is a perfect place for raising plants as well as a comfortable space for people too.”

Interested retailers should contact their Juliana representative or call Eden Halls on 01242 676625 or email mail@eden-greenhouses.com.

Eden Halls is one of the UK´s longest established greenhouse manufacturers and has an enviable reputation for quality and value.
BHETA recruits three more garden market suppliers

Three more garden market suppliers – Paroh, Bonnington Plastics and Globus – have joined the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA)...


Three more garden market suppliers – Paroh, Bonnington Plastics and Globus – have joined the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA).

Birmingham-based Paroh, a global importer and distributor, supplies garden retailers with Kent Collection solar lighting, Matford Lavendar, Yellowstone outdoor adventure products, New York Gift, Active Living and Hilly’s Kitchen.

Bonnington Plastics, which has been trading for 45 years and is one of the largest importers of value for money gardening, DIY and housewares products in Europe, supplies multiple retailers, independents and internet retailers with around 2,500 lines from its warehouse in Nottingham. It has its own office in China.

Since its formation over two decades ago, privately-owned Globus has become a dominant player in the hand protection industry, with gardening gloves among its many high quality products. It has headquarters in Manchester and a regional operation in Dubai.

 
Lantra announces new trustee appointments
Lantra has announced the arrival of three new trustees to the Lantra Board – Richard Clarke, Geoff Mackey and Geraldine Newton-Cross...


Lantra has announced the arrival of three new trustees to the Lantra Board – Richard Clarke, Geoff Mackey and Geraldine Newton-Cross. They will work closely with the existing trustees to support Lantra in its mission to raise skills, improve career opportunities and boost the land-based and environmental industries.
 
Richard Clarke is Commercial Director of Orchard Groundcare in Somerset and is the current Chairman of Bristol Zoo’s Board of Trustees. Most of Richard’s working life has been spent in the property sector and he has experience of both consultancy and client side. He is former Chairman of the House Builders Federation and was property specialist consultant to Lloyds Banking Group for their business support unit, risk and turnaround teams.
 
The second trustee to join the Board is Geraldine Newton-Cross. With an academic background in biology, geography, ecology and the environment, Geraldine has spent several years in the land-based and environmental industries. She has worked at the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Environment Agency and currently works at the Energy Technologies Institute. She sits on several Government advisory groups related to bioenergy and waste.
 
Joining Richard and Geraldine on the Board will be Dr Geoff Mackey. Brought up on a family farm in South Armagh, Geoff studied biology at university before undertaking a range of post graduate qualifications in health and safety and management. Today Geoff works as an executive Director at BASF, with a portfolio including sustainability, communications and external affairs for Europe. He also advises strategic and tactical groups inside and outside the business in sectors including science, environment and further education.
 
Marcus Potter, CEO of Lantra, commented: “I look forward to working with Richard, Geoff and Geraldine on the Board. Our trustees play a vital role; their diversity in terms of background, experience and knowledge is invaluable in helping Lantra to deliver our charitable objectives across the breadth of the land-based sector”.
 
Leaving the Lantra Board after seven years is Campbell Tweed, who has worked extensively with industry and government bodies in Northern Ireland to influence and advise on skills and skills development; particularly agriculture and agri-food. Campbell will be succeeded by Ian Marshall, a long standing member of Ulster Farmers’ Union.

Photograph
Left to right: Lantra CEO Marcus Potter, Lantra Chair Valerie Owen, Geraldine Newton-Cross and Geoff Mackey.
Landscape Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standards
the new Horticulture and Landscape Apprenticeship Standards have now achieved Government approval...
Landscape Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standards
 
Following more than 12 months of intensive work by industry employers, trade bodies and stakeholders, the new Horticulture and Landscape Apprenticeship Standards have now achieved Government approval. This paves the way for the next step in the process; the development by employers, with the support of training providers and assessment organisations, of assessment plans, which will define how apprentices are measured and tested against the new standards.
 
The Government’s Trailblazer Apprenticeships programme, developed following a Government review in 2012 of the existing apprenticeships offering, aims to ensure that apprenticeships are employer led and tailored to the needs of industry. Following the success of Trailblazer 1 and 2, which covered larger corporate businesses, Trailblazer 3 has involved employers across many sectors, including the arboriculture, forestry, horticulture and landscape sector. The new Arboriculture and Forestry Apprenticeship Standards received the Government’s green light in the autumn of 2015, and now Horticulture and Landscape have successfully passed scrutiny.
 
