Kelkay has announced it has been acquired by Griffon Corporation (NYSE:GFF), a US public company with approximately USD$2billion in annual revenue. Kelkay becomes part of The AMES Companies, Inc. (“AMES”), the largest supplier of non-powered lawn and garden tools in US, Canada and Australasia. 

Antony Harker and the Kelkay Board of Directors, which includes Richard Pyrah, Jonathan Wilson and non-executive, Bob Hewitt, will all remain in their current roles to continue the successful development strategy for the UK business.

In addition, Antony Harker will take on the new role of Managing Director for The AMES Companies UK Ltd. (“AMES UK”) and will have oversight of AMES’ Ireland business. He will drive forward AMES’ expansion into UK gardening, which AMES has identified as a strategic growth market.

Antony Harker, AMES UK Managing Director, said “This is a very exciting time for Kelkay and it represents a major step forward for the business, the whole team and our customers. AMES has a major focus on developing their business in the UK. It is flattering that they have chosen to make Kelkay a key partner and investment opportunity to help them achieve their goals.”

AMES acquired La Hacienda in July 2017 and also operates a subsidiary in Co Cork (Ireland). They have a portfolio of other well-known brands across USA, Canada and Australia with ranges including hand tools, wheelbarrows, irrigation equipment, as well as patio planters and other home and garden products.

Antony Harker continued, “AMES has made a long term commitment to the UK market and they share our values in terms of employees, suppliers and customers. I’m really looking forward to working with them. They are very supportive of our focus on garden centres, retailers and grocers and keen to ensure our personality as a business is protected. So, whilst there will be new development opportunities, our customers should continue to expect the same high level of service.

Anthony told GTN Xtra this evening: "Griffon really liked our distribution and market penetration.  We've been talking with them since March last year.  They understand our garden market is different to others and their business is run by a small group of very nice people who want to do it right.  They talk a lot of sense and we are now looking at rest of their gardening portfolio to see what other UK opportunities there may be. Strategically they see potential for growth in lawn and diy markets from the Ames brands that currently trade in the US and Australia."

Anthony, who started Kelkay15 years ago added: "It is really great that the Kelkay "family" will continue to run the business.  I'm looking forward to the next period of growth and development for Kelkay."

"It looks a bit like the scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark when they put the Ark of the Covenant away in that warehouse."  That is the description Pete Utting, CEO of Gardman uses to describe their new 70,000 pallet space warehouse at Daventry which GTN Xtra visited last week to see just how they are getting on with getting back on schedule after the teething problems encountered during January.

"We are now picking at well above our normal peak season rate and that will mean the backlog will have been cleared by the end of February." Pete explained as we took a tour of the facility which is run for Gardman by DHL on the warehousing side and XPO for transport.

In the warehouse it is clear to see that the problem is being solved in the short term by adding more people to the teams to hit the numbers required and garden centre customers can be reassured their orders are being given extra priority in that the sales team are also helping out.

"We've had Scott McCabe and his really dedicated team based at Daventry and often staying until midnight night picking themselves. They've been fully trained to enable anything we have missed to be picked immediately and on the first vehicle out."

"We really have been putting the effort in to try and look after our customers. We are hyper conscious of it."

Paul Barker and Jason Perrins with Pete Utting in the picking area: "We've been picking day and night, its all hands to the pump and we provide extra QC."

East Anglian discount retailer, QD Group, has acquired The Barn Garden & Aquatic Centre in Peterborough.

Exciting changes are taking place at the store, located on Gunthorpe Road, as part of the acquisition. These include major improvements to both the indoor and outdoor sales areas, expansion of gardening and seasonal ranges and the creation of new departments including clothing and Scallywags Pets. The Coffee Barn is also being revamped to accommodate a 120 seater restaurant with a full menu of delicious freshly prepared food.

The store, now known as The Barn by Cherry Lane Garden Centres, has transferred all staff over to the QD Group, enabling them to remain in their existing roles.

QD is already well known in Peterborough with a discount store located in the Ortongate Centre on the outskirts of Peterborough. The Barn by Cherry Lane Garden Centres is the 11th garden centre owned by QD Group, who also have another four QD Stores with garden centres.

Mark Care, store manager at The Barn, said: "We are delighted to join the QD family. The QD Group has a great record in running garden centres and we're very excited about this transition, which will create an even better store for our customers to enjoy. We can't wait to unveil our new look and exciting additional departments and product lines."

Nick Rubins, Chief Executive of the QD Group, said: "The acquisition of The Barn is another great landmark in the ongoing growth of QD and the success of our Cherry Lane Garden Centres. We are a family run business and this is a major purchase for our Group. We are very pleased to welcome the team from The Barn and are looking forward to sharing with shoppers our great value, excellent quality and ever-changing spectacular new deals."

With its head office in Norwich, where the first store opened in 1985, QD remains one of the original discount retailers. The company has ambitious growth plans - in 2017, QD opened four new stores at Sudbury, Raunds, Melton Mowbray and Lowestoft.

For more information on QD Stores, visit www.qualitydiscounts.com.

Squire’s Garden Centres is actively looking for further sites having taken the difficult decision to part with their Windsor centre, which will close in the autumn of 2018.

The sum received from the sale of the site will be re-invested into Squire’s other centres, where they have an ambitious improvement programme, as well as being used to look for new investment opportunities.

Deputy Chairman Sarah Squire said, “We are committed to re-investing in all areas of our business and one of our primary aims is to add further sites to our portfolio. We have confidence in the future of our sector despite the current economic and political uncertainty.”

Managing Director Martin Breddy added, “We do not have any particular size requirements, although we are keen to keep within the South East of England, and our preference is for freehold sites wherever possible.”

Over the years Squire’s in Windsor has had limited ability to maximise its potential, partially for physical reasons due to its small car park, which is shared with customers and trucks accessing goods inwards, and also due to planning constraints given its green belt status. The Borough Council has an obligation to build houses to address the housing shortage in the area and identified Squire’s Windsor within the emerging Local Plan as being a site suitable for the development of about 40 new homes.

A number of development businesses expressed interest in buying the site. Given the inability to grow in the ways the company would like, these offers were considered seriously and a decision made to sell the site.

The centre will stay open for business throughout the spring and summer of 2018 and will eventually close in the autumn of 2018. Squire’s hope that as many team members as possible will be able to take alternative employment within the company.

