The Pot Place Garden Centre in Plumpton, Penrith, is seeking a donation for its Ukraine appeal in return for a Governess Cart.

Paul, from the The Pot Place says the cart would make a statement piece in any garden centre display. “We don’t have the indoor area here but most centres do and it would make a great centrepiece for a seasonal displays,” he added.

“We were given Governess Cart by a local lady, who wants us to sell it and put the money towards our Ukraine appeal. 

“We’re looking for a donation of £1,000 plus – it’s nothing if you see the craftsmanship.”

The Pot Place is still taking ambulances out to Ukraine so the fundraising goes on. In early October they’ll be out there again with an ambulance, a 4x4 evacuation vehicle and three paramedic motorcycles.

In May the Pot Place took two ambulances and a paramedic bike to Lviv and these are now in use over there.

The current Just Giving page can be accessed at 

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/the-pot-place-ambulances-for-ukraine

Contact details:

The Pot Place Garden Centre

Station Yard

Plumpton

Penrith

CA11 9GT

T: 01768 885500

M: 07850 718699

Corby + Fellas has announced that it has successfully finished its third installation of the summer at Brick Kiln Garden Centre in Chichester, West Sussex. 

Brick Kiln Garden Centre is a family-run business that is passionate about providing great value and sensational offers.

The garden centre has a wide variety of plants, flowers, trees, and shrubs, as well as a wide variety of gardening supplies and equipment. They also have a restaurant that serves delicious food, a coffee shop, and a gift shop.

We are delighted to be working with Laura and the team and look forward to a successful future together.

Pictured: Laura Van der Wee, Director at Brick Kiln, and Jacob Parker, C+F Support Engineer.

Tom Chambers is delighted to announce that its new Garden Furniture Showroom has now attracted in excess of 70 garden centres to view its ranges, all in the past few weeks. The showroom is dedicated to showcasing the latest trends in outdoor furniture with designs exclusive to Tom Chambers, promising an enriching experience for retailers.

Based in Burton-On-Trent, visitors to the Showroom can expect to see an expansive display of innovative and stylish outdoor furniture sets, designed to transform any garden space into a haven of comfort and elegance. Retailers can also see the new 2023/24 birdcare range during their visit and from September 1^st their full 2024 garden range which includes over 60 new products.

Steve Millington, Sales Director, Tom Chambers said "We are delighted with the number of visitors to our new showroom and the orders which have been placed. Tom Chambers is a name associated with quality and innovation and our furniture ranges are no different”.

Thompsons Garden Centre Group buyer, Mike Bramley who visited the Showroom recently said “It’s been great coming to the Showroom, which has given me the time to view the furniture and birdcare in a relaxed and welcoming environment, and we have placed our container orders for next season as they certainly have something a bit different“.

For garden centres looking to explore the latest trends in garden furniture, come and see us in Burton-On-Trent. The Showroom will be open until October 31st and appointments can be made by either calling the sales office on 01405 766856, emailing sales@tomchambers.co.uk or contacting your local Tom Chambers representative.

Timber garden furniture, GYO and decorative structure specialist, Zest had a great time at Four Oaks, showcasing its new 2024 products and its latest customer support package.  

Positioned as a leader in ecologically sustainable outdoor living and offering one of the widest ranges of stylish, natural timber products on the market, Zest welcomed customers old and new to its stand.

Zest’s new range, all designed in house, focused on relaxation, entertainment and being at one with nature.  There was also a strong environmental emphasis including the development of existing products to enable greener packaging and transportation.  

New products include the Terraza Outdoor Kitchen, complementing the popular, Garden Pizza Oven Table and award winning, Zest Garden Bar and Two Stool Set, launched to consumers this spring.  There are two space-saving timber greenhouses, both sturdy, stylish and with loads of functionality for GYO enthusiasts.  Another new product in the GYO range is the Zest Eco Hive Composter, shaped to resemble a traditional beehive, and forconsumers who want to relax, the new Zest Stirling Arbour is perfect.  

The Zest collection is made from sustainable slow-grown softwood sourced from PEFC certified (PEFC/16-37-1490) forests.  Zest’s product design is based on DFMA (design for manufacturing and assembly) principles, meaning that manufacturing, packaging and transportation are optimised for sustainability.  

New for this year in terms of marketing support is an indoor display package including handy ‘how to style’ videos.  And alongside its expanding library of lifestyle images, video and point of sale, Zest is launching an augmented reality function which enables consumers to view selected virtual product in their own gardens using smartphone technology.  It is also supporting stockists with national consumer marketing campaigns in popular garden and lifestyle magazines.

For further information about Zest’s timber GYO, decorative and furniture products visit https://zestoutdoorliving.co.uk/trade/ or email sales@zestoutdoorliving.co.uk

Wyevale Nurseries has this week launched a new e-commerce website selling bare root hedging plants.

The new website www.wyevalehedges.co.uk is purely an e-venture born out of increasing direct demand experienced by the leading British commercial nursery from consumers wishing to buy bare root online.

Chairman of Wyevale Nurseries, Heather Williamson explains: “Wyevale Hedges is a new venture established to plug a gap in the market, supplying high quality British grown bare root hedging direct to the public. It will feature more than 150 items of hedging stock along with some planting sundries.”

www.wyevalehedges.co.uk is designed to cater to individuals and businesses that do not meet the minimum order quantity requirements for commercial sales.

Heather continues: “During the various Covid lockdowns, we experienced much more online interest direct from consumers for our hedging and expertise. This has continued and we felt it was important to help meet this online demand.

“We will of course continue to provide our bare root hedging to garden centres and other retailers to sell to the general public as well, and our range will be available as normal to all commercial landscaping and amenity customers too. The website is simply there to meet the online demand that we’ve already been receiving from consumers who want to buy from a virtual platform.

“Our commercial customers will always be Wyevale Nurseries focus and we know that their USPs are very much about being part of their local communities and offering human interaction, face-to-face, plus hands-on advice, this is something our online presence will not match. Customers at garden centres, of course, will also be able to see what they are buying in person.

“The website, which is managed and run by a team of highly experienced personnel from Wyevale Nurseries, offers excellent advice on choosing the right product to best suit a customer’s needs, along with planting and aftercare advice, again something our garden centre customers could tap into to help them advise their customers in-store too.”

Wyevale Hedges is the latest initiative from Wyevale Nurseries, which is a wholesale horticultural nursery with nearly 95 years’ experience in growing a wide range of plants. It started growing bare root hedging in 1987.

The product selection available from Wyevale Nurseries is envied across the industry and the talented team regularly introduces new, award-winning plant varieties.

Its main business is to supply garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, please visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk.

Autumn Fair, the UK’s leading wholesale marketplace for Home, Gift and Fashion, came to a close yesterday after four days hosting over 500 exhibitors and their inspirational and innovative new products.

Thousands of retailers including Sainsbury’s, Next, Dunelm, Boots, Ocado, Waterstone’s, Osprey London, Brand Alley, Tropic Skincare, Scribbler, Clintons, Oliver Bonas, Fenwick Ltd, Cardzone, Lakeland, M&S, Matalan, Pengethley Garden Centre, Aldi, Tesco, TJX Europe, Toys R Us, The Works, WHSMITH, Wm Morrisons Supermarkets, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, British Garden Centres, Aylett Nurseries, English Heritage, After Noah, Barnado’s, Blue Diamond, Brown Thomas Arnotts, Chatsworth Estate, Cotswold Living, Avon Cosmetics, Holland & Barrett, Zoological Society of London, Liverpool FC, Jarrold, Lark London, Longleat, Ryman, JoJo Maman Bebe, Menarys, Ragdale Hall, Scotts of Stow, Caffe Nero, The British Museum Company, The Walt Disney Company, and more converged at the NEC Birmingham from the 3rd – 6th September to shop the show for their next bestsellers across a huge breadth of product categories within Home, Gift and Fashion. Many enjoyed special features including the New Product Showcase and the Gift Of The Year Showcase which took centre stage in Hall 6 as well as an insightful and visual content programme on the Inspiring Retail Stage & Moda Catwalk.

Daniel Mayhew, Event Director, Spring & Autumn Fair says, “Both the Gift Of The Year Showcase and New Product Showcase displayed some of the best products in show and buyers made a beeline for Hall 6 to discover the hottest designs for the season ahead. We really enjoyed creating a dedicated space to champion our Autumn Fair newcomers, and love to see how much our visitors enjoy these and the stimulating content we offer on the Inspiring Retail Stage & Moda Catwalk. Thank you to everyone who has attended and taken part in the show.”

This season’s New Product Showcase championed the new home, gift and fashion brands joining the Autumn Fair line-up for the first time. Buyers on the hunt for newness discovered a curated display of over 50 new exhibitors showcasing over 100 exciting new products as well as the latest products from established favourites and some exciting new designs from returning brands, all situated in the heart of the Gift sector in Hall 6. (Discover more in our Spotlight on the New Product Showcase release attached)

Renowned for its inspirational and insightful content, the Inspiring Retail Stage and Moda Catwalk welcomed visitors to a programme dedicated to trends, sustainability, and business advice as well as the high energy trend-led catwalk shows. On Monday, in collaboration with its trend agency partner TrendBible, the stage hosted two trend presentations focusing on the key lifestyle trends for home, gifting and celebration.