Offered at two levels – Supervisor and Operative – and covering two disciplines – Horticulture and Landscape Construction, the new apprenticeships will serve a wide range of businesses, large and small, operating in landscape construction and grounds maintenance in the private, public and commercial sectors.
 
The Horticulture and Landscape sector is not alone in facing an impending skills shortage of significant proportions and employers involved with the development of the new Apprenticeship Standards see them as an important incentive to young people considering making horticulture and landscaping a career. Those companies who meet the threshold for the new Apprenticeship Levy will also be keen to take advantage of an initiative that they are helping to fund and believe the new Horticulture and Landscape Apprenticeships will now deliver the skills their businesses need.
 
Chairman of the Horticulture and Landscape Working Group Neil Huck from Ground Control, the lead employer developing the new standards, commented: “This has been an intensive process that has required the determination of everyone involved. By working together, we have identified the critical skill sets employers need in their staff and we are now establishing an effective and robust programme of delivery and assessment. Once the new apprenticeships come online the future of the horticulture and landscape industries will look considerably brighter as young people see a real career path ahead of them.”
 
Neil Cain, Operations Director for contractor John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance and recipient of the Apprenticeships Champion of the Year accolade at the 2016 National Apprenticeships Awards, believes the new standards are a major industry achievement: “I am delighted that, at last, we are nearing the point where we can offer relevant and exciting apprenticeships that will help to address our sector’s skills shortage. As a former apprentice I know from personal experience what a leg up a good apprenticeship can be. The Trailblazer programme has given employers the opportunity to really look afresh at the skills they need in their businesses in order for them to grow. The new Horticulture and Landscape Apprenticeships should make a big difference to recruitment in the sector.”
 
Sarah Cathcart, RHS Head of Education and Learning, commented: “The RHS are delighted to see the Trailblazer standards accepted following hard work from the industry. A fresh look at the knowledge and skills needed in horticulture and landscape is a safeguard for the future and will ensure that training is focused and relevant. The new apprenticeships will ensure a consistently good standard of training and provide opportunities to encourage new horticulturists to enter our profession and to grow.”
 
Bill Trotman, Managing Director of Continental Landscapes Ltd, who are one of the apprenticeship trailblazers for the horticulture and landscape sector, noted: “These new standards set out a framework where apprentices will receive high quality training that meets the needs of the industry. These qualifications are broad enough to give a solid foundation for any career within the industry, whilst having the depth to work at a professional level. The sector will benefit hugely as a result.”
 
Kate Nicoll, National Trust’s Garden Training Specialist, welcomed the progress made so far: “As one of the largest employers of gardeners in the country we are acutely aware of skills shortages, particularly in the field of Heritage Horticulture. We are confident that these new apprenticeships will be attractive to young people, and help bring new talent into an incredibly satisfying career.”
 
Elaine Callaghan, Training and Project Manager for grounds maintenance contractor Quadron idverde, anticipates that the new standards will make a real impact on staff recruitment and retention: “It has been good to be involved from the outset in developing these new apprenticeship standards for our industry and I am looking forward to being able to put them into practice and seeing results, with competent individuals progressing into these roles and making a real difference to the horticultural/landscaping sector.”
 
Drafts of the assessment plans for the Arborist, Forest Operative and Horticulture/Landscape Operative have been shared with training providers and awarding bodies and the feedback from this scrutiny is now being reviewed. It is anticipated that these new apprenticeships will be offered later this year with the Horticulture/Landscape Supervisor following on soon after.
 
Stunning iris and peony collections from Hawkesmill
Warrwickshire-based Hawkesmill Nurseries, who encourage continuous seasonal sales with their collections, are offering retailers a stunning selection of Irises and Peonies with which to tempt their customers...


Warwickshire-based Hawkesmill Nurseries, who encourage continuous seasonal sales with their collections, are offering retailers a stunning selection of Irises and Peonies with which to tempt their customers.

The Paeonia Collection will help to bring a touch of the orient to garden centre displays and encourage a real WOW factor selling point!  It is available in 3 litre pots and contains 48 plants in 8 varieties.  This collection is a classic perennial choice and very popular.

The range has been expanded with some great varieties including: Sarah Bernhardt, Dancing Butterfly and Shirley Temple. The collection is supplied with large, eye-catching lock-in labels and a colour bed card.

