With only 18 days to go, now is the time to sign up for the HTA Catering Conference, exhibition and dinner, which takes place on Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th June at The Belfry Hotel and Resort, near Sutton Coldfield.

With garden centre catering worth around £200 million and over half of garden retail businesses having a café or restaurant, this two day event, sponsored by Vision Commercial Kitchens, provides garden centre caterers with inspiration and ideas to take their outlet forward.

Keynote speakers, Fred Sirieix and Henry Dimbleby, will be joined by a host of speakers from inside and outside the industry. ‘Strategy and Operations’ is the theme for day one and a ‘Focus on Food’ on day two, the programme covers many topics impacting on garden centre catering operations.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Fred Sirieix, General Manager of Michelin-starred restaurant Galvin at Windows on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, will discuss the principles of customer service and why excellent customer service is absolutely critical in catering-based operations.

As well as being a General Manager, Fred co-hosted with Michel Roux Jr. in the BBC2 series about service and hospitality, "Michel Roux's Service". 

Since 2015 Fred is also recognized for his role as the host and charismatic Maitre d'H in the much loved BAFTA winning "First Dates" series on Channel 4. 

In this keynote session, Fred will use the hospitality industry to demonstrate how to deliver great service in any industry, sector and business.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Henry Dimblebyis co-founder of the award-winning Leon Restaurants.  Henry started his career as a commis chef with Michelin-starred chef, Bruno Loubet, before joining The Daily Telegraph.

From there he moved to Bain & Company, a management consultancy firm, where he met John Vincent. They spent a lot of time together on the road, travelling for work, where all they found to eat was delicious but life-destroying fried chicken or cold, neon-lit sandwiches.

Infuriated by the difficulty of finding tasty, nutritious food on the run, they resolved to do something about it. And so, in 2004, Leon was born.

With 33 very busy restaurants across the country and a number of cook books under their belt, Leon Restaurants has a strict food sourcing and sustainability policy and keeps food and packaging waste to a minimum.

Henry will explain the concept behind Leon. How they source their ingredients and manage their suppliers, how they develop their menus and how they engage with their customers.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Anthony Hester, Head of Restaurants at Dobbies will be looking at opportunities to grow sales.

Anthony will share his views on the customer experience, the best of baking, the growing popularity of afternoon tea and offering tips on how to improve the speed of service and the hot food offer.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Melanie Sewell, Catering Director at Fron Goch Garden Centre, winners of GTN's The Greatest Front of House Team Gold Award in 2015, will talk about how she inspires her catering team to deliver great customer service and how she engenders that spirit across both front and back of house teams.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Using his depth of knowledge from the restaurant and garden centre worlds, Mark Harris, Proprietor of Harris Restaurant Consultants, will speak behalf of headline partner, Vision Commercial Kitchens.

Mark will give an overview of garden centre catering and will explore the latest trends to take note of and look forward to what can be expected in the future. 

Mark will touch on operations, menu planning, marketing and promotion, guest retention and much more.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

With the aim of re-establishing Tong Garden Centre as one of the leading garden centres in the north, co-owners Mark Farnsworth and Tom Megginson, recognise the importance that catering has in creating a destination outlet for all the family. 

Since acquiring the centre in May 2015 they have refurbished the existing restaurant and added a coffee shop, children’s play area and food hall which incorporates a butchery and bakery. 

With a focus on well-priced, home cooked food and quality beverages they have increased the number of covers from 100 to 250. 

The original café reopened as Orchard Kitchen and now serves a seasonal and local menu prepared on-site by a dedicated team of chefs and cooks in a light and airy environment. 

Co-owner, Mark Farnsworth, and Commercial Manager, Sharon McNair,will talk about their catering journey over the last 12 months and the importance it plays in their growing business.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Coffee is big business.  Really, really big business. 

With a market valued at nearly £8bn in value and in continual growth, coffee is becoming ever more competitive on a weekly basis. 

Consumer coffee consumption was unabated through the recession but consumer behaviour is changing - and understanding this is key to unlocking commercial benefits. 

Andrew Jack, Head of Marketing at Matthew Algie, will take you through the macro dynamics in the market and some of the key trends within coffee – and  importantly how to activate and commercialise these opportunities!

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Both days of conference will feature panel sessions chaired by Boyd Douglas-Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Hillview Garden Centres.

Boyd will chair debates on the latest hot topics in garden centre catering, including:

-          How to improve customer service at busy and slow times

-          Tipping – in light of the current Government investigation

-          Apprenticeships and training

-          Zero hour contracts and the impact of the National Living Wage

-          How to deal with negative Tripadvisor comments



Panellists include Mike Burks (above), The Gardens Group and Malcolm Scott from Malcolm Scott Consultants.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Running alongside the conference will be an exhibition featuring suppliers into the industry.

Joining headline partners Vision Commercial Kitchens and Conference partners Frobishers, Halewood International, Illy Coffee, Airedale and IFSE are Event Partner, Mathew Algie and  Exhibitor Partners : Unilever (Tea Fusion), HTA Insurance, Beanworks, The Handmade Cake Company, Swan Retail, Destiny Foods, Whitco, i2i, Tea from the Manor, Creed, Fentimans and Classic Celebration Cakes (The Ash). Many thanks also to our Dinner Drinks Partners, Quinton Edwards.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Run in association with the GCA this year’s conference and exhibition features a formal dinner, which allows delegates plenty of time and opportunities to meet with a range of key catering suppliers.

