Fairways Garden Centre and Bents Garden & Home were crowned Garden Centre of the Year and Destination Garden Centre of the Year at the GCA Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon , last night..

See all of the presentation pictures in our gallery below

Garden Centres of Excellence (top 10 in alphabetical order not order of inspection scores): 

Ayletts Nurseries

Barton Grange

Bents

Fairways Ashbourne

Garden Wise

The Mains of Drum

Perrywood

Simpsons

Stratford

Webbs

The Worrall Cup:

The award for Best Marketing Campaign or Initiative was won by Perrywood

Associate of the Year:

This award was won by Smart Garden
 

Garden Centre of the Year:

Fairways Garden Centre
 

Destination Garden Centre of the Year:

Bents Home & Garden

Jayne Scott from Daleside Klondyke won the vote from delegates at Conference to win the title of 2017 GCA Rising Star...

Jayne (second left) with her fellow Rising Stars candidates.

Cheques of £25,150 and £5,000 were presented to Greenfingers at the GCA Conference last night. The fund-raising included the annual Greenfingers Challenge Cup at conference and a donation from Woodlodge from Stackable Pot Sales.

A number of prestigious awards were presented at the GCA conference at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon yesterday (Monday).

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: "It is clear that all of our winners have worked extremely hard during the past year to reach and maintain the very highest of standards in garden centre retail excellence and I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of them. Our inspectors were extremely impressed with their achievements."

Most Improved Garden Centre (Dick Allen Award)

Webbs West Hagley

Commercial Innovation and Creativity (The Barton Grange Trophy)

Winner: Bents Garden & Home

Environment and Community Award

Stewarts Christchurch

Customer Service Award

Barton Grange

The ifse Award for Catering Excellence

Webbs of Wychbold (DGC), Fron Goch (GC)

Indoor Lifestyle Award

Barton Grange (DGC), Stratford Garden Centre (GC)

Best Garden Products Retailer (GIMA Award)

Barton Grange (DGC), Fairways Garden Centre (GC)

Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Weber)

Gordale Nurseries (DGC), Stratford Garden Centre (GC)

The Ruxley Rose awards were presented to Cowells Garden Centre (Garden Centre category) and Bents Home & GardenDestination Centre) at the GCA Conference.

The GCA Conference 2018 got off to a flying start with more than £20,000 being raised for Greenfingers in the annual GCA Greenfingers Challenge.

A game of hockey with an element of ‘fun and frolics’ opened the annual conference in Stratford as garden centre (Pansies) and horticultural industry staff (Cabbages) went head-to-head for the Greenfingers Challenge Cup.

The 'fockey' event took place at Stratford Leisure Centre, adjacent to The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, to raise money for Greenfingers, which creates gardens at children’s hospices nationwide.

Here’s our gallery of pictures from the event.

Castle Gardens  and Bents Garden and Home picked up their awards as the national winners of the GCA’s annual Christmas competition.

The garden centres were judged to have the best festive displays in the country by us and will receive their awards at our annual conference in January.

Entrants in the Destination Garden Centre (DGC) category were visited and judged by Liz Hutson and entrants in the Garden Centre (GC) category were visited and judged by Alyson Haywood, so area and national winners could be determined. It was a tough choice as the displays were so impressive but we’d like to congratulate Bents Garden and Home in Warrington, who won in the DGC category, and Castle Gardens in Dorset who scooped the top prize in the GC section of the awards.

The garden centres were judged on the innovation, inspiration and excitement created from the way their Christmas products are displayed. The range of products available, accessibility, how easy it is for customers to find and select products and ‘wow factor’ were also taken into consideration in an assessment of the overall commercial proposition.

Liz Hutson, who judged the DGC category, said: “Displays have become more and more professional over the years, with some of the best I have seen in this year’s Christmas competition. There is just nothing that compares outside of the garden centre industry.”

The area winners in the South Thames area were Ransoms Garden Centre (DGC) and Castle Gardens (GC). In Wales and West Whitehall Garden Centre – Lacock (DGC) and Whitehall – Whitchurch (GC) were chosen.

In North Thames, the area winners were Perrywood Garden Centre (DGC) and Sunshine Garden Centre (GC) while Brigg Garden Centre (DGC) and Fairways – Ashbourne (GC) were selected in the Midlands area.