The Tall Bearded Iris Collection includes some of the best 'Flag Iris' varieties and has been proven to be one of the top selling collections over the years.  Offered in 3 litre pots, 48 plants are supplied in 8 varieties. 

Some of the stunning blooms included are: Blue Shimmer, Bold Print, Foggy Dew and Raspberry Blush.  The large, lock-in labels and brightly coloured bed card, will bring even more glamour to display areas.

Hawkesmill Nurseries is a family run business with over 40 years growing experience - providing quality seasonal plants to Retail Nurseries, Garden Centres and also more recently to Landscapers and Garden Designers too. 

They are based in the heart of the country having their own satellite nurseries all within a 25 mile radius of the main production and dispatch site.

Garden Retailers can contact Hawkesmill Nurseries for more information about their Iris and Peony collections, as well as general availability by contacting the company on 01676 532334 or by emailing sales@hawkesmillnurseries.co.uk

www.hawkesmillnurseries.co.uk
 
Inside the May issue of Garden Trade News
The May issue of Garden Trade News is packed full of advice and information for garden retailing professionals...
The May issue of Garden Trade News is packed full of advice and information for garden retailing professionals.
  • Who will buy Dobbies? Spotlight on the leading contenders.
  • Preview of Chelsea Flower Show - Spotlight on new plant varieties.
  • Garden tools that make life easier.
  • GTN's Greatest Awards - how to enter.
  • The case for EPoS - a great opportunity unity to communicate with target consumers.
To find out how you can receive your copy of Garden Trade News every month email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
 
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 printed newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2014 as well as 2015 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 Veg-2-Gro Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers 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 delivered via the post 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 £120m.

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 receiveing the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.

All the latest news from the world of garden centre catering

Matthew Algie returns to the Caffè Culture Show at Olympia



Coffee roaster Matthew Algie will be at next week's Caffè Culture Show, the UK’s major gathering for the café and coffee community...

Coffee roaster, Matthew Algie, a popular garden centre supplier, will return to the Caffè Culture Show, the UK’s major gathering for the café and coffee community, which takes place at Olympia next week (10-11 May).

Matthew Algie is a well-established coffee shop authority, supplying coffee, machines, training and industry insight to thousands of operators across the UK and Ireland.

Visitors will be able to sample their current range of espresso blends including Ruby Red’s Quartet which brings together beans from three continents to create a full-on fruity hit with syrupy sweetness, and Crafty Little Number which combines one Columbian and two Brazilian coffees to create sweet chocolate notes with a buttery body. At the filter bar visitors can enjoy refreshing cold brew and the latest range of single origin microlots through AeroPress, V60 and Chemex.

The latest Espresso Warehouse range will also be available for sampling, including a number of blended summer drinks, Chocolate Abyss, Suki Tea and the recently expanded gluten free range of snacks including Broderick’s Gluten Free Rocky Road and Gluten Free Caramental.

Andrew Jack, Head of Marketing at Matthew Algie, commented: “We’re looking forward to welcoming our trade customers to the stand where they will have the chance to sample some of the newest additions to our hand roasted filter coffee and espresso collections. We’ll also be presenting our refreshing summer drinks recipes and ingredients, along with a selection of accessories and delicious accompaniments from our brand new Espresso Warehouse catalogue.”

For those looking for insider tips, a team of coffee specialists from Matthew Algie will be on hand to talk about everything from coffee trends and menu development to selecting the perfect machine and getting the most from staff training.

Matthew Algie will be on stand C2.

 
Best ever Natural & Organic Products Europe
Natural & Organic Products Europe welcomed a record 10,226 total attendees from 86 countries through its doors last month on 17-18 April at London ExCeL...
Renowned for attracting a who’s who of buyers from across the health, beauty, food and eco-living categories, Natural & Organic Products Europe – Europe’s leading natural and organic products show – welcomed a record 10,226 total attendees from 86 countries through its doors last month on 17-18 April at London ExCeL.
 
Thanks to a 10% increase in attendees for 2016, the 20th anniversary edition played host to the biggest trade showcase (and celebration) of the natural and organic industry that the UK has ever seen.
 
Over two days, Natural & Organic Products Europe transported visitors around the world via 650 exhibiting companies promoting a vibrant choice of natural, organic, fair trade, free-from, vegan, and vegetarian brands from 46 countries.  The central exhibition was complemented with a packed programme of expert seminars and live cooking demonstrations.
 