Squire’s would like to thank their team at Windsor for their longstanding commitment and hard work, and they also recognise and thank their customers for their support over the years. Until the autumn of 2018 it is business as usual.

GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards were revealed during a special breakfast event at Glee at Spring Fair on Tuesday. Gold award winners included Brookside Kent, Ruxley Manor, The Old Railway Line, Kirktown, Silverbirch and Whitehall Lacock.

The awards, sponsored by Gardman, were presented to gold, silver and bronze winners by Kerry Freeman, head of brand for gardening at Gardman.

Awards organiser Trevor Pfeiffer said the standard of entries for the Greatest Christmas Awards keeps improving.

"The judging gets harder and harder," said Trevor. "The judges were looking for that extra special thing that sets a garden centre apart and they certainly found loads of examples during their visits.

"They were searching out that clever link sale that delivered extra customer satisfaction, a spark of a team member who made a real difference, and evidence of where teamwork really added value."

The full list of award winners are:

The Greatest Festive Plants Team

Gold: The Old Railway Line

Silver: Aylett Nurseries

Bronze:  Mains of Drum

The Greatest Festive Catering Team

Gold: Kirktown

Silver: Bents

Bronze: Woodlands GC, Ash, Kent

The Greatest Christmas Pets Team

Gold: The Old Railway Line

Silver: Planters Tamworth

Bronze: Frosts Woburn Sands

The Greatest Grotto Team

Gold: Brookside, Kent

Gold: Ruxley Manor

Silver: Pughs Radyr

Bronze: Millbrook Gravesend

The Greatest Christmas Display Team – Small Centres

Gold: Silverbirch

Silver:  Castle Gardens

Bronze: Fresh@Burcot

Bronze: Fron Goch

The Greatest Christmas Display Team – Large Centres

Gold: Whitehall Lacock

Silver: Scotsdales Cambridge

Bronze: Summerhill

The Greatest Garden Centre Team at Christmas 2017

Gold: Brookside, Kent

Silver: Summerhill

Bronze: Woodlands GC, Ash, Kent

No 1 in Wales: The Old Railway Line

No 1 in Scotland: Munro's

A new deal with Van Hage will see beautifully hand-crafted sheds from The Posh Shed Company available to garden centre customers.

The partnership sees the Posh Shed Company’s Tin Hat range becoming available in Van Hage’s Chenies branch in Buckinghamshire.

Richard Frost, managing director of The Posh Shed Company, commented: “This is an exciting, new direction for us. Our sheds have previously only been available exclusively from us, and installed by our expert team. With over 60 years of experience at the cutting edge of garden and leisure retailing, Van Hage provides the perfect opportunity for us to launch our first ever range of self-build sheds that customers can install at home.”

The Tin Hat sheds were launched in 2017 and quickly became one of The Posh Shed Company’s most popular ranges to date. The Tin Hat sheds are a throwback to war-time Britain when practicality was paramount, and is designed to appeal to those seeking a traditional shed – solid, yet understated in appearance and built to a standard which will guarantee years of practical service.

There are two designs to choose from in the Tin Hat range. The curved roof of ‘The Anderson’ and the traditional lean-to, ‘The Gardener’. Both are made of tanalised timber which ensure long term protection against the elements, the window frames and solid door are finished in a durable stain with sturdy bolt locks.

The Gardener can even be extended should storage requirements grow, due to its practical modular design. The innovative design of the Gardener allows individual configurations of the shed based upon the space and needs of each garden. Each module measures 4ft 10in x 3ft 6in and be combined to create a shed of almost any length. The Gardener also has the further modular option of additional windows and external shelving.

Alongside the Gardener, is ‘The Anderson’, which is designed to appeal to those seeking a traditional shed, solid yet understated in appearance and built to a standard to guarantee years of service. It is available in two sizes; 2m x 1m or a deeper 2m x 2m option.

Please visit www.vanhage.co.uk and for further information about The Posh Shed Company and its range of wooden sheds and garden accessories head to www.theposhshedcompany.co.uk or call 01544 387101.

After five days of showcasing their new products in front of a wide-ranging audience at Glee at Spring Fair, exhibitors have been praising the 'new' addition to the garden industry calendar.

Here's a selection of comments from those companies exhibiting in Glee at Spring Fair.

“We’ve had a very positive response, we’ve had a few orders, few pro formas already.”

Debbie Garner-Jones - Kingdom Teak

“It’s been a good day today. We’re pretty happy, we’ve got a good position here. It works. The size of the stand is good for us – any bigger, visitors would get lost and the way we build them up should remind them of a shop – if we went much bigger they’re not going to be able to visualize the concept.”

Anders Jeppersen – Bergs Potter

“We’ve only been trading since September, so to win an award at our first show is a real surprise.  We knew the product was unique, we hoped the market would see what we saw – but until they come here and part with cold hard cash so that’s always a good sign.  One of the judges said to us that they had been looking at pot feet for 20 years, and hadn’t seen what we saw which was an opportunity to make something a bit more interesting, to make pots glow rather than just sit under the pot. We straddle the gift and garden sectors so for us to get the award is great and we’re delighted to be here.”

Tony and Andrea Barnett - Potty Feet

“We’ve been doing Glee for six years now, it’s quite a success for us, but we find Glee @ Spring Fair works particularly because of the timing – after the winter is the perfect time to buy our plants [Bay Trees].”

Elie Devisch - Laurica

 “We are from the Chinese mainland, we are a manufacturer looking to meet UK and European buyers.  We are testing the water with Glee @ Spring Fair and are now looking to come to the main Glee show as well.”

Jenny Wang - Putian Newpower.

“The audience at this show is totally different to the main Glee show.  A lot of smaller independents, gift shops - not so many garden centres - but we will see them at Glee anyway. First day was good for us.”

Richard Ball – Director, Charles Taylor Trading Limited

“We went to Glee in 2016, had a great reaction.  We decided to come to Glee @ Spring Fair because we wanted to reinforce our presence as a new supplier in the industry, to follow through on the interest from the main show and also to find some new business as well.  It was quite busy on Sunday, that was a good start and today has been steady too.  So we’ve been pretty pleased.”

Jon Couch, Director of Marketing – Harrod Horticulture

A company that has been in existence for only five months has picked up the first ever New Product Showcase Award at Glee at Spring Fair.

The Award, run in association with Garden Trade News, was won by Jardinopia Ltd, who scooped this year’s top prize with Potty Feet.