Bents Garden and Home (DGC) and Fron Gogh Garden Centre (GC) were selected in the North West and in the North East, Tong Garden Centre (DGC) and Whiteleys Garden Centre (GC) were chosen.

Mike Lind from Monkton Elm, took up his position as the new GCA chairman as the annual conference began at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Mike’s first job was to thank outgoing chairman Julian Winfield.

Paul Dye's funeral will be held on Friday 16th February 1.20pm at Barham Crematorium , Canterbury Rd, Barham, Canterbury, Kent CT4 6QU (Tel: 01227 831351 ).

Then for those who would like to come on after to The Gate Inn around 3pm, Church Lane, Marshside, Canterbury, Kent CT3 4EB (Tel: 01227 860498).

GTN Xtra received the sad news that Paul Dye lost his battle with cancer age 55.

We first met Paul when he was at Polhill, Sevenoaks and latterly after a spell as a regional manager with The Garden Centre Group (now Wyevale Garden Centres) Paul spent the past few years working with Edward Boults Grovewell Garden Centre teams at Canterbury, Tenterden and Folkestone.  Paul has been a great friend of GTN over the years and he will be sorely missed. We send our condolences to his family.

Colin Wetherley-Mein told GTN Xtra: "The trade has lost a very good person. Paul was one of the nice guys. He faced his illness with the same courage, integrity and honesty that reflected his work and friendships. He was a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic person, who always had time for you.

"He will be sadly missed and our thoughts are with his wife Angela and their family."

Ed Boult sent us this statement from Grovewell Garden Centres: "The very recent passing of Paul Dye is not only a loss of a friend, but an extremely sad loss for us as a business and for the industry as a whole. Paul’s plant and industry knowledge was exceptional; in fact, I would go so far as to say he was the best plant buyer I’ve ever known and had the pleasure of working with.

"A fantastic asset and support to Grovewell, his firm and fair management style helped push the business forward. A real gentleman with exceptional commitment, Paul Dye will be sorely missed by my teams, our customers and myself."

We will update this story and republish as soon as further details are available.  In the meantime, please use the comments link below or e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk if you would like to add to this story.

Gardening sales have got off to a great start for 2018. Ok, so we are only two weeks in and the weather could turn against us but at this stage of the year any indication that gardening activity and interest is on the up is good news.

After only two weeks our GTN Bestsellers All Products index is running at 12% up but most importantly, plant sales volumes are 30% up after two weeks, Growing Media Top 50 sales are up 74% and even Top 50 Garden Product sales, which were consistently down last year, are currently 22% up.

Let’s hope, after all the snow in December we have a short continuation of winter and that spring comes early.

As Derek Bunker told GTN this week “after Christmas the whole of the UK garden centre industry should start wishing everyone a Happy Spring!”  What a great idea Derek, and with all the Primula and pre-planted Narcissus sold last week a Happy Spring is what customers are looking for too.

Do you agree with Derek about wishing customers "Happy Spring"?  What ideas could we develop across garden centre retailing to make the most of the idea?  Let us know using the comments link below or e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year...
Garden Products - up 43%
Growing Media - up 168%
Wild Bird Care - down 15%
Veg-2-Gro - up 18%
All Plants Index - up 74%
All Items Index - up 34%

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

Its a Girl Power takeover for the Westland GCA Rising Stars this year.  Here are the five finalists who will be making their presentations at the GCA Conference in Stratford upon Avon on Monday 22nd January 2018 prior to conference delegates voting to decide who will be the winner for this year.

Emma Blackmore from Bents

Samantha Davis from Haskins

Sarah Postlethwaite from Fron Goch

Andreea Robertson from Gardenwise

Jayne Scott from Klondyke Daleside

Westland Marketing Director, Keith Nicholson, said: "The quality of the five finalists this year is really high.  It is great to see Rising Stars gaining momentum and delivering even greater benefits to the participants and their employers."

"I can't wait to see the presentations at conference.  I think it will be a close call for delegates to choose a winner this year, but one thing is for sure there will be plenty of good ideas for conference delegates to take away."

Plant sales flew out of garden centre planterias last week, with total sales doubling on the first week of the year. Sales of Primula, Narcissus and Hyacinths were up significantly compared to the same week last year.