Amazing, impressive, inspiring, engaging, exceptional, and enjoyable – are just a few of the words attendees have used to describe the show so far; with around 89% of surveyed visitors rating their experience as excellent/good (3 out of 4 visitors said excellent/very good).
 
“What an awesome show, it seemed like the whole industry turned out!” says event director Carol Dunning.  “There was so much excitement and anticipation before the show even opened this year, which just continued throughout the two days.  The aisles were packed with thousands of knowledge-aware retailers and buyers ready to do business, and many of our exhibitors have had their best show ever.
 
“Consumers are showing increasing awareness of the benefits of following a natural and healthy lifestyle, and this sector is constantly innovating and evolving to meet that demand.  These are very exciting times for natural and organic and I cannot wait until next year’s show already!” she says.
 
Big name buyers pack the aisles
Representatives from many of UK’s major supermarkets and multiples, specialist retailers, wholesalers and distributors, pharmacies, restaurants and contract caterers, hotels, salons and spas, and independent health food stores, were in attendance.
 
Among them were well-known brands like Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic, Holland & Barrett, Boots, Waitrose, Tesco, Ocado, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Amazon, Superdrug, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Infinity Foods, Harrods, Costco Wholesale, The Health Store, Wholefoods Wholesale, TK Maxx, Abel & Cole, EAT, CLF Distribution, Suma, Revital, Fenwick, Love Lula, Naturisimo, Cult Beauty, Victoria Health, The Organic Pharmacy, BigGreenSmile, The Hut Group, LloydsPharmacy, Whitworth Chemists, Hilton Worldwide, Metropolitan Pub Group, Sodexo, Compass Group, Carrefour, and Life Europe AB.
 
As in previous years, the show also attracted a large contingent of international buyers (up 23% on 2015).
 
“What a tremendous show!  Natural & Organic Products Europe has all the variety and diversity that our team is looking for, all in one place.  It’s the best show of the year for discovering exciting new natural and organic products and suppliers,” says Benjamin Woodgate, marketing director at Whole Foods Market UK.
 
“Newness is crucial to our business, and nowhere in the UK is there more innovation that is relevant to my business than this show,” says Al Overton, head of buying at Planet Organic.
 
“Another fantastic year at Natural & Organic Products Europe, bringing together some great brands and innovation that really help to drive our businesses.  The seminars, panels, theatres and kitchens really stepped it up this year, creating lots of buzz and giving great insights into our exciting industry,” says Lucy Pottinger, head of category – beauty & aromatherapy at Holland & Barrett International.
 
“I was able to reconnect with current suppliers and start some really exciting conversations with new brands, which I’m looking forward to following up on over the coming months.  It’s definitely a must-attend in my diary for next year!” says first-time visitor Kerry Buckley, ROI buying manager – positive healthcare at Boots Ireland.
 
“Natural & Organic Products Europe is the highlight of the year in the natural beauty industry, and 2016 was no exception.  It was a great opportunity to talk to existing suppliers and there were so many new, innovative brands that we're excited to start working with!” says Sonia White, managing director of LoveLula.
 
“What a great way to help Natural & Organic Products Europe celebrate 20 years.  Building on last year’s move to ExCeL, this year was even more vibrant and diverse, with a positive vibe throughout, proving once again that it is the go-to show for all of the buyers in the natural sector,” says Richard Anderton, product manager (buyer) at The Health Store.
 
“It was a great show.  I found fantastic new brands and made some good new contacts,” says Niall Power, buyer at John Bell & Croyden / LloydsPharmacy.
 
“If you only attend one trade show a year, it has to be Natural & Organic Products Europe,” says Randi Henderson, partner at Elixir Health Foods.
 
“I have been attending the show for 15 years, and the 2016 show was excellent.  As a natural products retailer, Natural & Organic Products Europe is the one event of the year that must take priority on the calendar, as it encompasses so much in two days,” says Ursula Gothard, owner of On the Eighth Day.
 
“Values are really important to our beauty offer.  Natural & Organic Products Europe gave us the opportunity to meet the people behind the products, understand what their brand stands for and what makes them different from other products available.  It also allowed us to see the latest trends and inspiring products to add to the comprehensive natural and organic ranges we already stock,” says Mark Steele, beauty buyer at Waitrose.
 