Naomi Pollard, Head of Publications at TrendBible offered vital insights into the Interior Lifestyle Trends for 2024 and an overview of four key Macro Trends that carry throughout the year, as well as 2024 Gifting and Celebration Trends offering visitors a head start on the key trends impacting consumers and the opportunities for celebration from Valentine’s Day through to Christmas.

On Tuesday, circularity took centre stage. Helena Mansell-Stopher, Founder of Products of Change, James George a Senior Strategist and Consultant in Circular Economy, and Mike Swain a Products of Change Ambassador for Packaging, opened with ‘Navigating the Future of Sustainability: Part 1’. The Products of Change team took the audience through significant changes to UK, Europe and Global legislation, from the UK’s new Packaging Tax, Europe’s Net-Zero pledge, the Digital Product Passport and 2024’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EDR).

Products of Change returned in the afternoon to panel a session with Ian Greaves, CEO at St. Eval, Tina Salt Founder of MAI (Making Animals Important), and Zoe Ryan Head of Marketing at Fizz Creations. In a frank conversation, the panellists explored their sustainability journeys; from St. Eval’s goal to achieving Net Zero by 2030, MAI’s launch as a small business during the pandemic, and Fizz Creation’s implementation of ethical practices across their global business. (Discover more in our Spotlight on Sustainability release attached)

Feedback from visitors highlighted newness, discovery, variety, atmosphere, and convenience. Lisa Wells from The Wardrobe, Dorking, Surrey said, “It's our first Autumn Fair. We didn't realise how big it is, we love it. We've just signed up with a new supplier of clothes, we're really excited about this, we think their clothes will do well. There's so much to see so we're going to be here for the next few days. We like to build up our suppliers list, so this is the perfect place to do that.”

Helen Whitehouse from Aurora Homeware, Walsall, "This show's been really informative, we've built a few networks here already. There are a few stands that we already work with but we still go to visit them because there's nothing like seeing a product in front of you so you can really get a feel of it.”

Simon Withey from Just Lily, Cornwall commented, “We love Autumn Fair, it’s the best show and we come every year. We’ve already discovered some great new products for our 4 stores in Cornwall and we’ve only been here a couple of hours.”

Ann Dicken from At Home Furnishings, Stockton-on-Tees said, “I've been coming to this show for about 20 years, this year is good, we've seen some new suppliers. This fair is great, it's big so you can walk around a few times and still find hidden gems. It's my favourite show, it's less stressful compared to the other shows I attend.”

Mark Warr from Bumble Living, Monmouth said, “The show is good, there are some interesting things here. There are some nice smaller brands exhibiting, it's nice to see something a little bit unusual. We are out looking for something a little bit different to what we are currently doing. We are looking for anything that fits really, we found some nice greeting and note cards. We also found some cool umbrellas by Emily Smith. The New Product Showcase is handy and The Gift Of The Year helps direct us where to go.”

Laura Wright from Flutter Home & Gift, Derby loved the variety saying, “There's loads here, such a variety. It's really great to be here. I'm having a little pit stop to gather my thoughts as to what I have seen. I have a list of existing suppliers I want to go and see and I'm also trying to find new ones. I have a list of new ones I have found today.”

Marianne Lindsay from Wilkies Trading Ltd, Scotland said, “It is great to see everything under one roof. There is a good assortment of brands and categories, it works really well for us. It's nice to see suppliers you have, especially being in Scotland with no showrooms up there. It's good to pick up some newness and excitement. When you walk around the trends start to show, and you don't see that if you don't visit trade shows. I love the New Product Showcase.”

Steve Haspell from Barsleys Kent, “I am buying for our family-owned department store, currently in our 4th generation. I am here buying gift and furniture accessories, I am finding things that I wasn't intending to buy today. Shows have changed, I have been coming here 10 years, the layout has changed so you are throwing me into areas that I was missing before so I am finding new suppliers.”

Ann-Sofie Widegren from A&M Restoration & Conservation, London said, “It’s our first-time visiting Autumn Fair and it’s been a great positive surprise and a great atmosphere. We have enjoyed meeting new sellers and also have been able to make orders with suppliers that we are already using. We will definitely come back again!”

Karen Eatough from Dolly & Joes, Abbots Bromley said, “We have visited for approximately 13 years and love coming to Spring Fair too, we spend some of our budget here and love finding new suppliers. Everyone is so friendly, and we love finding new products, always something new to see, and never want to leave.”

Jill Donaghy from Stockeld Park, North Yorkshire said, “We love coming to Autumn Fair; it is easy to walk around and we always find new suppliers and find things we normally wouldn’t see.”

Annie Jones from Clay Cross DIY, Chesterfield, “We’ve been in business 35 years and been coming forever, and always find new suppliers. Would definitely recommend the show and wouldn’t want to miss it, we actually book our holidays around the show. It’s also great to look at stuff we don’t usually sell.”

Hayley Lambarth of Annie Violet, Suffolk said “We really enjoy our annual trip to the Autumn Fair. Lots of newness to discover! Love how it’s all set out and would definitely recommend it to everyone.”

Ann Marie Finn Bridge from Atlanta Finn Lld, Ireland said, “I come to Autumn Fair most years, it is great to attend to top up. My budget to spend ranges from £10-15k and I mainly come to look at gifts, clothing and footwear. Brands I come to visit in particular include Joe Davies, Widdop and Langs.”

Lynn Walton from Timothy Guttridge, Newcastle-under-Lyme said, “I’ve been coming to Autumn Fair for 18 years. I love to come and see everything in one place for convenience. It’s important for me to come and see products in person because you get to touch the products which you don’t get when ordering online. Because I’ve seen the products in person, I’ll then continue to order from that supplier online throughout the year. I aim to spend around £10k each time I attend, not including the amount spent during the year with these suppliers.”

Caoimhe Thornton from Accessorised by Elite, Newry, Northern Ireland, said, “We were very impressed with the show, a lovely atmosphere, good crowd and good selection of exhibitors. We purchased from new and existing accessories brands; it was nice to find something new to add to our in store brands.”

Positive feedback from exhibitors included Adam Langley, Sales Director, Professor Puzzle commented, “We have had a great show, it has been really busy today and yesterday.  Yesterday we took a very good amount of orders and today we have seen a good amount of great customers from both independents and majors, we have had people from a real cross section of the market, WHSmith, Lakeland, we have had meetings with The Works. So far Sunday and Monday has been a great and solid show, with a good level of business.”

Simon Mitchell from new brand Green Laurels says, “As a new business this is our first experience at a trade show and it’s going really well – we are delighted to be included in the New Product Showcase. The community amongst exhibitors is lovely and the atmosphere and quality of visitors is fantastic at Autumn Fair. We’ve made some really interesting connections and buyers seem very keen to discover new, made in England and particularly sustainable and ethically produced products like ours.”

Oliver Butts, Managing Director, The English Soap Company was also over the moon saying, “The show has gone fantastically well, we're delighted with the Autumn Fair. It is great to get the orders in and then you can plan for Christmas as well. We have definitely seen the people we wanted to meet, a combination of new customers and new businesses as well as our key existing customers. We sell hand creams, hand soaps, washes and similar products and the show environment is essential for customers to come and try, feel and smell our products, the trade shows really do anchor our business.”

Rob Franks, Managing Director of Nova Leathers, was buoyed by the new business opportunities, “We have had a really good show, it has been really positive. We have been able to meet with lots of our clients and also just as importantly picked up new stockists across boutiques and garden centres.”

Kieran McNamara from Winning Moves UK highlighted the key trends for toys and the main successes at Autumn Fair, “We’re seeing the kidult pound really growing; adults buying games for themselves more and more which is something we’re tapping in to. The showstopper for us at Autumn Fair is our Squishmallows Monopoly, we’ve already won really nice awards for it. We’re working with various retail partners like Game, Entertainer, WHSmiths, Asda, Argos and Sainsburys, it’s gaining huge momentum. What’s great about this is that we’ve been able to bring out an exclusive version of Cam the Cat, the first ever Squishmallow plush that was released, with our relationships we’ve been able to create a collector’s item with it dressed as Mr Monopoly. The interest for this at Autumn Fair has been amazing, we’re oversubscribed on Squishmallow’s already, we’re already having to ask retailers to reforecast so everyone can get a flavour.”

For further information visit www.autumnfair.com

The organisers of Autumn Fair have issued a statement following the launch of the Connect feature, which was designed to bring suppliers and buyers together at the show.

Aftrer a meeting on Wednesday morning between the organisers and exhibitors, Nicola Meadows, Divisional Managing Director of Hyve Group, said: “I really appreciated speaking to the group of exhibitors, who shared their thoughts and feelings about the onsite experience, the delivery, and outcomes of Connect and the general feel across the show floor."

Nicola, pictured above, added: “We have listened and were able to have a constructive conversation and would like to reassure all our exhibitors that while we evaluate the overall show, gain further feedback, and follow up with each of them, their location and rates will not change. In the meantime, will not be increasing rates and the onsite offer will be frozen for the next 28 days.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our exhibitors for persevering with us and continuing to provide feedback. We know how important these shows are to the industry and want to continue to listen to feedback and experiences to make the show the best it can be going forward.”