• Primula sales were up 69% on the same week last year to hold onto top spot
• Sales of pre-planted Narcisscus trebled year on year to stay ahead of Cyclamen.
• Hyacinth’s grew sales by 64% as customers seek easy instant early colour.
• All Plants volume sale change week on week: UP 103.5% on last week.  UP 74.43%  on the same week last year.

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

Spring Fair is set to once again host a new range of products launched by UK leading wildlife product designer and manufacturer, Wildlife World.

The company is expanding its current range significantly with many exciting new products, as well as several new items especially designed and created in partnership with wildlife author and TV presenter, Simon King OBE. These products carry Wildlife World’s ‘Simon King’ brand.

At the show, the company will be showing many new products including the award-winning Dewdrop Wildbird Window Feeder and a new premium National Trust range.

Norman Sellers, Managing Director at Wildlife World commented, “We are really excited to be working with both Simon King and with the National Trust to create some great new designs. This has allowed us to create products that are different to our usual collection and that are innovative and some of the best in the market.”

A number of Wildlife World’s best-selling and recently released products for birds, bees, bugs, amphibians and hedgehogs are also on display at the show. Since last year’s Spring Fair, Wildlife World has introduced many new products to the market including a premium range of high quality multi-purpose bird food for garden birds and a line of nesters under the Simon King brand.

Wildlife World is proud to have won two accolades for its products in 2017. Its Simon King Brushwood Robin Nester was awarded the Best New Retail Product (Wildlife) at the 2017 Garden Retail Awards held by Horticulture Week and the Dewdrop Wildbird Window Feeder won Best New Product at the 2017 GLEE Awards.

Addressing the ongoing decline in hedgehog numbers, Wildlife World will be showing its popular hedgehog houses and accessories. Designed to encourage the much needed breeding of hedgehogs, the products provide a safe haven for hedgehogs to shelter with a small entrance to ensure that they are protected from both cold weather conditions and predators.

Wildlife World has a strong commitment to wildlife species and the environment and designs and tests all of its products in-house to ensure that they are sustainable and safe for wildlife to use. The company creates each product using environmentally-friendly materials, including FSC certified timber, recycled plastics and water-based paints so that wildlife cannot be harmed from using its new feeder or habitat.

Visit Wildlife World in Hall 5, Stand 5E43 to find out more about their upcoming products and work with Simon King.

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

The fantastic Christmas grottos at Squire’s Garden Centres have helped raise £21,380.30 for numerous local charities.

Squire’s customers donated this huge sum of money while visiting Santa in his grotto over the Christmas period. Customers also threw money into special wishing wells and fountains, and put money into collection pots at Squire’s, all of which is being donated to charity.

Some of the local charities that have benefitted from the generosity of Squire’s customers include Olive Tree Cancer Support Centre, Walton on Thames Charity, Princess Alice Hospice, The Samson Centre for MS, Dyscover, Richmond Carers Centre, Alzheimer’s Dementia Support, West Horsley & Bookham Riding For the Disabled, and the Aldershot & Farnborough Guide Dog Association.

Sarah Squire, Deputy Chairman at Squire’s commented: “Our Christmas grottos always bring a smile to children’s faces, and it’s great to be able to bring some New Year cheer to the charities that we support by donating this money to them. Each of our garden centres chooses which local charity they would like to support for the year, and all donations from the public go directly to that charity. I hope the money raised will help support the wonderful work that they do in our local communities.”

Charity donations from each Squire’s Garden Centre

One of the UK’s leading nurseries has announced that its landscape/amenity sales were up 20% year-on-year from July 2017 to the end of December 2017.

Wyevale Nurseries’ sales have been driven by a number of factors and one being the continued growth in a number of key sectors including housing, education, leisure and forestry.

Adam Dunnett (above), Sales and Marketing Director at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, said: “We’re delighted with our recent sales figures – it’s a huge increase on last year. Our retail sales also saw a 3% year-on-year increase from July 2017 to the end of December 2017. It’s great news for the industry as a whole.

“A number of our key accounts have increased their turnover with us significantly and are taking a wider range of products too from trees and transplants to container shrubs and herbaceous plants.