A new approach to pot feet, these resin feet come shaped in a variety of shapes such as squirrels, dogs and gnomes.

Judge Mike Cook, of Choice Marketing,  said of the winner: “Potty Feet is a fab idea. It’s a new take on a traditional product, but done so in a way that is fun, and will have mass appeal. It’s an exciting product, and even more so when you consider that Jardinopia launched just five months ago.”

Andrea Barnett, managing director of Jardinopia, said: “I’m really shocked. It’s so unexpected but we are obviously delighted with this accolade.”

Matthew Mein, Event Director for Glee, said of the winners: “Congratulations to all the winners of this, the inaugural Glee at Spring Fair New Product Showcase. The quality of product on display are of the highest possible standard and demonstrate the breadth of products on offer from Glee at Spring Fair exhibitors. Congratulations to all those that were recognised as part of this awards programme, and thanks to all those that entered. Finally, thanks to the judges. Their time and input is greatly appreciated.”

With 24 amazing and innovative new products to choose from the judges of the inaugural New Product Showcase at Glee at Spring Fair had their work cut out deciding on a winner.

Judged by Mike Cook of Choice Marketing, Steve Myatt, MD of Garden Retail Success, Simon Bourne of Perrywood Garden Centre, and Neil Gow, owner of Fresh @ Burcot, this year five products were selected, recognised for their unique designs, saleability and innovative approach to bringing to market products that will drive profits in the coming seasons.

The first product selected and taking home ‘fifth place’ is the Fast Fix Hook & Loop Tape from Creative Products.  This tape offers a quick and easy way to secure plants, branches and young trees. Durable, waterproof, flexible and soft, it’s quick to fit and delicate on tender plant material.

Fourth place was rewarded to the Redwood Gazebo from River Co. Handmade in the UK using the finest FSC certified redwood, the gazebo features louvre walls, a tongue and groove upgrade, and is perfect for use as an outside bar or gazebo cover.

Woodlodge’s Bespoke Pot Service scooped the third-place runner up prize. A simple, yet effective concept, this new service sees the UK market leaders provide customers with bespoke printed terracotta pots. Available on terracotta pots of all sizes, customers can print logos, images or slogans onto the pots, creating a visual feast and a personalised pot offering.

Just missing out on the title of ‘winner’ was Pouff Daddy’s Extended Curve. At 1.8m in length, fully waterproof and UV stable, this perfect pool side lounging cushion is available in three colours – included the hottest colour around ’rose gold’ – and comes with a lifetime stitch guarantee.

Ben Sowton, of Pouff Daddy, said: “We think our product is brilliant but it’s always great to hear that a panel of retail experts are impressed by it.”

But it was Jardinopia Limited who scooped this year’s top prize with Potty Feet.

Forget crowded summer getaways. Turn your garden into the perfect family retreat with beautiful outdoor furniture, amazing BBQ’s and garden lighting no matter your style or budget.

This vision came to life at the Klondyke Group’s recent Garden Furniture and Outdoor Living Showcase event, which took place at High Legh Garden Centre at Knutsford on 31^st January.

The showcase presented Klondyke’s main Outdoor Living themes for 2018 and display techniques, alongside core product lines. The showcase featured furniture, barbecues, firepits, parasols, outdoor lighting and play equipment and showed the garden centre’s Outdoor Living teams the exciting new developments in design, environmental manufacturing, merchandising and product innovation.

Several suppliers exhibited at the showcase, including Pacific Leisure, Supremo, Riverco Trading and Smart Garden.

Klondyke’s Furniture Buyer Suzanne Gorst organised the show and commented “Our 2018 event has showcased our themes and ranges to our Outdoor Living Teams and set the scene for the year ahead. The Showcase has been an ideal platform to present a fantastic array of stimulating ideas and inspiration and we are delighted with the positive feedback from all those who attended.”

Wyevale Garden Centres is celebrating reaching a phenomenal £1.7 million in fundraising for Marie Curie, the UK's leading charity for people living with terminal illness and their families. Through the help of its customers and centres across the UK, Wyevale Garden Centres has raised enough to pay for the equivalent of more than 9,000 overnight shifts of care from a Marie Curie Nurse, or 85,000 hours of individual nursing care.

The incredible sum has been raised as part of an ongoing partnership, launched in 2014. The partnership aimed to raise £750,000 for Marie Curie by the end of 2017, but has surpassed that by £1 million.

Over the last four years, the garden centre retail group has hosted a series of projects and team challenges to help raise awareness for Marie Curie's campaigns, including The Great Daffodil Appeal and the Blooming Great Tea Party, which involved tea, cake and fresh-cut daffodils for customers. Generous donations by centre visitors have played a central role in the fundraising project, with a team of Wyevale Garden Centres colleagues also completing the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge in 2017, raising an impressive £17,000 for the cause.

Lindsay Palmer, Charity Champion at Wyevale Garden Centres' Podington branch, said: "When I joined Wyevale Garden Centres' in 2015, I jumped at the chance to help promote and raise awareness for this wonderful charity that helps so many people who are diagnosed with a terminal illness and their families, offering understanding, support and much needed respite care. I take great pride in fundraising on their behalf and am always looking for new ways to raise money, whether it is in our centre or personally."

In September 2017, Lindsay took part in the London Zip Wire experience with one of her colleagues, raising £450 for Marie Curie. Wider activity at the Podington centre included a second-hand book shelf and The Lemon Challenge, as well as regular raffles and kids' tombolas.

Richard Bruce, Director of Marketing at Wyevale Garden Centres, added: "Marie Curie is a charity close to all of our hearts here at Wyevale Garden Centres and for many of our customers too. We are thrilled to see that our fundraising efforts have amounted to such an amazing sum of money - far exceeding what we predicted to achieve in the first three years of the partnership. Thank you to all of our centre staff and customers for their generous donations."

Meredith Niles, Marie Curie's Executive Director of Fundraising and Engagement, said: "We are overwhelmed by the £1.7 million raised for Marie Curie so far, and extremely grateful for the continued support from Wyevale Garden Centres and its customers. The money raised will make a real difference in enabling the charity to help more people living with a terminal illness across the UK get the care and support they need."

Find your local collection point at Wyevale Garden Centres across the UK, and read more about the partnership online at: www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk

Horticulture and agriculture students have learnt more about the commercial production and exportation of tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables during a study tour to Almeria in Spain,  home to over 30,000 hectares of protected cropping.

