GCA Midlands region Garden Centre of the Year in the Destination Garden Centre (DGC) category was awarded to Pacific Nurseries (above) and the Garden Centre (GC) category award went to Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne.

They received the awards during a presentation evening at Planters Garden Centre Tamworth on Tuesday (July 19).

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive at the GCA, said: “Our third regional awards meeting was a great success. We’d like to say a huge ‘congratulations’ to all of our winners, they all thoroughly deserve the recognition and are a testament to us.

“We’d also like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to our inspector, Alyson Haywood, for visiting each centre and providing extensive feedback on what she found. The feedback really is invaluable to our members and one of the main benefits of our membership.”

GCA Inspector Alyson was responsible for inspecting member garden centres in the Midlands area.

She said: “As always it was an honour and a privilege to inspect the garden centres in the Midlands region and witness first-hand the enormous amount of work and dedication put in by the teams to achieving the standards attained.

“The service the garden centres give to their customers and the innovative and creative visual merchandising is a credit to the industry.”

Pacific Nurseries was also awarded the Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Innovation and Creativity and the GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer.

Peter Beharrell, Director at Pacific Nurseries, said: “I am thrilled for the team at Pacific to have picked up the Best Destination Garden Centre Award in the Midlands Region for the first time. 

“We have constantly strived to improve each part of the business over many years and after joining the GCA we have found the judging process to be a real motivator in trying to reach new heights. Being backed by our own nurseries growing such a broad range of plants selling to both ourselves and to many other garden centres in the Midlands, ensures the main focus of plants is kept as our priority and in a rather old-fashioned way we are delighted to win a garden centre award and still to be called a nursery.”

During the awards evening, Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne was also awarded with the Indoor Lifestyle Award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer and the Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer.

Ally Moseley, Director at Fairways Garden Centre, said: “It’s fabulous to have independent acknowledgement of all the hard work our team put in each and every day.”

The full results for the Midlands region GCA area awards are as follows for the GC and DGC categories:

Garden Centre of the Year: Pacific Nurseries (DGC) and Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne (GC)

Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service: Pennells Garden Centre, Lincoln

Environment and Sustainability Award: Planters Garden Centre, Tamworth

The Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Innovation and Creativity: Pacific Nurseries

The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre: Ferndale Garden Centre

The Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant: Melbicks Garden Centre (DGC) and Ferndale Garden Centre (GC)

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer: Pacific Nurseries (DGC) and Webbs, West Hagley (GC)

The Indoor Lifestyle Award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer: East Bridgford Garden Centre (DGC) and Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne (GC)

The Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer: Brigg Garden Centre (DGC) and Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne (GC)