“Biosecurity and ensuring that plant stock is coming from a known source without the danger of importing pests or diseases seems to be very much the focus of our customers both on the retail side and increasingly on the landscape side.”

Wyevale Nurseries is investing in its own propagation unit to supply ‘UK sown and UK grown’ trees and plants to counter the pressure of Brexit and biosecurity issues. It will be a controlled and closed supply chain loop with traceability of all stock.

Adam added: “We have invested heavily in improving efficiencies of production and distribution. New product development, better marketing, reducing wastage and replacing inefficient production with new products has been our focus.”

The product selection available from Wyevale Nurseries is enviable 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.

A new membrane developed by global science and engineering firm DuPont, Plantex® Platinium, has been found to be successful in containing Japanese knotweed, following field trials carried out by Japanese knotweed removal specialists Environet.

Where the removal of Japanese knotweed through physical excavation is the preferred solution, horizontal membranes laid beneath the surface of the ground can be useful in locations where it is not possible to remove or kill all the knotweed crowns and rhizomes. This could be, for example, where underground services such as drainage and sewerage are present, where the land cannot be disturbed as a result of a tree preservation order, or where the costs are prohibitive.

Existing membranes that are effective at dealing with Japanese knotweed are usually impermeable to water, which, when installed horizontally over large areas, can create problems with drainage leading to flooding and ground instability.

Leaders in membrane innovation, DuPont approached Environet in 2017 with Plantex® Platinium, a new permeable membrane designed to control Japanese knotweed without the associated drainage issues. Environet conducted field trials over the 2017 growing season (March to November) at their Japanese knotweed infested test site in West Sussex. To put the product under extreme test conditions, no attempt was made to remove any of the crowns or rhizomes prior to the installation of a 10m x 5m sheet of Plantex® Platinium. The membrane was then covered with a minimum of 100mm clean topsoil and monitored throughout the season for knotweed growth.

No emergence was observed during the monitoring period, however, new growth was encountered around the periphery and was evident running horizontally beneath the membrane when it was lifted.

Nic Seal, Founder and MD of Environet, said: “We’re delighted to work with DuPont, who are global market leaders in materials science and innovation, to develop new, environmentally-friendly solutions in the fight against Japanese knotweed. The results of our field trials indicate that Plantex® Platinium is extremely effective at controlling Japanese knotweed, even though it doesn’t kill it. I’m confident this will be a game-changer for clients in the commercial and residential sectors.”

Carl Festré, DuPont EMEA Marketing Manager, Typar® and Plantex®, said: “We are happy with the results of the DuPont™ Plantex® Platinium test conducted by Environet in the fight against Japanese Knotweed.  These results confirm that Plantex® Platinium offers an effective, cost competitive and practical solution to control the spread of Japanese Knotweed.  As a manufacturer we will continue to look for opportunities to improve the product and the installation techniques to ensure full satisfaction of our customers.”

Picture shows: DuPont's Plantex® Platinium membrane is laid during trials at Environet’s Japanese knotweed infested test site in West Sussex.

Tiptree based Perrywood have presented cheques totalling a value of over £14,000 to its chosen charities at the garden centre: Mid and North Essex Mind, Marie Curie and Greenfingers.

Throughout 2017, Perrywood’s staff and customers raised a total of £14,334.73 for the three charities. This total was presented to the charity representatives Jenny MacPherson and Stephanie Mills of Mid and North Essex Mind, Val Kruse and Irvine Turner of Marie Curie and Mandy Rooke of Greenfingers.

These funds were raised throughout last year through a range of activities involving staff and customers including a tea party, quiz nights and get fit challenges. Fundraising also came from Perrywood’s Communications & Business Developer, Hannah Powell, who completed 40 challenges to celebrate her 40th birthday. These challenges included writing and illustrating a children’s book, sporting challenges and learning new skills such as sewing.

In addition to the donation, Perrywood has also contributed an additional £10,000 to charities and the local community. This includes sponsorship of the St Helena Hospice Gardening Group and donating plants to Broomfield Hospital. Perrywood has also sponsored events such as the Tiptree 10 race as well as supporting 21 local schools and businesses by gifting vouchers and plants to be enjoyed by staff, pupils and to be used as prizes for fundraising.