During the five-day long trip, the BSc (Hons) Horticulture and MSc Postharvest and Crop Production students gained an insight into major producers and processors.

These included one of the largest exporters in the world and a company that produces tomatoes exclusively for Tesco in the UK.

Henry Matthews said: “This study trip is designed to provide students with in-depth focus on the most up-to-date approaches to sustainable crop production and postharvest technology. It is an invaluable learning experience.”

Third year BSc (Hons) Horticulture student Amy Knofczynski, from the USA, said: “I found the trip to Almeria to be an incredibly informative and enjoyable experience. Visiting the world's largest concentration of greenhouses has helped to expand my views of horticulture production and the industry.

“As an international student, it was especially rewarding being able to travel to a new country and experience their culture, climate, and horticultural practices.”

At the University of Almeria, the students learnt about the research into different growing regimes for tomato production, particularly the incorporation of green waste from the crop back in to the soil to reduce the need for fertilisers and reduce water consumption.  They also heard about the potential for papaya production and issues surrounding this such as how to mimic the growing conditions found in South America.

A visit to Vicasol enabled the students to find out more about the production and export of vegetables and fruits, including tomato, pepper, courgette and melon. Small seedless sweet peppers were being grown as a snack product and the students were able to discuss aspects of production with the head grower such as irrigation requirements, source of water and soil management. Issues of sustainability and use of plastic and recycling was also discussed. They visited the fruit and vegetable pack-house seeing tomatoes and cucumbers being packed ready to be shipped to the UK.

 

At CASI, one of the largest exporters in the world, the students saw the processing and packing of tomatoes; the students were amazed by the extent of automation from the sorting and grading of produce to the use of robotic arms in the movement of produce around the pack-house.

At Primaflor, a company dedicated to processed vegetables ready to eat, the students saw fields of lettuce and other vegetables as well as the processing of fresh-cut products. They saw the whole process from automated seed sowing, growing of plug plants, harvesting of ‘cut and come again’ baby leaves through to the finished bagged product.

In Motril, Granada, they visited Grupo La Caña, which produces and exports tomatoes, peppers and avocado. The students visited the greenhouses - where 185 varieties of tomatoes were being trialled - and the avocado orchards. They also learnt more about the structure of the trust company, which has several departments and facilities and is extending its agricultural activity to both the provinces of Almeria (East) and Malaga (West).

The trip concluded with a visit to Glinwell Spain where they learnt more about the production of tomatoes under glass exclusively for Tesco in the UK. Here the focus of the visit was the challenges of growing in Spain compared to the UK.

To find out more about studying a degree or Masters  in Horticulture or Agriculture at Writtle University College, visit writtle.ac.uk

The team behind Glee has recently been expanded with the recruitment of Daniel McAlpin.

Daniel will be responsible for raising awareness of Glee’s exciting new dedicated pet sector – Pets @ Glee.

Driving pets directly into the heart of the exhibition, Daniel’s remit will include securing leading UK and international pet brands for this thriving showcase; ultimately helping to arm garden retailers with everything that they need to maximise profits of pet products and grooming services instore.  

Additionally, Daniel’s role will see him work to grow Glee’s Plants, and Landscaping and Garden Decoration sectors, and will be looking to bring both new and existing UK based brands to these popular areas of the event. Finally, he will be overseeing the sponsorship and industry involvement with the Retail Lab at Glee throughout the 2018 campaign.

Before joining Glee, Daniel previously worked on the RWM show. This role means that Daniel will bring with him a wealth of relevant experience, including 12 years within the exhibition market.  It was within this role that Daniel was also exposed to the landscaping material sector, providing him with a strong and well-informed knowledge of not just the products, but also the challenges that retailers and manufacturers within this industry can face.

Talking about his new appointment, Daniel said: “I’m excited to become part of the Glee team. The exhibition has a great reputation and I hope to be part of developing this even further. It’s also an exciting prospect to join Glee as the show embarks on another year of change as it relocates within the NEC and expands its added-value feature content. I look forward to seeing how the industry responds and interacts with these changes.”

Glee’s Event Director Matthew Mein added: “We’re pleased to welcome Daniel to the team. He has already made his mark, and no doubt his experience will pay dividends as we look at ways to expand Glee’s offering in 2018 and beyond. I’m sure exhibitors will also welcome his appointment, and no doubt he will provide a strong and ongoing support network for his customers before, during and after their time at the show.”

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening and outdoor leisure product categories.  To keep up-to-date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com.  To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2018 call 020 3033 2160.

The latest in the highly successful ‘Meet the International Buyers’ events organised by the Gardenex and PetQuip associations will take place at the Federation’s head office in Brasted, Kent on 1 March 2018.

The buyers that have been invited to take part in one-to-one business discussions with British suppliers will be seeking to source a wide range of garden, leisure and pet products.  The buyers include importer/wholesalers from Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands all looking for garden products to add to their ranges, as well as a Latvian importer/wholesaler looking for both garden and pet products.  A Slovenian pet retailer with online sales that also imports and distributes some brands will be looking for innovative items that could improve the lives of their customers and their pets.

From the garden sector, the Danish importer/distributor represents a number of strong European brands on the Nordic market.  Around 60 per cent of its range is currently garden decoration and 40 per cent practical garden equipment.  The buyer will be seeking further garden products to complement the company’s existing range.

The Finnish importer/wholesaler has subsidiaries in Russia and Slovakia with links via its Slovakian company into Hungary and the Czech Republic.  Its Home & Garden division imports/distributes good quality, practical and decorative garden products and the firm is now looking for additional innovative practical gardening equipment and accessories, as well as garden decorative items.  Of particular interest are biodegradable garden products such as fabric ground covers and mats.

There will also be a Dutch importer/distributor at the event.  The company supplies independent garden centres, landscape businesses and garden centre chains such as Intratuin and Life & Garden.  Following the acquisition of a well-established B2C garden online store and a wholesale distribution business specialising in high-end garden items, the company is looking to expand its range.

The Latvian buyer is from an importer/wholesaling business that supplies garden retailers and florist shops across the country.  The company already handles a number of well-known brands from the UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands.  The buyer/owner is looking for new garden products suitable for sale in DIY stores and garden centres, as well as product lines for professional gardeners.  

To ensure that you don’t miss out on the opportunity to apply for 25 minute one-to-one meetings with any of the buyers on 1 March, or to find out more about future ‘Meet the International Buyers’ events for both the garden and pet sectors, please contact katie-mai@gardenex.com as soon as possible.  