The dinner, held on the evening of Tuesday 7 June, will feature the Garden Trade News ‘Greatest Catering Awards’.

Book now

The cost to HTA members is £325.00, plus VAT, which includes the two day conference, dinner and accommodation for single occupancy at The Belfry (£445.00, plus VAT for non-members).  Single day only rates are also available for those who cannot attend the full conference.

For more information and to book visit www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

The Greatest Awards are all about teams of people, for catering teams that excel in garden centres.  Last year during the inaugural HTA Conference Dinner at The Belfry Hotel in Sutton Coldfield the results of The Greatest Catering Awards were announced.  Co-presenter Trevor Pfeiffer said "from the many teams we met on our judging journeys it is clear that garden centre catering standards are being pushed higher and higher – with teamwork and the drive for excellent customer service giving our customers some of the best dining experiences in the UK.  Garden Centre catering is simply GREAT!"

The Greatest Garden Centre Catering Teams 2015

Finalists

• Bents
• Chessington
• Fron Goch
• Frosts Woburn Sands
• Haskins Roundstone
• Mains of Drum
• Planters at Tamworth
• Poppies
• Raemoir
• Scotsdales
• Squires Badshot Lea
• Timmermans
• Trentham, Blue Diamond
• Woodbank
• Woodside Plant Centre

Bronze Awards

• Team with less than 150 covers:  Timmermans
• Team with 150 to 300 covers:  Squires Badshot Lea
• Team with more than 300 covers:  Chessington and Frosts Woburn Sands

Silver Awards

• Team with less than 150 covers:  Woodbank
• Team with 150 to 300 covers:  Fron Goch
• Team with more than 300 covers:  Trentham, Blue Diamond

Gold Awards

• Team with less than 150 covers:   Woodside Plant Centre
• Team with 150 to 300 covers:  Mains of Drum
• Team with more than 300 covers:  Bents

They serve over 200 afternoon teas per month serving delicious home baked cakes and deserts specially made for afternoon teas, they are better than the Ritz in deepest Essex at Perrywood.

The Greatest Afternoon Tea Experience Team

Finalists

• Brigg
• Fron Goch
• Frosts Woburn Sands
• Mains of Drum
• Perrywood
• Poppies
• Raemoir
• Scotsdales
• Squires Badshot Lea
• Timmermans
• Trentham, Blue Diamond
• Woodside Plant Centre

Bronze Award

• Woodside Plant Centre

Silver Award

• Trentham, Blue Diamond
• Frosts Woburn Sands
• Poppies

Gold

• Perrywood

To win Gold in The Greatest Awards you have to be doing something really special – that’s just what we found with the Chef Team at Timmermans.

The Greatest Garden Centre Chef Team

Finalists

• Chessington
• Fron Goch
• Frosts Woburn Sands
• Mains of Drum
• Planters at Tamworth
• Poppies
• Raemoir
• Squires Badshot Lea
• Timmermans
• Twenty Pence
• Woodside Plant Centre

Bronze Award

• Mains of Drum
• Squires Badshot Lea

Silver Award

• Chessington

Gold Award

• Timmermans

Pictures from the judging visits and background to the winners will be published in future issues of GTN and GTN Xtra.

Below: Chessington with their Silver Award

The most smiley, most helpful Front of House team the judges met, they anticipate customers needs and all speak Welsh as well as English are at Fron Goch!

The Greatest Garden Centre Front of House Team

Finalists

• Barton Grange
• Fron Goch
• Mains of Drum
• Planters at Tamworth
• Poppies
• Raemoir
• Scotsdales
• Squires Badshot Lea
• Trentham, Blue Diamond
• Wheatcroft's
• Woodbank
• Woodside Plant Centre

Bronze Award

• Trentham, Blue Diamond
• Woodbank

Silver Award

• Barton Grange

Gold Award

• Fron Goch

Pictures from the judging visits and background to the winners will be published in future issues of GTN and GTN Xtra.

Below: Barton Grange with their Silver Award

A Special Gold Award was presented to another team the judges met on their travels.  The head office Food & Beverage team at Wyevale Garden Centres is pulling up trees at the moment, making really positive changes to the turnover of every site they touch and creating not one but three exceptional catering brands that would rival any major high street catering brand.

The Greatest Garden Centre Catering Teams

Special Gold Award

• Wyevale Food & Beverage Head Office Team

While we visited all of the centres for The Greatest Catering Awards, the experts asked them “Who is your greatest catering supplier of this year?"  41 centres were asked and 41 different suppliers were nominated. 

Almost all of the votes were for a special local supplier. And the majority of the votes were for the local butcher who supplies the garden centre catering team so we asked Tim Godwin of Fosseway Garden Centre to receive the award from guest speaker James Strawbridge on behalf of all the local butchers who are The Greatest Catering Supplier of the Year.

The Greatest Catering Supplier of the Year

Gold Award

• Our local butcher