Hannah Powell says: “Raising funds for worthy charities and supporting our local community is so important to us at Perrywood. As a team, we are extremely passionate about helping others and giving back. We are delighted to be able to make such a huge difference to these worthy causes and raise much needed funds.

"We are delighted to announce that throughout 2018 we will continue to support these charities. We look forward to another successful year of fundraising and helping our local community.”

Award-winning eco outfit Seedball has launched a new and exclusive Natural History Museum range, designed to encourage and sustain important garden wildlife in urban and rural environments.

The range has been developed in collaboration with scientists at London's Natural History Museum and sales of the Seedball range will help support the work of the museum. Each individual mix contains native wildflower seeds that will provide food (or attract the food) for Bats, Beetles and Birds.

The Natural History Museum range includes:
• Bat Mix containing Borage, Corn Marigold, Cornflower, Evening Primrose, Night-scented Stock and Wallflower seeds and flowers from March to October
• Beetle Mix comprising Cornflower, Dark Red Great Burnet, Foxglove, Purple Common Knapweed, Purple Common Scabious, White Cow Parsley and White Yarrow and flowers from April through to October.
• Bird Mix which has Common Poppy, Corn Marigold, Great Knapweed, Sheep Sorrel, Tufted Vetch and Wild Carrot and flowers from June to October

Made from clay, peat-free compost, seeds and chilli powder, seed balls have their own mini eco-system, protecting seeds from natural predators and giving them the nutrition they need to get a head start and germinate easily. Simply throw the seed balls onto soil or compost in a garden bed or planter, water well and watch them grow.

Each tin in the Natural History Museum range contains 20 seed balls which will provide coverage for 1 sq m in a garden or three to five 50-80cm pots. RRP £5.99 per tin.

A recent survey undertaken by GIMA has highlighted that its members continue to feel the pressure of ever fluctuating exchange rates. In response, the trade association is pleased to announce that it is launching a new Foreign Exchange service, in conjunction with payment solutions experts, Moneycorp.

This new service – bolstering GIMA’s existing portfolio of unrivalled member benefits – has been designed to not only save GIMA members money, but it will also help make sense of the constantly changing foreign exchange rates. Members who sign up to the service will receive preferential exchange rates, and access to a dedicated account manager who is on hand to meet and go over any tailored requirements.

Additionally, GIMA members will also receive Fee Free international payments, saving between £5 and £40 per transaction -  a saving that will add up to a significant sum over time.

The full Foreign Exchange service can be accessed via an easy to use, fast online platform, providing 24/7 access, and is supported by a call centre when further assistance is required. The service also offers peace of mind, in that all funds are safeguarded in a segregated client bank account, whilst Moneycorp is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Vicky Nuttall, GIMA Director, said: “Our members are operating in increasingly unstable financial markets, which is adding additional pressure to their businesses. The new Foreign Exchange service has been set up to try and reduce some of the pressure that comes from buying or selling with international partners. Moneycorp is an expert in this field, and will be on hand to GIMA members to help them make the right decisions for their business, whilst also saving them money on both exchange rates, and also transactional fees. It’s an exciting prospect, and we urge any member who deals with trading partners based abroad to take advantage of this exclusive offer.”

To find out more about GIMA’s new Foreign Exchange service, or to sign up to start saving money, please visit http://gima.org.uk/foreign-exchange-service/

The votes are being counted and the judges meeting to decide who will be the winners in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards, sponsored by Gardman, ready for the announcement and presentation of awards at a special Greatest Awards Winners Breakfast Reception on Tuesday 6th February in Hall 3 as part of Glee@Spring Fair.

All of the nominated Christmas Teams and all of the winning teams from The Greatest Awards during 2017 are invited to join us at the Glee@Spring Fair Cafe in Hall 3 at 9:00am for a breakfast reception and the presentation of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards, sponsored by Gardman, for 2017.

In this special issue we've included as many of the photo tours from the judges visits during the Christmas period as we can.  There will be more published later this month.  We hope they give you plenty of ideas and inspiration as you start to plan and buy your Christmas for 2018.

Ho, ho, ho!  See you on Tuesday 6th February at Glee@Spring Fair.