LOFA (Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association) has launched a new website specifically aimed at consumers - www.garden-living.co.uk.

The easy-to-use website is broken down into sections so homeowners can find what they are looking for; and make sure they buy from a LOFA member. With photographs and plenty of information, the consumer’s buying experience is trouble-free.

Photograph courtesy of Bramblecrest

Burgon & Ball is helping garden centres expand their offering to the key family market this summer, with the launch of two new colourful Kneelo kneelers with real kid appeal.

Starring friendly garden creatures Buzz the bee and Dotty the ladybird, these new children’s kneelers are cute, but oh-so-comfortable, too, with Burgon & Ball’s market-leading Kneelo memory foam technology.

‘Highly Commended’ in the Gift of the Year Awards 2018, Buzz and Dotty feature cute insect characters to help bring the garden to life. These vibrant child-sized kneelers have a bright and appealing design and charming ‘antennae’ to add to the insect look.  Perfectly sized for children, the Buzz and Dotty kneelers let budding gardeners work and play in cushioned comfort.

The colourful packaging also includes information to communicate the pair’s super-powers in the garden - Dotty repels nasty aphid invaders by eating up to 50 a day!

The kneelers may be small, but there’s no compromise on quality; they have the same superior construction as Burgon & Ball’s other Kneelo kneelers, with twin layers of memory around a firm EVA foam core. They’re sure to keep small knees – and bottoms! – comfy, so they’re perfect for gardening, and equally handy for picnics, pond-dipping, family days out, and all kinds of outdoor events.

Bob Hewitt, along with colleagues David Yardley, David Abbott, Ian McCavish and Eric Snowden, shall be taking part in six separate 12 hour Plant-athons to raise money for the Greenfingers charity on Garden Re-Leaf Day on March 16.

These will take place with the help of our staff at Byrkley Park, Houghton Hall, Stokesley, Lady Green, Garforth and Wilmslow Garden Centres where the six plant-athons are taking place at.

Greenfingers is a national charity dedicated to supporting the children who spend time in hospices around the UK.   The charity creates beautiful, well-designed outdoor spaces for children to enjoy with siblings, family, friends and carers, whether through play and fun, or therapeutic rest and relaxation. 

To date Greenfingers has created 49 inspiring gardens in children's hospices around the country and is currently in build at two more.  But they still have a waiting list of hospices that need their help now.

"I would therefore be most grateful of any donation to help support this worthy cause," said Bob.

Donating to our JustGiving page is easy - just follow this link and click Donate
http://www.justgiving.com/The-Klondyke-Group
JustGiving sends your donation straight to Greenfingers Charity and automatically reclaims Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer, so your donation is worth even more.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Wildlife World. Founder and MD of Wildlife World, Norman Sellers has seen the company grow into one of Europe’s leading designers and manufacturers of wildlife feeders, habitats and other educational products. Norman started making and selling simple wildlife products and gradually the love for wildlife transformed into a business. Norman and his wife Eve began by travelling around the country in their caravan with their two dogs and showcasing their products at garden and agricultural shows.

With a strong commitment to the conservation of species, Wildlife World now produces a huge range of innovative and valuable nesting habitats and feeders for birds, mammals, amphibians and insects for use in the UK, Europe and and The Americas. Its commitment to innovative product features has gained it an enviable reputation as leaders in the design and manufacture of products for wildlife. As part of its strong commitment to the environment, the company also uses many recycled materials in its products and in its packaging which is made from recycled cardboard.

Commenting on the company’s anniversary, Norman Sellers said, “I would like to express my thanks to our longstanding team and a community that’s been supportive from the start. Wildlife World is extremely grateful to all its loyal customers and it will be exciting to be part of future development in wildlife products over the next 20 years.”

The environmental impact of the business was always a major consideration for Norman, so all the company’s products are extensively tested at its base in Chavenage, Gloucestershire, and also in wildlife woodlands on a farm in the heart of Devon. During this testing process prototype performance is monitored and fine-tuned to ensure that by the time the product finally goes on sale it is ideal for use by wildlife.

Wildlife World’s environmental ethos extends further than its products as it works alongside wildlife charities to educate people on the importance of conservation and encourages them to get involved with their gardens. The woodland farm in Devon not only assesses the performance of prototypes but also plays host to multiple environmental groups and student visits that see botanical, entomological and bio-diversity studies carried out. Having been converted to organic status with the Soil Association, Wildlife World has worked alongside the charity, Moor Trees, to plant more than 4,000 native trees over 11 acres as part of the Dartmoor Native Broadleaved Woodland Regeneration. In doing so they have created a diverse eco-system that fully tests all aspects of the products.

Wildlife World has created such a reputation for its products that it is supplying habitats to some of the biggest conservation charities, including the National Trust, RSPB, NABU, LPO and Amnesty International. It is also supplying some of the biggest retailers and garden distributors in Europe and America.

Further information is available from Wildlife World on 01666 505333, by emailing info@wildlifeworld.co.uk or by visiting the company’s website at www.wildlifeworld.co.uk

"It’s like I’m walking down Kalverstraat!," said one of the visitors of GROEN-Direkt’s Spring Fair of 6 and 7 February, referring to the busy shopping street in Amsterdam.

The trading company in the Dutch town of Boskoop indeed welcomed a remarkably large number of visitors to its first fair of the new year, including many new faces: new customers accounted for no less than half of the growth in turnover.

The rest of the increase of just over 20% relative to the same time the previous year was attributable to the fact that customers spent more money. All in all a very promising start of the 2018 gardening season.

The most important and most noteworthy fair news in four highlights:

Scarcity on the market?

Within only a few hours after the opening of the first fair day the best deals were already sold out; more than five hundred batches by the end of the fair. This once again goes to show that the market has changed relative to a few years ago. But with a total of around six hundred sample batches of garden plants and an extensive themed presentation of houseplants the range remained good, with plenty for visitors to choose from right through to the end.

New faces at the Product Promotion Plaza

The 150 standholders at the Product Promotion Plaza were very busy on both fair days. This edition of the annual fair once again showed that the PPP is a good platform for the introduction of new faces and initiatives. The ‘Good Roots’ cooperative from Boskoop presented a brand-new sales concept: a ready-made box containing sixteen visually attractive trees that change every two weeks. Good Roots’ Tim Sonneveld: “The PPP is an ideal platform for us. Representatives of all garden centres come here. They know that you can find real treasures, the very best of the best, at GROEN-Direkt.”