Source Home & Gift came to a successful conclusion after four days of innovation, networking, and collaboration. The global showcase provided a hub for manufacturers, designers, buyers, and distributors to engage in meaningful conversations, explore emerging trends, establish invaluable business connections, and foster global trade relationships.

From the 3rd - 6th September, the second edition of Source Home & Gift which has tripled in size since its inaugural show in February, brought together key buyers and sourcing directors from brands and retailers including Oh Deer, Sainsburys, Dunelm, Haskins Garden Centre, Indico, Blue Diamond, Funky Pigeon, M&M, Matalan, Disney, Morrisons, M&S, Next, Costcutter, AIS, Alzheimers Society, Amazon, B&Q, Card Factory, Ridleys Games, and many more all actively looking to establish new relationships and purchase from new suppliers in a responsible way.

Hundreds of accredited manufacturers, producers, and artisans from 14 countries including Bangladesh, China, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Uganda, UK, Uzbekistan, and the first dedicated Egyptian Pavilion organised by Egypt Expo & Convention Authority (EECA) told their stories and showcased their products and manufacturing capabilities across product categories including homewares, furniture, gifts, stationery and greetings, toys, textiles, household and pet supplies, and packaging.

Suzanne Ellingham, Director of Sourcing, Source Home & Gift says, “Source Home & Gift is all about bringing together buyers and procurement leaders with responsible manufacturers and makers. Our second show has delivered a hugely exciting portfolio of producers, manufacturers and artisans and offered visitors a convenient and much-needed platform in the UK for responsible sourcing.

“The Responsible Sourcing Stage has hosted some fascinating and insightful presentations putting the key industry topics and trends at the forefront. Our dedication to presenting compelling content underscores our role as a driving force in promoting a more sustainable and responsible global economy. In a world facing unprecedented challenges, Source Home & Gift stands as a symbol of resilience, innovation, and international cooperation. The show has closed celebrating new connections, innovative products, fresh perspectives, and an ongoing commitment to driving responsible global economic growth. I’ve loved seeing the variety of products on show and have picked my favourites.”

Suzanne’s Product Picks

• Cat bed: Hangzhou Tianyuan Pet Products Co - “Pet Gifting is one of the fastest growing categories in retail. Petstar are an amazing manufacturer, whilst they had some wonderful, recycled paper dog beds that looked like leather, I have four cats, and they would look unbelievably cute in this cat bed!”
• Toys and mouse Christmas decoration: Zhejiang Goodluck Creative Industries - “Another ethical manufacturer who doubles down on children’s gifts, the monster range I can see as being super commercial, and these ever popular felt decorations. For those thinking about Christmas buying this company was an amazing find.
• Bag: Wenzhou Miles Packaging - “What I loved about all bags on this stand was that they were all made out of recycled materials, the save our ocean bag was recycled from reclaimed ocean plastics. I really loved getting to know this company. Durable, and with a message that matters, what’s not to love?”
• Vase: Tor Glass UK - “I loved this Glass manufacturer, their ranging and glass work is exceptional. I loved the colours of these hand-blown glass vases.”
• Pot: Homede - “This was a standout for the show, beautifully crafted products, that included everything from ceramic vases, and succulent pots, to faux floral, made in Vietnam and China, this is a company I loved seeing on our show floor.”
• Teapot: Hebei Cookwin Kitchen Products Co - “These traditional textured teapots make a great gift!”
• Drinks bottle: Everich Commerce Group Ltd - “There were a number of drinkware companies at the show, but I liked the quality and the graduated colours on their ranges. This was a great quality product.”
• Ceramic mugs: Huunan Xianfeng ceramic Industry - “Trend led, well made and I expect to see these instore next year. Homewares and tableware buyers that don’t know this manufacturer should seek them out.”
• Throws: Design 2100 International - “Designed and made in India, so soft! This company has fair trade practices and honestly, when I see something, I want in my house, I know others will too.”
• Straws: Unigreen - “One of the stands that was constantly busy, and I am not surprised, the sustainability and ethical approach they take to packaging and consumable products was outstanding. If you’re looking for packaging solutions from bamboo and sugar cane with 0 plastics with fair prices, you have to see them.”
• Cork notebooks: Wenzhou Liushan Crafts and Gifts – “I love these notebooks. This company takes its FSC accreditation seriously and has such a great range of products to suit any stationary buyer.”
• Glass bottles: Weifang Jinzita Metal Works – “Perfect for anyone looking for white labelling of candles and fragrances. The vessels were on trend and wouldn’t look out of place in any high-end boutique – this manufacturer was a bit of a gem and I was a hard pressed with which range to pull out!”

Feedback from the show floor was very positive. Exhibitor Tor Glass, glassware specialists from the UK commented, ‘’We are enjoying the show very much, we love the atmosphere. We’ve had lots of different types of visitors – people who have little shops, people who have garden centres and wholesalers. A buyer from TX Maxx visited our stand earlier which was brilliant too. We’re definitely looking to come back in February.’’

Buyers from Dunelm said, “It’s been a really good show, we’ve been looking for wall art and pictures and for us responsible and sustainable sourcing is so important. We will be back in February!”

Kieron Ayres, Assistant Sourcing Manager from Sainsbury’s plc commented, “We came not knowing what to expect from Source Home & Gift, we have had some great conversations and it makes sense for us to meet our suppliers here in the UK. It makes so much sense to come to a UK based show.”

Mike Dickens, Senior Program Manager, Amazon said, “Source Home & Gift is a great chance to meet lots of potential domestic and international suppliers in one place. Early face-to-face interactions with suppliers give you a good opportunity to build trust and rapport before getting into business together.”

Claire Bagnall-Hunt, Senior Commercial Trading Executive, Alzheimers Society added, ‘’We’re looking for ethical and responsible suppliers that are based in the UK, particularly those with on-trend products, and so we were very interested in attending Source Home & Gift. We’ll definitely be coming again for February’s edition to find even more UK based suppliers.’’

Tuesday’s opening seminar panel on the Responsible Retail Stage, ‘What does the UK’s new unilateral preferences trade agreement mean for global sourcing?’ with Karen Johnson and Rupert Casson from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) offered invaluable insight into the UK’s new legislation, the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). It removes or reduces import duties from 65 developing countries, leading to £770million per year of reduced import costs and up to £2billion in trade benefit by 2030. The scheme offers duty-free, quota-free trade on thousands of products, leading to diversification of sourcing in the UK and £770 million per year of reduced import costs, whilst supporting sustainable growth in developing countries and strengthening ties between the UK and developing economies. The educational seminar gave attendees the opportunity to educate themselves on how to expand their reach and increase export opportunities.

“These changes will make it easier for developing countries to export to the UK but will also make it easier and more economically viable for UK buyers to source from developing countries,” said Rupert Casson.

Linda Zeilina-Cross, Founder and CEO of International Sustainable Finance Centre also took stage for ‘Creating a competitive advantage through circularity and sustainable practices’, emphasising that sustainable practices are not only ethical but increasingly necessary for long-term economic growth. From recycled materials to fair labour practices, the presentation highlighted the positive impact that businesses can have on the environment and society, ultimately creating value to deliver strong financial returns for stakeholders and investors.

Visit www.source-homeandgift.com for more information. The next show takes place on the 4th – 7th February 2024.

With one month to go to until the opening of its new flagship store at the Junction Retail and Leisure Park Antrim, Northern Ireland, Dobbies is cementing its support in the local community by launching a partnership with Riverside School in Antrim. 

Dobbies is set to open its new 110,000 sq ft store at The Junction on 5th October 2023, the biggest store in its UK-wide portfolio.

Ahead of the new store opening, Riverside School, a special school for pupils aged 3 – 19 based in Antrim, has been selected as Dobbies official school partner.

Speaking about the important partnership Dobbies General Manager, Ken Ferguson said: “Dobbies is committed to giving back to the community on both a national and local level and partnerships like this with Riverside School are hugely important to our team.

“With outdoor play and learning having a big role in Riverside School, we felt this was the perfect fit for our store which includes indoor and outdoor gardening products and outdoor furniture.

“We look forward to developing our relationship with Riverside School further and the opportunity to bring real benefits to the pupils, teachers and the entire school community.”

Olivia Lavery, Principal of Riverside School said: “We were thrilled to be selected as the school partner to the new Dobbies store in Antrim. Outdoor learning is a big part of everyday school life at Riverside and we look forward to enhancing this through the partnership with Dobbies, which we know will help our children to ‘Enjoy, Learn and Flourish’.

“The pupils are looking forward to attending the opening of the store and getting to know the Dobbies team better.”

The new flagship Dobbies store at The Junction Retail & Leisure Park will open to the public at 10:00am on Thursday 5th October.

A garden furniture retailer has been told by an advertising watchdog to remove promotional material that claimed customers had won a ‘free egg chair’.