Click here to read a special Greatest Christmas Awards Special edition of GTN Xtra, sponsored by Gardman

Head Gardener 

£25,935 pa

Permanent f/t (37.5 hrs pw)

Montacute

Ref. IRC60345                     

Summary                                 

We are looking to recruit a rare breed of horticultural brilliance – a Head Gardener with a wealth of experience, a creative and artistic eye, sound plant knowledge and inspirational leadership skills.

This post will be required to take part on a roster to provide daily cover as key point of contact for escalation of emergency and security issues or customer complaints. There will also be weekend working.

What it's like to work here                              

South Somerset Portfolio comprises of four pay for entry properties, Montacute House, Barrington Court, Lytes Cary Manor and Tintinhull Gardens, with approximately 385,000 visitors per annum. We take pride in the fact that we have the first and second houses the National Trust acquired as well as the first garden.

In the portfolio we also have Stoke Priory, Treasurers House, Priests House and Stembridge Mill which are all open to the public on a limited opening; these are run by tenants and volunteers. As addition to this we have Michaels Hill monument as well as approximately 700 hectares of countryside. The majority of what we do is internally funded which means that each property is reliant on the other properties performing well in order for us to tackle some of our longer standing conservation issues. We take a one team approach and share best practice and knowledge to ensure our visitors have an exceptional experience. We work collaboratively with our peers, consultants and the wider Trust so that decisions are made with all the accurate information to ensure a ‘Think Long Term’ approach.

Montacute House is a masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture, surrounded by the beautiful gardens and immersed in the natural beauty of the parkland. The towering walls of glass, the glow of ham stone, the architectural design of house and garden and the quality of collections create a place of beauty. Montacute House has the most significant number of visitors in the portfolio, with approximately 160,000 visitors a year. This is the largest visitor business in South Somerset and therefore generates the majority of our much needed revenue.

Due to the nature of the building and the importance of the collection it is imperative that Montacute House has a visitor experience that is sympathetic to the fragility of the building but offers an exceptional experience every time. The property has grown significantly over the last 10 years and therefore the operational business needs a new look. The property comprises of the main house, formal gardens, orchards, parkland and other structures including St Michaels Hill monument. Montacute House has key partnerships, one of which is with the National Portrait Gallery, as we are home to a collection of their portraits in the Long Gallery.

What you'll be doing                         

In this operational role as Head Gardener, you'll be based at Montacute House but may be asked to support the other South Somerset properties.

Using your people management skills, you'll create a highly performing, effective and motivated team with clear delegated responsibility. You'll be managing all of the garden teams, staff and volunteers. As part of this you'll be looking after your teams development plans and will carry out performance development reviews with all direct line reports.

Within the garden team, you'll provide leadership and clear decision making. Working closely with other Head of Departments, you'll ensure that the property delivers the visitor experience and property plans to a high standard. You'll be responsible for the key performance indicators within your department on site in finance, conservation, visitor experience, energy and people. You're an excellent team player and will work collaboratively to develop property plans and inform the portfolio business plan, working with key stakeholders to ensure the property delivers them as agreed. You'll work as part of the Head of Department team; a decision making group responsible for setting the direction across the properties. The group aims to challenge and discuss contentious issues, as well as support the General Manager in the delivery of the Property Business Plans, and helps to find solutions to any issues regardless of role or responsibility. You'll be accountable for the delivery of the property risk plans and the environmental management systems for your department at the properties.

You'll work closely with the ranger team to ensure the outdoors is of a high standard, and adhering to the procedures and guidelines set out by the National Trust. You'll help to engage the property team in the National Trust strategies, as well as the property plans, ensuring that the team have a rewarding experience in their time with us. You'll also be accountable for the day to day management of the biomass boiler. Working with the Operational Manager to set the annual budgets and 5 year financial plans, you'll be accountable for the management of your budgets adhering to the National Trust framework.