Introduction of eco labels

New at this edition of the fair were the ‘green’ certification stamps on all the articles. The visiting garden-centre representatives confirmed that this is now indeed exactly what consumers want. While some had begun to notice the first signs of a change, but still selected their purchases largely on the basis of their own sustainability standards, others said they have already noted a distinct trend. “Price is no longer the number-one marketing means. Today’s consumers really are prepared to spend a few euros more on a sustainably produced product,” said a garden-centre manager from The Hague.

Cornus kousa 'Scralet Fire' (R) best novelty

Twelve novelties were presented at this Spring Fair: relatively new plants that are now for the first time available in sufficient numbers and offer distinct added value in relation to the existing range. The fair’s visitors voted for their favourite novelty and a varied professional jury comprising garden-centre representatives, trading companies and growers guaranteed a fair judgement. The winner was Cornus kousa 'Scarlet Fire' bred by Joh. Stolwijk en Zonen from Boskoop. With its dark flowers and compact growth habit, this healthy cultivar convinced the public of its excellence.   

Retail giant Wesfarmers could abort its troubled invasion of the British Isles as soon as June after admitting it made serious mistakes when trying to transplant the successful Bunnings model to the northern hemisphere, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Unveiling a $1 billion writedown of Bunnings UK and Ireland (BUKI) on Monday, Wesfarmers managing director Rob Scott said he would not let the troubled business hang over Wesfarmers for "years and years and years" in the way rival Woolworths was haunted by its disastrous Masters Home Improvement experiment.

"We need to provide some certainty and clarity," Mr Scott said as he announced a review into BUKI's future due back in June and revealed its first half losses would blow out to about $165 million.

That writedown is greater than the $705 million Wesfarmers paid for the home improvement chain Homebase in 2016, which it planned to convert to the Bunnings brand and format.

The news sent Wesfarmers’ plunging 4.5 per to close at $42.34 - the biggest one day fall since October 2016, and the second biggest one-day drop in eight and a half years.

“I appreciate what we’ve disclosed today is terrible news, terrible news for shareholders," Mr Scott was reported as saying the Sydney Morning Herald.

He said that "all options" - including an exit - were on the table. However an exit was not the preferred option and it would have been premature to make that decision before the review.

"To shut the door on this today would be incredibly damaging to shareholders, particularly where the current level of losses are," Mr Scott said.

 “This business was profitable two years ago, so we know that there is the capacity within this network when things are working to generate profitability."

In the meantime BUKI would try to improve sales at the remaining 231 Homebase stores.

Sales have suffered as Wesfarmers management alienated customers by removing important product categories and concession stores, and moving some to the Bunnings format.

Mr Scott said Wesfarmers had earmarked between 20 and 40 of the worst performing Homebase stores for possible closure.

The first 19 "pilot" Bunnings stores had seen some encouraging results, Wesfarmers said, but sales had suffered during the winter months when it did not have the right products. It was still searching for a "proof of concept" for the Bunnings format.

Five more Homebase stores are currently being turned into Bunnings, but Wesfarmers will not start any more conversions until the review is completed in June.

The full Sydney Herald report can be viewed at http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/bunnings-uk-woes-deepen-with-1-billion-writedown-20180204-p4yze8.html

Gardman has acknowledged the company has experienced teething problems at its new £30 million custom-built distribution centre in Daventry but says it's confident it will cope with the busy Spring period.

The new centre was fully tested in Q4 2017 with a full “go live” date of 2^nd January.

"Unfortunately, due to a lower than expected picking rate we have failed to meet our normally high service standards," said Pete Utting, Gardman's Chief Executive.

"This has now been solved by increasing our picker numbers and putting on a night shift to meet demand.

"This change has resulted in achieving our desired output. We will continue to build this capacity further over the coming weeks to counter any spikes in demand.

"We are confident we can catch up through February and then successfully meet the spring demand.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to our customers and reassure them that the challenges have now been managed.

"The foundations for great service are now in place. The building is complete in the centre of the country, the system works, we have the right people, our stock build is bigger and earlier than last year and now we have achieved the output rates we need.

"My sincere thanks to all our customers for their patience and understanding.

"I would also like to thank all the Gardman staff and contractors who have worked tirelessly to get this problem fixed."

The Blue Diamond Group has traded well again and delivered good growth in 2017, although the sales increase over the full year has been lower than in previous years and the first half of 2017, according to figures published in a shareholder announcement.

Total sales rose by 6% with like for like sales growth, excluding Harlow and Coton Orchard, of 3%. Total sales in the UK increased by 7% with like for like sales growth of 4%. Total and like for like sales increased by 2% in the Channel Islands.

After a very strong first half of 2017, the second half of the year was more challenging. Sales were flat and customer numbers softened in the second half as the Group experienced the consumer slowdown reported by the likes of the British Retail Consortium, the ONS and many other retailers.

Nonetheless, during the year the Group outperformed the benchmark provided by the industry trade body the Garden Centre Association, both overall and in every key category except Christmas. We did not experience the significant trading problems evident in our major competitors.  Average spend increased and margins were higher than 2016 across the year.  Our gearing fell below 20% by the end of 2017.

We continued to improve our existing estate, with the redevelopments of St. Peters and Coton Orchard complete, as well as the first phase of Grosvenor. All these sites have seen good growth in 2017.

The redevelopments of Fermoys and Newbridge are now scheduled to start in the second half of 2018. We are progressing the planning applications for the redevelopments of Harlow and Fryers.

The fit-out of Bridgford started in November 2017 and we are on track to open in late March 2018. We are very excited about this new centre, which is targeted to deliver £10m of sales upon maturity and to be recognised as the finest, most innovative garden centre in the UK.

Chairman Simon Burke commented, "The second half of the year reflected tougher general conditions in the retail market, but we are pleased to report a good improvement in the performance for the year overall. The UK economy is decelerating as a result of Brexit uncertainty and real wages are falling, which are both having an adverse effect on the consumer and therefore the retail sector. Whilst we are well positioned to manage this, we are not immune and we are now expecting more modest underlying profit growth for the next couple of years. Nevertheless, we are continuing to progress our pipeline of new build opportunities and the progressive redevelopment of our existing portfolio, which should deliver strong returns in the medium to long term."