The Advertising Standard Authority received complaints about an email, a website and a paid-for Instagram story posted for Rattan Hut.

a. The website www.rattanhut.co.uk, seen between 2 and 14 June 2023, featured a wheel that consumers could “spin” to receive a prize, one of which was a “FREE EGG CHAIR”. Text stated “HURRAY! YOU HAVE WON A FREE EGG CHAIR. Please apply the voucher code to your basket to automatically claim your gift by the end of today”, followed by a voucher code.

b. The email, seen on 14 June 2023, stated “[…] you’ve won a gift by spinning the wheel on our website! […] you get to choose from one of three amazing gifts: a free egg chair worth £395.98, a free premium cover set worth £199.99, or a voucher for £150 off your purchase. To claim your chosen gift, all you need to do is enter the coupon code at the basket stage of your order”, followed by a list of codes for each item.

c. The paid-for Instagram story post, seen on 6 July 2023, featured an image of a cantilever parasol set with a struck-through price of £699.99, underneath which was the word “FREE”. At the bottom of the post was a link to the website in ad (a). A code was provided for consumers to enter at the “basket” stage of their order.

The complainants, who understood consumers had to meet a minimum order value to use the voucher codes, challenged whether the claims the items in the ads were “free” was misleading.

AOS Trading Ltd t/a Rattan Hut did not respond to the ASA’s enquiries.

In its ruling the authority stated: “The ASA was concerned by Rattan Hut’s lack of response and apparent disregard for the Code, which was a breach of CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 1.7 (Unreasonable delay). We reminded them of their responsibility to respond promptly to our enquiries and told them to do so in future.

“The CAP Code stated that marketing communications must not describe a product as "free" if the consumer has to pay anything other than the unavoidable cost of responding and collecting or paying for delivery of the item.

“The ASA considered consumers would understand the claims “FREE EGG CHAIR” in ad (a), “a free egg chair” in ad (b), and “FREE” in relation to a cantilever parasol in ad (c) to mean they could obtain those items for free from Rattan Hut. However, we understood the items could only be obtained if consumers ordered other item(s) through the Rattan Hut, up to a minimum order value. We therefore concluded the claim “free” in the ads was misleading.

“The ads must not appear again in the form complained of. We told AOS Trading Ltd t/a Rattan Hut not to refer to products as “'free” where consumers had to pay anything other than the unavoidable cost of responding and collecting or paying for delivery of the relevant item. We referred the matter to the CAP Compliance team.”

The full ruling can be found at

https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/aos-trading-ltd-g23-1201939-aos-trading-ltd.html

Henry Bell & Co is celebrating long-service work anniversaries across its Grantham-based operations. Managing Director Thomas Lee has clocked up 35 years with the Lincolnshire company, while Finance Director Carol Foster joined 54 years ago – and five team members are not far behind.

Thomas joined his father, Robert, in the family business in 1988 after completing his studies and time spent travelling. He started on the cereal seed cleaning and packing line before learning all the other production processes as he worked his way up, taking over as MD in 1995. 

Over the years, he has guided Henry Bell through a rapidly changing marketplace, ensuring that customers always receive top-quality products and exceptional service. Four years ago, Thomas introduced the company’s own brand, the Henry Bell Wild Bird Care Collection, an exciting range of bird feed and accessories supplying more than 850 garden centres. 

“I am the fourth generation of my family to run this company,” said Thomas. “It was originally bought by my great-grandfather, Rothwell Lee, in 1927 when it was a flour mill. Although it has changed considerably over the years, the one constant has been the incredible people who have worked here and the fantastic committed and dedicated team we have here today.”

Carol arrived at Henry Bell as the office junior in 1969 and became Finance Director in 1995, working closely with Thomas. She has overall responsibility for the financial side of the business reporting to Thomas as well as preparing full accounts for auditing purposes and ensuring the Company operates with the legal boundaries of Company legislation. 

Apart from a two-year gap from 1986 to 1988, when Carol left to work at a regional conference centre, her career has been spent at Henry Bell. “I absolutely love it here,” she said. “Tom and I became directors in the same year and we were the new kids on the block. Our staff are like family and there’s no job that Tom and I can’t or will not do. We don’t ask anyone to do something that we are not prepared to take on ourselves.”

Members of staff joining Tom and Carol in celebrating their many years at Henry Bell are:

• Dave Dixon, a team leader in the mixer shed who is marking his silver anniversary. “It’s a great place to work and we all know one another,” he says. “They are a fantastic bunch of people and we are trusted to get on with our jobs. We all pull together and I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing that pallets are stacked well and look really good on the lorry.”
• Robbie Williams, a warehouse manager who started 21 years ago. “Henry Bell is a company that, if you are happy here, you are here for all your working life,” he said. “That really reflects the company and the hands-on management. I really like my job and the way that nothing stands still. There are orders coming in and going out every day.”
• Meganne Chambers, who has worked at Henry Bell & Co for over 20 years, as stock controller since 2008 She works in the office in a key role that supports the formulation of feed products. Duties include loading mix sheets into the manufacturing systems and making sure all stock levels are balanced and accounted for. “There is a real camaraderie here,” she said. “We really care about one another and we are definitely not just a number. We are all really excited about the Henry Bell Wild Bird Care Collection and it’s really fulfilling to see the products out on sale looking so smart and attractive.”
• Andy Allen, a line leader in the mixing shed, a position he has held for eight of the 17 years he has worked for the company. “I take care of the bird feed line and, although you might think mixers are repetitive, there’s always something different happening,” he said. “It is hard work, but I enjoy my job and, although the company has got a lot busier over the years, things have got easier, as we now have robots stacking the bags rather than us doing it.” Andy has just taken retirement and will be greatly missed by the management.
• Terry Desmond a night shift supervisor for 20 years who before that spent five years operating  the micronizers (a cooking process used for cereals and pulses). “The work and nights really agree with me,” he said. “There are four of us on this shift working with the grinder turning wheat into flour for use in pet foods. I am really happy in my role, I like the people I work with and the management.”

Thomas added: “ Introducing our own brand of wild bird feed and accessories to the company’s  existing product portfolio has been a pretty spectacular time for us. It is going really well – we have some super customers and great accounts, and it’s been growing year on year. 

“However, we are never complacent. Our whole company is focused on ensuring our customers remain happy with Henry Bell products and the service we provide, and we appreciate that it is only possible thanks to our family of staff who always go above and beyond to do their very best.”

Pictured celebrating their work anniversaries are (left to right): Carol Foster, Andy Allen, Dave Dixon, Robbie Williams, Meganne Chambers, Vitalijia Juske and Thomas Lee.

Johnsons Lawn Seed is encouraging retailers to stock up on its portfolio to cope with the upcoming autumn demand amongst consumers, after the summer’s weather which saw one of the most temperamental and unpredictable seasons on record.

With consumers looking to repair their sodden and moss-ridden grass, the demand for quality lawn seed will be rife as gardeners look to return their lawns to their former glory in the winter months.

Johnsons Lawn Seed’s product range is on hand this autumn lawncare season to bring the greenest of grass to its customers and will help retailers win with shoppers in this category in what is the biggest opportunities this year. And with a seismic shift taking place against the use of artificial turf and its environmental consequences, there has never been a better time to invest in Johnson’s lawn technology and innovation for a greener planet.

Guy Jenkins, Consumer Manager at Johnsons Lawn Seed said: “After a slow, wet start to spring, directly followed by a rainy summer, lawns were put under a lot of strain this year, turning them into squelchy, spongy ground.  However, with autumn fast approaching, lawns are in desperate need of care and attention with gardeners wanting to recover the grass, so it survives over winter.  Garden centres can expect the coming weeks to be a very good sales season for lawn seed, and for Johnsons we could be seeing some of our largest autumn sales this year, so we encourage retailers to put their orders in now to get tills ringing.”

BESTSELLERS FROM JOHNSONS LAWN SEED

Johnsons Quick Lawn is one of the company’s leading products, applauded for its Accelerator coating, a revolutionary two-in-one seed coating now available to the amateur gardener.  The fast-germinating Accelerator technology is applied to each individual seed,  which directs nutrients into the seed. This helps it absorb more water and germinate rapidly, resulting in 38% more grass within the first seven days. It also attracts beneficial bacteria in the soil to the roots for a firm establishment, requires less mowing and is child, pet, and environment friendly too.

With the darker days and nights drawing in, retailers cannot go wrong by stocking Shady Place or Luxury Lawn seed on the shelves. Both these bestsellers contain Johnsons’ innovative  Seedbooster™ treatment, used in the professional turf market but now available to the garden centre and home market.  Seedbooster™ is applied to each seed, creating a parcel of fast and slow-release nitrogen-based fertiliser, resulting in more offshoots and a denser grass sward.  Seedbooster™ contains 10% nitrogen – at least five times as much nitrogen as the 1% to 2% found in other brands, meaning the lawn gets the nourishment at the root where it needs it the most over autumn and winter.

Super Smart Lawn Feed is a strong seasonal order that is popular with gardeners as it contains a unique ingredient that cannot currently be found in any other feed -  Azospirillum bacteria - which fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere to the grassroots. Combined with soluble mycorrhizal fungi to increase the root system, as well as seaweed extract to provide micronutrients to the lawn, the formula will result in positive sales for retailers who have been ordering their stock ready for autumn and spring.