Over 650 innovative suppliers
As its biggest edition yet, Natural & Organic Products Europe launched thousands of new natural and organic products – including supplements, botanicals, superfoods, personal care and beauty, eco-household, and food and drink – onto the European market.
 
Show features included new pavilions from Soil Association and Organic Trade Board, Soil Association Organic Beauty, NATRUE, Demeter Italy, the Philippines, Thailand, Armenia & Moldova, Turkey, Peru, and Bulgaria.  They joined returning pavilions from Greece, France, Italy, Poland, the USA, The Vegan Society, and the HFMA.
 
New for 2016, the show also introduced a second New Products Showcase dedicated to Natural Beauty & Spa innovations.  The two showcases combined featured over 320 products, in categories covering food, health, beauty and natural living.
 
‘Best new product’ winners at the Natural & Organic Awards Europe 2016 (presented at the show by Dragons’ Den investor Deborah Meaden) included Bounce Foods, Booja-Booja, Pukka Herbs, Tsuno, Nutristrength, Tabitha James Kraan, Kinetic Natural Products Distributor, Natrasan, Hope’s Relief & Bodyverde, Inika Cosmetics, YES Organic Intimacy, Lovechock, and Viridian Nutrition.
 
“We were truly astounded by the level of innovation and quality on display in the New Products Showcases this year.  Whether it be health and nutrition, food and drink, natural living or beauty the entire industry has taken an incredible leap forward,” says Dominic Roberjot, publisher of Natural Products News.
 
“Natural & Organic Products Europe represents the sharp end of innovation for products and future trends in the organic market, with great start ups and more established businesses displaying the latest in ideas and concepts.  A great, intense, exciting show,” says Paul Moore, chair of the Organic Trade Board.
 
Free Keynotes & kitchen demos
A brilliant line-up of big-name speakers and top retailers from across the natural and organic world made this year’s three theatre seminar programme its best to date.
 
Highlights included exclusive Soil Association Certification updates, lively panel discussions; expert Keynotes from organic pioneer Craig Sams, Paul Lindley (founder of Paddy's Bathroom and Ella's Kitchen), and top nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville; business insights from Deborah Meaden, Amy Wordsworth (Good Bubble) and Michelle Thew (Cruelty Free International); a standing-room only live pitching session featuring senior buyers from Holland & Barrett; the Natural Health Beauty Awards ceremony; and live cooking demos from Francesco Mazzei, chef patron at Sartoria, and Robert Ortiz, Michelin-starred head chef at Lima restaurant.
 
Jim Manson, editor of Natural Products News, was also back discussing key retail trends in the independent health food trade, with the latest results of the annual ‘Health Check’ survey.
 
According to Manson: “Business optimism remains high among independent health store owners as footfall and spend continues to rise.  63% of the 100 retailers polled reported increased store footfall (up 10% on the 2015 survey), while 72% said that average customer spend had risen over the previous 12 months.”
 
“Digestive health, sleep, and bone and joint health were rated as the top three health or lifestyle drivers of sales, while supplements and remedies, free-from and vegan and vegetarian topped the list of product categories thought to offer most potential for growth,” he said.
 
The complete findings can be viewed at www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Health-check-2016-pretty.pdf.
 
A full show review will be available in the May issue of Natural Products News.
 
Save the date for 2017
Looking ahead to next year, over half of the show’s current exhibition space has already been rebooked, with many companies having already requested to increase the size of their stands.  To accommodate growing demand, organiser Diversified Communications UK has announced that the show floor will be expanded for 2017.
 
Rebooked exhibitors include Weleda UK, Absolute Aromas, Natracare, Urtekram, Faith in Nature, Eterno Naturals, Solgar Vitamins, G&G Food Supplies, A Vogel (Bioforce), Tiana Fairtrade Organics, Lamberts Healthcare, Wisdom of Nature, Viridian Nutrition, BioCare, Natural Trade Brokers, Quest Vitamins, Higher Nature, Clearspring, Suma Wholefoods, Queenswood Natural Foods, Infinity Foods (Wholesale), Nannycare, Riverford Organic Dairy, Quinola Mothergrain, Community Foods, The Organic Herb Trading Company, Biogroupe, Perkier Foods, and Bravura Foods.
 
Natural & Organic Products Europe includes three show sections: Natural Health & Living, Natural Beauty & Spa and The Natural Food Show.  The next edition will take place on 2-3 April 2017 at ExCeL London.  For more information, please visit www.naturalproducts.co.uk.
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