Despite it only being February, every retailer knows that now is the prime time to plan ahead for Christmas 2018.  This was demonstrated by the fantastic success of the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair earlier this year where emerging trends were clear to see.

Reflecting their passion for design and quality, Floralsilk launched their impressive Christmas Collection for 2018 with an exclusive collection of Christmas tree ornaments, wreaths, garlands, trees and wintery foliage and it was a great opportunity to see what the fashion will be for the year ahead.

Very in vogue and receiving huge interest was nature inspired tree trim.  2018 is clearly the year for ornithologists as bird themed decorations topped the table with the Christmas robin once again proving to be a best seller.  Floralsilk’s new more ornate, jewelled and feathered birds were also highly desirable along with sparkle dragonfly clips, with the fashion for decorations on versatile clips and picks going strong accounting for three out of the five best selling items.

Another theme emerging for 2018 is the desire to bring a little bit of sparkle into our lives with shimmering baubles, glitter clips and sparkling foliage sprays and garlands proving incredibly popular. Floralsilk’s extended LED collection also confirmed this trend with their LED bauble garland, LED Starburst and outdoor Cone Trees all being very well received.

In terms of colour ways, despite the pantone colour for the forthcoming year being ultra violet, rose gold decorations were all the rage at the show selling across the board along with the more traditional gold and silver.

In keeping with going back to nature, one individual item in particular had a brilliant debut – the glass Land Rover tree decoration exclusive to Floralsilk. New for this year and available in three colours, this popular ornament depicting a car returning home with the family Christmas tree, caught the attention of many a retailer.

Moving on from Christmas and stepping into Spring, Floralsilk’s stunning 2018 floral collection will be on display at the Spring Fair at the NEC. As the buzz around replica flowers and plants continues, with many retailers growing their collections to keep up with consumer demand, Floralsilk is helping to drive this growth, with hundreds of new items launching at the Fair including pretty hand-tied bouquets, well-priced single stemmed roses & peonies and trendy hanging orchids.

Predicted trends for this year are attractive natural blossom arrangements in simple bottles giving that ‘freshly picked’ look and for that centrepiece feel, hydrangeas are bang on trend and make a great focal feature for any room.

As well as beautiful floral items, Floralsilk are also bringing new varieties of eucalyptus, lambs ear, ferns, smilax and ivy along with contemporary potted succulents, cacti and lifelike moss to the Spring Fair.  ‘It seems consumers can’t get enough of our greenery’ says Managing Director, Liam O’Flaherty, ‘they are mixing our foliage and floral stems with fresh flowers to create their own authentic mixes’.

It’s worth placing your orders pronto if you want delivery in time for this year’s early Mother’s Day though as it’s only four weeks after the end of the Spring Fair!

Floralsilk Ltd

www.floralsilk.co.uk

01778 425205

sales@floralsilk.co.uk

Spring Fair, NEC, Hall 2, Stand 2F04

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 2015 as well as 2016 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.

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £100m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using the button below:

For further enquires please call 07973 504214.

Following the on-going success of the Garden Centre Association’s Rising Stars initiative a new programme aimed at garden centre catering staff has been launched...

Sponsored by Creed Foodservice, it has been created to highlight and develop the talented individuals in garden centre restaurants and cafés and to recognise the important role catering plays in the industry.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “Our existing Rising Stars programme, sponsored by Westland Horticulture, has gone from strength-to-strength and remains a significant benefit to GCA members wishing to develop their staff. It is also an important tool for garden centres wishing to celebrate and acknowledge those staff that give their all and are eager to learn more. The benefits to the individuals taking part are huge and the programme is a big boost to career progression.

“For most garden centres, certainly in recent years, the percentage of catering staff is at an all-time high, for example at Haskins, 50% of employees are catering-based. We felt that it was right to develop a Rising Stars programme that ‘caters’ specifically for their needs. So, we have created a separate catering programme with the aim of developing individuals within our industry and raising the profile of garden centre catering.

“We are grateful to Creed Foodservice, who are sponsoring the programme, for sharing our vision and acknowledging the need to develop the talented individuals within our sector. The programme is not intended as a cookery course, instead, focusing on front of house and restaurant management. It is ideal for supervisors and assistant managers with potential to be catering managers.”

Sponsors Creed Foodservice are a family-owned foodservice provider with a £65m turnover and 350 staff. Branded as a ‘one-stop-shop’, it has in-house butchery, fresh fruit and veg, dairy, ambient, chilled and frozen sections and happily provides a route to market for smaller suppliers.

The programme will be facilitated by Chris Brown (pictured) from Turpin Smale Catering Consultants. Chris, who is well-known in the industry, has been a leading UK catering consultant with practical hands-on experience opening and operating bars, restaurants and cafés for the past 15 years.

He has been a Director at Turpin Smale Catering Consultants since 2001 and is also non-Executive Director at Holkham Estate in Norfolk and has a B.Sc. (Hons) in Hotel & Catering Management from the University of Surrey.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, author of the award-winning ‘Great Cafés Blog’ and former Managing Director of restaurant companies Corney & Barrow and Groupe Chez Gerard as well.

Turpin Smale Catering Consultants has more than 750 catering consultancy assignments with garden centre and visitor attraction clients including Westminster Abbey, British Museum, Shakespeare’s Globe, Royal Albert Hall and Burghley House.

Iain continued: “We’re now inviting applications from member garden centres who would like to put candidates forward and 20 will start the programme this year. There will be four masterclasses designed to help them to improve their knowledge and experience, as well as show them what else is going on in the wider market place.

“Between each masterclass, a project will be set to the candidates. They will present the results of their projects at the following masterclass. The first two masterclasses will cover topics such as financial control, what makes a good manager and food presentation. All 20 candidates will complete these first two masterclasses. The third masterclass will be held in central London. This will be a tour of Central London cafés, restaurants and coffee shops to inspire the candidates, and stretch their boundaries. Again, all 20 candidates will have the opportunity to complete this London tour.

“Also between masterclasses, the Rising Stars will complete exercises on what they have learnt within their own garden centres and assess the performance of their centre’s catering unit, try out new ideas and evaluate the results. Examples include benchmarking against local competition and researching good and bad examples of food presentation.”

Candidates will have training in simple financial controls, food merchandising, innovations in the sector and how to present effectively. Their homework will focus on specific examples of how their own café can be improved in terms of sales, profit and quality.