In preparation for the upcoming autumn lawncare sales season, Johnsons Lawn Seed has been diligently working to maintain fully stocked shelves for retailers. Johnsons also provides extensive merchandising support to help retailers optimise revenue from their lawncare departments.

With ample stock levels at their Inkberrow warehouse and a delivery time of 2-3 days, garden centres can be confident that Johnsons Lawn Seed will have the product available when it is most needed to drive sales in this category.

Find out more

To find out more about Johnsons Lawn Seed products please visit http://www.johnsonslawnseed.com/product-range.aspx

The award for Best Showcase Garden at the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, in association with English Heritage, at Audley End House and Gardens, Saffron Walden was awarded to Lucy Chamberlain, Plant Expert and Head Gardener at East Donyland Hall near Colchester, and the Audley End kitchen garden team, Gemma Sturges and Kelly Fowler.

The green-fingered trio’s fruit and veg-packed Edible Garden Through Time was a celebration of ‘grow your own’, highlighting three pivotal periods of food-growing history, and scooped a Platinum award. The Autumn Fair’s Showcase and Competition Garden assessors were gardening editor, horticulturalist and journalist, Ian Hodgson, and award-winning designers Shaun Beale from Aura Landscapes and formerly from the Leckford Estate, and Pip Probert from Your Garden Made Perfect and Outer Spaces Landscaping & Design.

The winning Showcase Garden started its journey with a traditional 19th century kitchen garden, moving on to a family vegetable patch from 1968 (the year of BBC Gardeners’ World’s first broadcast), before reaching a contemporary growing plot that reflected the organic and wildlife friendly gardening principles adopted at Audley End, East Donyland Hall, and many veg gardens, allotments and growing spaces across the UK today. 

Lead assessor, Ian Hodgson, said: “This was a tour de force exhibit of veg gardening through the ages, underpinned by exquisite craftsmanship and attention to historical detail, both in plant varieties and props from the period. It worked as a garden both as a whole and in parts, with something for everyone.”

Lucy Chamberlain said: “I’m elated and overwhelmed to get this award as it’s our (and my) first show garden. It’s been a really interesting journey delving into plant history, landscaping materials and plant varieties.”

Gemma Sturges from the Audley End kitchen garden team said: “We’ve had so much engagement and interest in the Showcase Garden from visitors. Our garden teams and volunteers work so hard all year round and this has been a great way to put Audley End on the map. We just love gardening so winning this award is a lovely bonus.”

Rachel Poletti-Gadd, Portfolio Director - Gardening Division at Immediate Live, organisers of the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, said: “We’re thrilled for Lucy, Gemma and Kelly after a lot of hard work. Their wonderful homage to kitchen gardening managed to be both nostalgic and modern, guided by age-old principles and new practices around sustainable growing.”

Winners of the Association of Professional Landscapers’ Skills Competition and a Platinum award were JJH Landscapes from Oxfordshire, with team partner Radial Landscapes from West Sussex. The team took on Gadd Brothers from Bury St. Edmunds in the Autumn Fair’s tough creative and technical challenge to build a competition standard show garden in only 16.5 hours. APL assessor, Steve Smith from Shore Landscapes, observed the teams’ build process throughout, keeping a close eye on the countdown clock.

The winning team’s 21st Century Jacobean Garden was a drought-tolerant garden designed by Adam Vetere with elegant geometric features that mirrored elements of Audley End’s Great Hall.

Phil Tremayne, APL General Manager, said: “We assessed the teams’ skills, teamwork and quality of finish, and this was a very close scoring competition between two high-calibre, experienced landscaping companies. The brief required the inclusion of fencing, paving, decking, a water feature and planting elements and we saw two completely different design styles. It’s no small challenge to build a show garden in 16.5 hours and it was the JJH and Radial Landscapes’ design with its distinctive floating steps that gave the wow factor.”

Winners Justin Himpson, Director of JJH Landscapes, and Will Burberry, Director of Radial Landscapes, said: “We’re both big fans of show gardens and it was great to work together to create this one. It was amazing to see the garden finished and we were thrilled with how it turned out. To have won against the Gadd Bothers was amazing – we’ll definitely be back next year to defend our title!”

Rachel Poletti-Gadd, Portfolio Director - Gardening Division at Immediate Live, organisers of the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, said: “It’s important to recognise the technical skills of professional landscape teams whose talents often go unsung when it comes to building show gardens. Autumn Fair visitors really enjoyed watching the final stages of the APL competition and viewing the completed show gardens. Our congratulations to JJH and Radial Landscapes for their impressive efforts.”  

The BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, in association with English Heritage, at Audley End House and Gardens featured seasonal garden inspiration, expert tips, advice and tours, hands-on workshops, and plants to browse and buy. Highlights included talks and conversations with BBC Two Gardeners’ World presenters Frances Tophill, Arit Anderson and Adam Frost, the Gardeners’ World Magazine team, David Hurrion and Chris Bavin, grow-your-own advice from leading experts at the Let’s Grow Talks area, Plant Expert Tours of Audley End’s organic Kitchen Garden and historical tours of its Capability Brown landscape. There was plant and garden shopping galore from specialist growers, nurseries and retailers, a Plant Creche for bag-free shopping, and tasty eats, drinks, street food and live entertainment at the BBC Good Food Market.

Autumn Fair tickets included access to Audley End’s grand mansion with its great hall, state rooms, dressing rooms, servants’ wing, stables and chapel, and the organic walled Kitchen Garden, grounds, gardens, parklands and children’s play area.

The BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, in association with English Heritage, returns to Audley End House and Gardens from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September 2024. Tickets go on sale in spring 2024 at www.bbcgardenersworldfair.com.

ScanCom and LifestyleGarden® are celebrating today, as it has been confirmed that the new-for-2024 Onyx chair, powered by Social Plastic®, has been shortlisted for the ‘Recycled Product of the Year - Plastics’ award at the 2023 MRW National Recycling Awards.

These prestigious awards bring together key players from the world of waste management and recycling, including those brands that are placing recycling and innovative material usage at the heart of what they do. This year, the Recycled Product of the Year category has been split to recognise the efforts made by the industry to deal with one of the most pressing issues of our times, plastics. Finalists in this category are bringing to market those products that truly exemplify the very best of ‘plastic sustainability’. According to NRA criteria, shortlisted products will have been created with careful consideration of resources and incorporate recycled content. Factors, such as reusability, end of life, waste minimisation, and closed loop processes, will have all been taken into account in the design of these items.

There is no doubt that the new Onyx, powered by Social Plastic® is a worthy contender. A continuation of the brand’s long-term commitment to sustainable design, which began with the DuraOcean® chair in 2019 (itself a finalist at the 2020 National Recycling Awards), the Onyx chair continues the tradition of delivering a high percentage of recycled content, while retaining recyclability and providing exciting new sales opportunities for retailers.

Made from Social Plastic® – a groundbreaking Plastic Bank initiative that recycles waste material collected by those in the most vulnerable coastal communities in exchange for tokens that pay for daily essentials and help lift them out of poverty – each Onyx chair is responsible for reusing the equivalent volume of 155 recycled plastic bottles

Available in burnt orange, mint green, cream, and sky blue, the Onyx is stackable and fully recyclable. This new collection is perfect for both indoor and outdoor use, as well as contract purposes. A matching aluminium table will also be manufactured to complete the look.

Since launching this summer, the Onyx has already scooped the ‘Best Sustainable Product Award’ at leading outdoor leisure trade event, SOLEX. It has also further cemented ScanCom and LifestyleGarden®’s partnership with the Eden Project and Plastic Bank, together helping the brand to fulfil its mission of ‘Doing Business the Right Way’.

Addressing the shortlist announcement, LifestyleGarden® & ScanCom International Commercial Director (UK & Ireland), Paul Cohen, said: “We’re delighted to receive this shortlist nomination, as it is testament to the effort that can always be made to do better, starting with material choices and sourcing partners.  We’d like to thank the team at MRW for their recognition of our work.

“There is no doubt that the plight of our oceans and the impact of plastic waste has sped to the top of the consumer agenda and, through Onyx, the power of Social Plastic®, and our partnerships with Plastic Bank and the Eden Project, we are helping to provide solutions that are accessible to the masses. We firmly believe in the power of change and collective impact, which is why we continue to push the development of products that aim to place sustainability at their heart without compromising on style or functionality.”

The results of the 2023 MRW National Recycling Awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony on November 16th at City Central at HAC, London. Further details regarding the shortlist can be found at www.nra.mrw.co.uk

Find out more

To see more of LifestyleGarden® ‘s impressive portfolio, visit www.lifestylegarden.co.uk

Ben Reid Garden Centre and Nursery in Aberdeen had the privilege of hosting two distinguished political figures last week. 

On Thursday, 31 August, Stephen Flynn, Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South and Leader of the SNP in the House of Commons, visited the garden centre. His visit aimed to shed light on the pressing issues confronting the horticultural industry in Scotland.

Stephen Flynn engaged in a productive discussion with Simon Fraser, the director of Ben Reid Garden Centre and Nursery, delving into topics such as the use of peat by commercial growers, plant health concerns, and the challenges of importing plants. They discussed the Horticultural Trades Association's active lobbying efforts with Defra and the Scottish Government to address these critical issues. Simon also highlighted the financial strains placed on small businesses, including the burdensome costs of rates, utilities, escalating insurance premiums, and IT licenses.

As part of the visit, Ben Reid's donated a tree to a community garden or public space of Mr. Flynn's choosing this autumn.

On Tuesday, 29 August, Audrey Nicoll, Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen South, also made a special visit to Ben Reid to meet with Katie Lindsay, another director of the centre. The purpose of her visit was to promote the #ScotlandLovesLocal week initiative. A passionate gardener herself and a frequent visitor to the garden centre, Audrey Nicoll shared her enthusiasm for local horticultural businesses. As a token of appreciation, Ben Reid has also pledged a tree to be placed in a deserving location of Audrey's choice.

At a Scottish Parliamentary event earlier this year, held by the Horticultural Trades Association to discuss the Environmental Horticulture Growth Strategy for Scotland, many MSPs pledged to plant a tree in their community. The initiative is kindly sponsored by members of the HTA.

Simon Fraser commented: “We were pleased to support these visits as they help highlight the vital role that horticulture plays in our communities and the active engagement of politicians in addressing the industry's challenges. Ben Reid Garden Centre and Nursery remains dedicated to supporting the growth of sustainable horticulture in Scotland and beyond.”

Horticulture and landscaping supported contributions of £2.8bn towards GDP and over 64,000 jobs in Scotland in 2019. This has the potential to rise significantly by 2030.

The HTA has been working closely with MSPs and the Scottish Government to produce the Growth strategy, which has seven key ambitions for Scotland:

• Health – to create a healthier Scotland through horticulture
• Economy – Develop green economic growth, high-quality jobs, and invest in education/skills
• Environment – to mitigate climate change
• Local – Increase the use of Scottish and UK-grown plants as import substitution
• Industry – Drive Scottish growth through investment, development grants and reducing the cost of doing business
• Urban Nature – Produce a greener planning system
• Biosecurity – enhance and protect Scotland’s natural capital.

https://hta.org.uk/policy/scotland

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2018 as well as 2019 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 07973 504214, e-mail karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox.  The best news service every weekend and all the breaking news as it happens.

Subscribe for free using this link

Barrus has appointed Graham Knox as its new Chief Executive Officer, following an extensive search process. Graham will replace Robert Muir, when he retires from Barrus at the end of December this year, after 33 successful years. 

Graham brings a huge amount of relevant experience to Barrus, having had a successful career in heavy trucks, industrial & marine engines and transmissions. Graham is a business leader with an excellent track record in a successful family owned business. 

Graham started his career as an engineer with a custom builder of trucks and buses. He moved from engineering through after sales service to sales, and then on to senior management positions in engineering companies. 

From 4 September Graham will be spending many weeks getting to know Barrus’ customers and teams, prior to starting a more office-based handover. There will be opportunities to meet Graham as he will be visiting the Southampton International Boat Show; DSEI the defence show, at Excel; the Emergency Services Show at the NEC and the grounds care show, SALTEX at the NEC. 

Graham said: “I am truly honoured and excited to be joining the team at Barrus. I want to express my gratitude to the board for entrusting me with this role and to Robert Muir for his remarkable 33 years of leadership with the company. Barrus has a rich history and a reputation for excellence in various industries, and I am eager to contribute my experience to develop the company further. 

“Throughout my career journey I have gained a deep understanding of the intricacies of our industries. I am committed to building upon the strong foundations laid by my predecessors and to working closely with our dedicated teams to drive innovation, growth, and customer satisfaction. 

“Over the next few months, I am looking forward to immersing myself in Barrus' operations, meeting our valued customers, getting to know the talented individuals who make this company thrive. I am looking forward to having the time to get to know our customers and stakeholders. 

“My goal is to ensure a seamless transition and to lead Barrus with the same dedication and passion that is the hallmark of the company. I believe in fostering collaboration, embracing innovation, and delivering results that exceed expectations. Together with the Barrus team, I am confident that we will continue to achieve new heights and create value for our customers, partners, and stakeholders.”

E P Barrus Ltd Chairman, Tara Glen said: “We are delighted to welcome Graham as our new Chief Executive in January. Graham shares the Barrus ethos with a very relevant background of experiences and an excellent track record of delivery. He has strong strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness, and great understanding of the diverse areas that Barrus operates in. The Board looks forward to Graham building on the phenomenal leadership that Robert Muir has given the company.

“Robert will continue to lead Barrus until he retires at the end of December this year. With Graham joining us now we are able to manage an orderly handover and give Graham an opportunity to visit many of our customers before he takes over leadership responsibility.”

British garden equipment manufacturer Handy has produced a new Pre-season catalogue for 2024, designed to support retailers with a wealth of exciting benefits and monthly promotions across a substantial range of garden and DIY machinery. 

Retailers can benefit from increased margins on selected products including garden Classic Webb petrol and electric lawnmowers and Greenworks cordless lawnmowers of up to 28%.SSP.

The new trade catalogue from Handy includes an extensive array of garden and DIY machinery available from market-leading brands such as Webb Garden Power, Greenworks, The Handy, Q Garden, Ava Pressure Washers and Flymo to name but a few. And provides retailers with the opportunity to increase sales on selected products each month as part of Handy’s new “Dealer Monthly Promotions” initiative.

The new Pre-season catalogue for 2024 includes easily identifiable icons to illustrate discounted trade prices. A dedicated promotional price calendar also highlights the offers available for each brand during promotional periods to help retailers ensure they have everything they need for the season ahead and drive incremental sales.

“As we gear up for 2024, our trade pre-season catalogue is our token of appreciation for our committed retailers, offering rewards, discounts, and extended payment terms to prepare you for the season ahead", comments Mark Moseley, Handy Sales and Marketing Director.

Over 400 garden machinery products have been included in Handy’s new Pre-season catalogue. Designed to support retailers who commit to stock in advance, extended split payment terms are available on orders placed before 31st December.

For more information about the pre-season catalogue, please contact your local Handy Sales Manager or contact the Sales Desk via telephone 01793 333220 - email sales@handys.co.uk or visit www.handys.co.uk

RECOUP’s Plastics Resource and Recycling Conference Returns to KingsGate Conference Centre, Peterborough on Thursday 28 September 2023.

The Plastics Resource and Recycling Conference, a highly anticipated event in the industry, is gearing up for its return to the prestigious KingsGate Conference Centre in Peterborough. With a focus on fostering knowledge exchange and networking, this event is a must-attend for stakeholders across the sector.

Drawing a substantial audience of approximately 500 delegates annually, the conference serves as a dynamic platform that unites a diverse spectrum of stakeholders, ranging from NGOs to local and national governmental bodies. The gathering includes participation from organisations spanning the plastics and broader sustainability value chain, culminating in a productive environment for networking and sharing best practices.

A pivotal highlight of this year's conference is the debut of the Awards & Pre-Conference Networking Dinner. Scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, 27 September, at the Holiday Inn in Peterborough, this exclusive event welcomes all delegates. It promises a unique opportunity for attendees to establish connections, applaud industry accomplishments, and pave the way for collaborative efforts leading into the main conference.

Best Development or Innovation to Enhance Plastic Products for Recyclability or Re-Use

Apetito & Wiltshire Farm Foods Ltd  -  Boomerang!

Kraft Heinz  -  Mono material dispensing closure (Project Balaton)

Magnomer, Inc  -  Magmark SS Ink

NEXTEK Ltd  -  NEXTLOOPP PPristine FGrPP

Zotefoams Plc  -  ReZorce® Circular Packaging

Recycled Plastic Product of the Year

Nestlé  -  KitKat packaging

Schoeller Allibert Services  -  Magnum Optimum® 1210 CircuLine

SEAQUAL INITIATIVE  -  SEAQUAL® YARN

Wastesmiths CIC  -  Bee Saviour Card

Best Innovation in Equipment or Technology to Improve the Collection, Sorting, Reprocessing or Re-use of Plastics

Fiberight Limited  -  HYDRACYCLE

Greyparrot  -  Greyparrot AI Waste Recognition System

Polytag  -  Unique-every-time QR codes

SortFlow Limited  -  SortFlow AI Mapper

To book your place at the Awards & Pre-Conference Networking Dinner, please visit  – RECOUP Awards & Pre-Conference Networking Dinner 2023 - RECOUP Recycling

To book your place at the Conference, please visit - RECOUP Plastics Resource and Recycling Conference 2023 - RECOUP Recycling

A host of experts including horticulture industry, political and economic speakers are set to share their insights and expertise at the Horticultural Trade Association’s (HTA) annual conference next month.  

Horticulture, The Conference: Growing a Greener Future, takes place on 5 October 2023 at the ICC in Birmingham and will explore the areas in which the thriving horticulture industry is coming together to grow a greener future, including sustainability, the value of plants and careers in horticulture.  

Fran Barnes, HTA’s CEO commented “With such a strong line up, this event will prove to be important for anyone involved in horticulture to attend to hear the outlook and perspective of expert speakers and panellists, meet some of the most influential people and get involved in shaping the future for environmental horticulture." 