“For the fourth masterclass, the top five candidates will have a fantastic opportunity to spend some time in Creed’s development kitchen with the legendary ex-England rugby captain, 2011 Celebrity MasterChef winner and non-executive director at Creed, Phil Vickery MBE. Phil is a very talented chef and will spend some time showing the candidates his culinary skills.

“Phil will also help coach and prepare the top five to present at our conference in January 2019. Conference delegates will then choose an overall winner, who will be crowned the ‘GCA Catering Rising Star 2018’.”

Application forms are available to member garden centres by emailing info@gca.org.uk. The closing date for applications is Friday, March 16, 2018.

Uxbridge based foodservice and food retailing equipment provider, Fri-Jado UK Limited, has introduced a consultancy service for the design of Custom Counters. The free of charge service is available to end users, contractors, distributors and equipment concept specialists.

Bespoke designs are based on a range of customer supplied parameters, including size, profile, interior configuration, lighting and accessories. Using the company’s proprietary ‘Configurator’ 3D modelling software, Fri-Jado’s design engineers are able to produce fully rendered illustrations of proposed counter layouts, providing total freedom in the development of innovative display solutions and allowing customers to view realistic representations of proposed designs at the concept stage. The software also simplifies the specification and quotation processes.

The company’s Director of National Accounts, Gary Thacker, explained the thinking behind the introduction of the service:

“Food to go is one of the fastest growing areas in the UK food retailing and foodservice sectors, with an estimated value of £20 billion in 2018. In such a competitive market, many retailers, QSRs and food brand operators are seeking to set themselves apart from their competitors with unique counter displays. The ‘Configurator’ software allows us to accommodate the needs of all food to go outlets, including supermarket multiples, convenience stores, forecourt outlets, QSRs and specialist retailers, such as butchers, food halls, farm shops and delicatessen.”

Fri-Jado’s Custom Counters may be configured as self-service or serve assisted units to meet the specific application. The company offers counters with a choice of easily cleaned square or curved glass profiles, which provide high visibility of merchandise, promoting impulse purchases. Straight or recessed underframes may be specified to meet customers’ preferences. A variety of counter illumination options may also be specified to further enhance the visibility of product on display.

A feature of the company’s Custom Counters is the ability to multiplex hot and chilled units, to create in-line seamless configurations for the complementary merchandising of cooked and cold food. The modules feature triple glazed side panes, which ensure excellent insulation and prevent heat transfer between units. The side by side display of hot and chilled food to go meets increasing customer demand for a broader menu offer and promotes impulse purchases.

The hot counters benefit from upper radiant heat and a precision controlled humidification system, holding product at 65°C or above, throughout the unit, ensuring food quality and safety. Chilled units incorporate high performance refrigeration and precise humidity control to maintain stable storage temperatures. The design incorporates a low velocity airflow, which significantly reduces food dehydration, for optimum food quality, freshness and appearance. Accurate temperatures in both the hot and chilled units ensure that product is held over extended periods, without deterioration in quality or appearance, reducing the amount of food which may be price discounted or thrown away.

As standard, the counters are manufactured in stainless steel facilitating cleaning regimes. Fri-Jado’s Custom Counters may be supplied with a wide variety of custom finishes, including tiled, stone and wood cladding to meet house livery and style. Logos, signwriting and branding may also be accommodated for personalisation of counters.

Gary Thacker added:

“We have already completed several large projects for major supermarkets in the UK and Europe, using the ‘Configurator’ 3D modelling tool. We are now extending the service to more of our food retailing customers, contractors, distributors and equipment concept specialists.”

Haskins Garden Centre in Ferndown has been announced as a semi-finalist in the 2018 BAPTAs for the Afternoon Tea Award. These awards celebrate tourism across the BH postcodes.

Sponsors of the Afternoon Tea Award category, Country Fare, visited Haskins last week to present the popular garden centre with its certificate.

The Afternoon Tea Award is given in recognition of a company offering a quintessentially British afternoon tea for locals and visitors, amongst other food offerings.

Scones at Haskins are made fresh daily throughout the day by the restaurant's team of pastry chefs. Last year, Haskins sold 219,000 scones and 3,591 Afternoon Teas for two. The popular garden centre restaurant offers a daily choice of plain, fruit and cheese scones.

Ben Harrison, group catering manager at Haskins, said: "We're delighted to have been voted for by the public to reach the semi-finals of the BAPTA Afternoon Tea Award. It really means so much to all the dedicated and skilled chefs that work so hard to deliver a delicious afternoon tea experience for our customers."

Haskins has a special Valentine's Day Afternoon Tea offer - a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with cream and jam and cakes, served with a complimentary glass of Prosecco (£19.95 for two). This is available on a pre-booking basis only; bookings are still available in the Ferndown restaurant.

Tim Whyatt, marketing manager at Country Fare, who presented the certificate to Haskins, said: "Congratulations to the team at Haskins for a well-deserved place in the BAPTA semi-finals. Country Fare is proud to sponsor this category and in turn support the best the BH area has to offer."

The BAPTA Afternoon Tea Award, sponsored by Country Fare, is one of few categories voted for by the public. Other semi-finalists include Christchurch Harbour Hotel & Spa, Compton Acres, Frieda's Tea Room, Hotel Miramar, Hotel Collingwood, Marsham Court Hotel, The Courtyard Tea Rooms, The Cumberland Hotel and The Greenhouse Hotel.

Jackie Phillipson, director of ROUTEpr and the BAPTAs, said: "The Country Fare Afternoon Tea Award is a public vote category which attracts entries and nominations from across the BH postcode area.

"The public has a real passion for the quintessentially British pastime of tea and cake. This award recognises the importance of excellent customer service, homemade produce as well as a relaxed setting to enjoy it in. Entries for this category range from hotels, restaurants and tea rooms."

The winners will be revealed at the 2018 BAPTA Ball Awards Ceremony on Thursday March 15 at Lighthouse in Poole.

Haskins Garden Centre is located in Ferndown, Dorset. Visit www.haskins.co.uk<http://www.haskins.co.uk> for more information.

Pictured, from left tor right: Tim Whyatt (Marketing Manager at Country Fare), Kris Hall (Sales Manager at Country Fare), Simon Hallam (Centre Manager at Haskins Garden Centre in Ferndown), Chelsie Eyre (Pastry Chef at Haskins), Ben Ryding (Restaurant Supervisor), Ben Harrison (Group Catering Manager at Haskins).