The event will be hosted by gardening blogger, podcaster and TV Presenter Michael Perry, and includes a keynote talk from award winning garden designer Manoj Malde. Political speakers include The Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Labour’s Shadow Defra Minister Daniel Zeichner MP who will will outline their views on the value of UK horticulture, green growth, and policy priorities of relevance to the sector. 

Further political and economic insights will come from the multi-international prize-winning economist Dr Tim Leunig, a Visiting Professor in Practice at the London School of Economics and Political Science.  Dr Leunig will deliver a keynote speech on the state of the economy and its outlook and what that means for the sector.  

HTA’s Market Research Manager, Laura Jeffery and HTA Sustainability Executive Liz Williams will focus on the value of plants, from their economic contribution to GDP and jobs, to the wellbeing, biodiversity and climate change mitigation value felt by consumers and the environment. They will present the latest HTA research which supports the launch of an HTA white paper highlighting how plants have significant value from nursery to nature, underpinning the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan. 

There will be lively panel debates throughout the day bringing together multiple experts and stakeholders to explore topics including: 

Careers and the advantages of upskilling your workforce, moderated by Alex Jenkins HTA Learning & Development Manager. 

Urban Green Spaces exploring the opportunities for horticulture and green spaces to benefit communities moderated by Jennifer Pheasey HTA Director of Public Affairs. 

Making our industry sustainable, moderated by HTA Director of Research & Insights David Denny. 

More panel sessions are to be announced. 

The conference provides a platform for delegates to network with industry peers, discuss key issues and innovations, and look at ways of working together. There will be a dinner for additional networking opportunities and where the Grower of the Year Awards will be presented. 

Horticulture, The Conference takes place at The International Convention Centre, Birmingham. For more information and to book your place, visit: https://hta.org.uk/conference

Following a Scottish Parliamentary event earlier this year to discuss the Environmental Horticulture Growth Strategy for Scotland, many MSPs have pledged to plant a tree in their community. The initiative is kindly sponsored by members of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA). Growforth in Dunfermline is one of those supporting this good cause. Annabelle Ewing MSP for Cowdenbeath, visited her local plant centre to accept two Japanese Maples, which will now be planted in Crossgates. Crossgates Greenfingers Chairman Gordon Black and Cynthia Black, the Treasurer, were delighted to welcome the donation of the trees from MSP Annabelle Ewing on behalf of the local community. Annabelle Ewing MSP, commented: “I am delighted to pledge to plant these trees for this worthy cause organised by the HTA and would like to thank Stan and his team at Growforth for sponsoring our tree. We have found a perfect spot at the entrance to Lady Anne Court. “Environmental Horticulture is so important to Scotland’s biodiversity, health, mitigating climate change and creating jobs.” Stan Green, Director of Growforth, said: “We welcomed Annabelle, who is a great advocate for gardening, and we are happy to provide the Acers to be planted and enjoyed by the community.” Horticulture and landscaping supported contributions of £2.8bn towards GDP and over 64,000 jobs in Scotland in 2019. This has the potential to rise significantly by 2030. The HTA has been working closely with MSPs and the Scottish Government to produce the Growth strategy, which has seven key ambitions for Scotland: Health – to create a healthier Scotland through horticulture Economy – develop green economic growth, high-quality jobs, and invest in education/skills Environment – to mitigate climate change Local – increase the use of Scottish and UK-grown plants as import substitution Industry – drive Scottish growth through investment, development grants and reducing the cost of doing business Urban Nature – produce a greener planning system Biosecurity – enhance and protect Scotland’s natural capital. Further info can be found here: https://hta.org.uk/policy/scotland

George Davies Turf (GDT), based in Buckinghamshire, has just been announced the winner of The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI): Supplier Exceptional Service award.

Described as a pleasure to judge, GDT were recognised for their fantastic customer retention, personalised service, fast delivery times and excellent systems and processes.

George Davies, founder and managing director said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win this award. We believe no one else in our sector does what we do so efficiently and effectively, largely because they do not have the expertise, historic and real time data, systems and processes or dedication to customer service. Most importantly, they do not have a team of equally committed people that feel empowered by a shared vision to go above and beyond.

“Winning this award is a huge achievement for us and is a true celebration of where we started, how far we have come, and where we are going.”

BALI Chief Executive Wayne Grills said: "Each year it makes me immensely proud to witness and share the winners of the National Landscape Awards. The significance of our members putting themselves forward to be scrutinised by their peers and a panel of judges should not be underestimated.

“The willingness to partake in this process highlights our members continued commitment to driving the industry forward, promoting excellence and encouraging fresh talent. The Association's Board of Directors and I would like to congratulate all of this year’s winners on their fantastic achievement."

The GDT team will receive their award at the official ceremony on the 1st December at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.

For more information on George Davies Turf visit: www.georgedaviesturf.co.uk.

Hot on the heels of a hugely successful presence at Glee 2023, the AMES Companies is using the momentum created to kickstart its next chapter. With new product categories joining the line-up to sit alongside established heritage brands, and significant investment shaping things to come, the future looks bright and very busy for this industry leader. Here, Paul North, Managing Director at the AMES Companies, explains more.

A transformation

“Anyone who visited the AMES stand at Glee would have seen a very different company than we were just 12 months ago. The past year has been best characterised as a steep learning curve; one bolstered by significant investment and new product development, and this renewed sense of self was evident at the exhibition. For us, every season represents another chapter in our story, and 2023 has been an important period for our entire business.

“With 150 new products launching, including an entirely new innovative range of lawn and garden tools and the exclusive unveiling of Apta Lightweight, we had a lot on our plate, but the industry response demonstrated that we’d got it right. Not only was our team excited and energised about what we had to offer but so were our customers, new and old. Glee truly showcased what we’ve become and outlined our short- and long-term intentions, which we know will add value across the board for our customers.”

Investing in the future of garden retail

Glee may have been the launchpad for new brands and 150+ new products, but it was also the first look at how the company’s latest investment is starting to play out. 

“In order to become the brand we desire to be, we have had to invest significantly in our business. Our new product offering, coupled with existing ranges, requires extended warehousing, and this has been realised at our Pollington site through a multi-million-pound redevelopment programme. This increased warehouse footprint – topping out at 60,000sq ft – means that we can achieve near 100% stock availability ahead of season 24 and begin to offer consolidated deliveries from one central location. With improved manufacturing facilities also on the horizon, there are many reasons for our customers to feel confident in what we offer.”

The partner of choice

The AMES Companies has often discussed being the garden retail sector’s ‘partner of choice’. Whether through product, service or support, this mission remains unwavering for the team. 

“To be the partner of choice, we recognise that we have to work closely with our customers to ensure that we exceed their expectations. We consistently review and analyse our offering to identify areas of change or development. In 2023, we witnessed some fast-paced changes, and 2024 will see this accelerate even more. It’s imperative that we stay ahead of the curve and let our customers know that we are listening and responding accordingly. 

“The most obvious reflection of this is our product portfolio. Where gaps have been identified, we fill them. Where revised product hierarchies are needed, we respond. New product introductions are never ‘me too’ designs but are created in response to sales data and clear, defined, heavily-researched data. This was especially true of Apta Lightweight, first launched at Glee ahead of season 24. We know that Apta is a much-loved and respected brand, so any changes had to complement what existed, whilst also opening up new sales opportunities. For us and our customers, Apta Lightweight represents an invigorating new chapter for both the brand and the category as a whole.”

Playing to our strengths

“Through consistent self-reflection, the AMES Companies can better play to its strengths. AMES Tools is demonstrative of this. Having manufactured and supplied quality garden tools for over two centuries, AMES has become very good at providing consumers with the tools they need to transform and maintain their gardens, so it made sense to translate this ‘right to play’ into reality by bringing to market a dedicated tool brand, and one that sits perfectly within our overall portfolio.”

Setting the industry standard for stock availability

It would be easy to presume that stock availability could suffer with hundreds of SKUs across six brands but, with the AMES Companies, this is not the case. Far from it, in fact, with near 100% stock availability earmarked for season 24.

“In simple terms, we’ve worked with customers to build a rolling 12-month forecast, and we’ve shared this insight with all our core suppliers to ensure we all work together to avoid surprises. Additionally, we are ensuring we have adequate safety stock cover in place for all products at our locations across the UK and Ireland. In support of this, we also have a team reviewing progress monthly to ensure we can respond to any unplanned or unforeseen circumstances. 

“We’re leaving nothing to chance. Season 24 is firmly in our sights, and we’re ready for it!”

People matter

Paul believes that AMES’ commitment to its people sets the company apart from many others. Customers are seen and heard, supply partners are celebrated, and team members are valued beyond reproach.

“AMES is nothing without the people around it. We pride ourselves on fostering relationships with everyone, from our onsite team members to our supply partners, right through to the key decision-makers at garden centres across the country. Without these people, their feedback and encouragement, we would not exist. The passion they all bring to the party is why we continue to innovate and why we believe that ‘partner of choice’ is wholly achievable. We pride ourselves on our passion. We are driven to innovate. We value and nurture our partnerships and we always promise to deliver quality products backed by unrivalled customer support.”

Find out more

Further details about AMES UK can be found at https://ames-uk.com/

One of the horticultural industry’s biggest movers and shakers, Jeffrey Bernhard, sadly passed away on August 24th 2023, following deterioration of his heart and lung functions due to old age.

Jeff lived a full life and was thinking and planning to the very end. Having achieved one final milestone in his remarkable time with us – his 100th birthday on August 7^th – he passed away quietly in his sleep and is resting peacefully at last.

Jeffrey leaves behind an extraordinary legacy in the wider horticultural industry. Many well-known industry bodies, including HTA, GCA, IGC, BALI, BGL and ELCA have been significantly influenced by his energetic contributions, his vision and determination. Other organisations have also benefited from his engagement, enthusiasm, and leadership. These include, Round Table, 41 Club, Rotary, Masonic Lodge and The Worshipful Company of Gardeners, a renowned City Livery Company. He was recognised for his significant influence in the Horticultural industry, being awarded an OBE by our late Queen Elizabeth II. Many other impressive awards have been steeped upon him. The world of horticulture owes Jeffrey a big thanks and happily, his legacy speaks volumes.

In a statement the Bernhard family said: “Jeffrey was an iconic individual as a father, family man and a grandfather, and latterly, as a great grandfather. Coming from a very troubled childhood in war-torn Europe, he began his adult life completely alone. He had only memories and aspirations to keep him going. Throughout his long life he was utterly determined and focused on success. While this may have created the man we know today, naturally it conflicted with family life and culture as we assume it normally should be. As he aged, success followed, and he was able to focus much more on his grandchildren. He was a terrific granddad, providing meticulously for their future in creative ways to benefit them. In recent years, Jeffrey has been devoted to building strong relationships with his wider family who are spread around the globe. He’s been a role model in that regard for many of today’s generation of family. We’re fortunate to have had such a generous and kind man in our lives. There’s a universal sense of appreciation of that love and we feel a huge loss throughout the whole family.

“We'll all have interesting, diverse and fond memories of Jeffrey. He was symbolic of that generation who lived between the 1900's and 1970's. He, his siblings and cousins experienced the chaos and misery left over from the second world war and they transitioned to the excitement of the sixties and seventies when a new generation was born. Jeff's generation looked back on fear, suffering, and loss, while looking forward with optimism, building a new world of growth and opportunity for us. We are the ones fortunate to have benefited from their vision drive and energy.

“Now our children have today's challenges to contend with. They can reflect with admiration on the life and times of Jeff's generation and be grateful for what they have inherited. 

“The Bernhard family send you all our kind regards and sincere good wishes for the future.”

The funeral will be announced in due course, likely to be around September 25th/26th at Bilton Church.

Fresh plans to redevelop the site of a garden centre near Blackpool, turning it into a development of 62 affordable homes, have been submitted to the local authority.

The planning application for the land on Cropper Road, currently occupied by The Garden Place, is currently being considered by Fylde Council.

According to the application 42 homes would be available for affordable rent and 20 as shared ownership. There would be 12 apartments, 32 two-bedroomed homes and 18 three bedroomed homes.

The developers – Breck Homes and Eden Land and Development – are also seeking approval to build a neighbourhood centre on part of the overall site.

A previous application has been submitted to the council in September 2021.

The UK Government has finally published its long-awaited Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) after a delay of some weeks. The BTOM details the Governments proposals for a new approach to importing goods into Great Britain, and it will be introduced in stages from the end of January 2024.

Since January 2021 the plant trade has followed all the import and export requirements outlined in the Trade & Co-operation Agreement (TCA), and due to the absence of a Sanitary Phytosanitary (SPS) or plant health agreement with the EU has faced strict controls on imports since then, costing millions of pounds.

The Government promises that the BTOM will smooth trade and make importing easier with reduced requirements, however, it does not remove any of the requirements for importing plants, so pre-notification will still be required, as will Phytosanitary Certificates (PCs) plus plant health import inspections will still take place.

The main changes to the final BTOM from the draft TOM issued earlier this year in April are two short, 3-month delays to the October 2023 and January 2024 milestones requiring health certification requirements for more products and the introduction of Border Control Posts (BCPs) respectively.

• 31 January 2024, a further set of products (such as ‘medium-risk’ products like parts of plants with foliage, some cut flowers, some seeds, animal products and ‘high-risk’ food and feed not of animal origin) will now require health certification (e.g. Phytosanitary Certificate – PCs) and pre-notification.
• 31 January 2024 is when some fresh produce products will be re-categorised a ‘low-risk’ & will have their pre-notification, PC and physical check requirements removed.
• 30 April 2024 The Place of Destination (POD) scheme, where plants are inspected at the first place of arrival, will now end on the 30 April 2024. Plant health import inspections will then be conducted at BCPs (or Control Points -CP - if a business has been successfully designated as one).
• 30 April 2024 Identity and physical checks will also start on the 'medium-risk’ products like parts of plants with foliage, some cut flowers, some seeds, animal products and ‘high-risk’ food and feed not of animal origin.
• 31 October 2024 The requirement for Safety and Security declarations for imports into Great Britain from the EU or from other territories where the waiver applies will come into force from 31 October 2024

Charles Taylor has launched a new bird table range – The Kielder Range – to complement its successful and easily recognisable UK manufactured outdoor seating and planting range.

Richard Ball, Director of Charles Taylor, said: “We have been approached by a number of our customers to design and supply a range of bird tables to complement our existing range. 

“Working closely with our customers we have come up with a starter range which we feel sits well in the market.

“As ever we have worked hard on providing realistic retail prices which, as we all know, is pivotal in sales.

“We recognised a gap in the market where providing an uncomplicated range with attractive prices is essential.”

KEY FEATURES

• All FSC sourced materials – sustainability and carbon footprint is really important to Charles Taylor
• Providing little and often deliveries
• 10-year Rot-free guarantee
• Stylish design in recognised Charles Taylor colours
• Attractive retail prices
• Stunning POS provided

Richard added: “We launched this range less than a week ago and have already received orders for circa 4,000 pieces. The feedback and appetite for The Kielder Range is absolutely superb, leaving us with a desire to expand the product range, which we are already working on.”

CONTACT

Telephone: 01538 361382

Email: info@charlestaylortrading.com

BETA International, the only equestrian trade show in the UK, is coming to Stoneleigh on 10-11 September. But don’t be fooled by the name, there’s a huge range of products available to support those in the garden centre trade too.

BETA International has been sponsored by Neue Schule for the past 10 years and has been a firm favourite in many a retailer’s calendar for a long time.

It attracts manufacturers and wholesalers from all over the UK and beyond as exhibitor, with thousands of visitors coming to enjoy everything available. It’s the place to see new products (thanks to the Horse & Rider Magazine New Product Gallery), meet new suppliers, look at best-selling lines, try new things, get show only offers, network (the LeMieux Coffee Shop is a great place for this) and also take advantage of the talks held on the seminar stage that take in many aspects of business including the challenges and opportunities faced by many at the moment, social media, upcoming trends and equestrian subjects too.

“The great thing about BETA International is that there really is something for everyone,” said Claire Williams, Executive Director of the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) that owns BETA International.

 “Although we have many equestrian retailers come and see us, with the range of products on display from the exhibitors, we also have an increasing number of pet shops, garden centres, country stores as well as those involved with the associated trades.

"With lots of shops looking to diversify, it’s a brilliant opportunity to see what’s available beyond normal buying habits, but the exhibitors we have also cater well to many different types of shop. We have manufacturers of yard equipment, buckets and rubberised items, bird feed, animal bedding, pet accessories, footwear and clothing – the list goes on and on!

In addition, on the Sunday evening, the ETN New Product Awards will be presented, alongside the best stand awards that will be judged by a representative of Here4Horses, BETA International’s selected charity, and Magnolia Cup winner Ashleigh Wicheard.

For people who visit, there’s the opportunity to win great prizes too with a Tech Hamper made up of tech products to help support businesses, and a Product Hamper made up of thousands of pounds worth of products from exhibitors up for grabs each day. All visitors are entered automatically when they scan into the show.

The event is happening on 10th and 11th September at the NAEC Stoneleigh. What’s more, tickets are free for members of the trade, and parking is free too. Get your free ticket through this link https://beta-international-2023.reg.buzz/

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In this issue:

• Short memories – GTN comment about the timing of trade shows.
• Reflections from Glee 2023 – GTN’s review.
• Germie, a new dawn for growing seeds – GIMA Seed Corn Funding.
• Shaping the Future of Cutting - Glee’s Best New Product 2023.
• Buyers Power List Awards at Glee.
• Glee New Product Award Winners for 2023. 
• Peckish back on TV after winning awards at Glee.
• Flying high for Greenfingers.
• Record breaking Flower Power at Glee.
• AMES are branching out – GTN Interview with Nick Jones and Caroline Elliot.
• Tramontina get in the mood winning at SOLEX.
• Outdoor Living at its best - SOLEX 2023 Review.
• Woodlodge unveil W Garden Living at SOLEX.
• LifestyleGarden stack up awards at SOLEX.
• Selling Smiles at Floral Fountasia – GTN Planteria Column.
• Keep on gardening all summer long - HTA Column.
• Innovation matters – GIMA Column