Who we're looking for                     

To deliver this role successfully you will need;

• Significant practical experience in horticulture, supported by appropriate qualifications to RHS level 3 (or equivalent level of vocational experience)
• Experience of organising garden activities which enhance garden visits
• Leadership skills including coaching, team development, motivation and communication
• Good people skills enabling strong relationships to be built and maintained both externally and internally
• Proven track record of managing budgets, finances and small projects
• Experience in managing small contracts
• Good written and verbal communication skills including public presentation, influencing and negotiating.
• Knowledge of all Health & Safety and Compliance requirements relevant to horticulture

The package                          

Looking after you

• Health cash plan – from as little as £2.81 per month for you and your dependents
• Pension contribution match up to 10%
• EAP and proactive Health and Wellbeing
• Discounted gym membership

Looking after your career

• Grow your career through professional training courses across the Trust
• Develop your skills with an internal secondment
• Pay review linked to values and behaviours, commitment to progression
• Income protection due to illness

Unique to Us

• Work in some of the most beautiful, iconic and unique locations in the UK
• Free entry to NT properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• 20% off in our retail and catering outlets
• Discount up to 35% off a National Trust holiday cottage booking

Closing Date: 04 February 2018

For more information and to apply, please follow:

https://careers.nationaltrust.org.uk/OA_HTML/a/#/vacancy-detail/60345

As if not enough lights were bought in the run up to Christmas, garden lighting line sales soared last week to take three of the top five places in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart. 

Early Bird offers on plant feeds also sold through well with five feed lines in the top 15.

This week’s highlights were:
Premier Decorations Coloured Led Pull Light & Bulb moves up one place to No 1.
Vitax Q4 Fertiliser, 4.5kg tubs, saw a huge increase in sales to re-enter at No 13.
Gardman Leaf Screening in Lime, 90x180cm, is the highest new entry at No 21.

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

Kitchen, housewares and garden gadgets company, Creative Products, has boosted its marketing team with the appointment of Laura Harrison as Sales & Marketing Administrator.

With a background in in-store media promotions, Laura joins Creative Products following over 19 years of experience of sales and marketing experience. Laura will be providing marketing support to Creative Products’ UK Head of Sales, Tracey Beale, and will also be overseeing communications with customers via social media.

Commenting on her new position, Laura enthused, “Creative Products is renowned in the industry not only for its inventive product range but for its commitment to customer service at the point of sale. I am delighted to be part of the company’s ambitious marketing team and look forward to strengthening Creative Products’ reputation through both our offline and online communications strategies.”

Mark Hall, Managing Director at Creative Products, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Laura to the Creative Products team and are confident that her wealth of industry experience and knowledge of our market can only serve to build on our success in 2018 and beyond.”

For more information on Creative Products, contact the company on 01476 564 230 or email sales@creativeproducts.ltd.uk. You can also visit their website at www.creativeproducts.ltd.uk.

Onion sets lead the way after Christmas with Red Baron from Taylors Bulbs the early pace setter in Veg-2-Gro sales for 2018.

Last year’s early season bestseller, Stuttgarter, currently sits at No 3 with Hercules F1 fitting in between them.

This week’s highlights were:

• Beetroot Boltardy seeds are in the Top 50 twice this week.  T&M’s packs at No 4 with Mr Fothergills at No 10.
• Mr Fothergill’s Sweet Pepper Romano Mixed is the highest new entry this week – in at No 27.
• Taylors Seed Potatoes Pentland Javelin, 2.5kg packs, lead the way in early seed potato sales at No 20.

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

Early Bird compost sales have got off to a flyer for 2018 with start of season promotions driving sales to almost double the level after two weeks of 2017.

This week’s highlights were:

• Westland J. Arthur Bowers Multipurpose Compost, 50 litres, jumps straight back in at No 1, topping Jack’s Magic, the traditional Early Bird leader.
• Bord na Mona Growise Multipurpose Compost, 50 litres, re-enters at No 3.
• Pughs Cactus Gravel is another re-entry at No 38.

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

Each year we endeavour to be better, eat better and exercise better. Make this the year you succeed by signing up to one of the Garden Re-Leaf challenges to raise money for Greenfingers Charity.

Shed those festive pounds by signing up for the Garden Re-Leaf Day Walk which will take place on Friday 16th March starting from Wyevale’s World’s End Garden Centre, Buckinghamshire. You can either take a gentle 10-mile stroll, or complete a more challenging 20-mile route through the Chilterns which is the ideal way to get in shape following the Christmas break.

The popular Plantathon will return with Greenfingers calling for garden retailers across the country to pot up as many plants as possible.  This year the time frame to plant as many pots as possible will be 12 hours and promises to be a popular event.

Where does the Garden Re-Leaf money go?

In July 2011, Hillview Garden Store CEO, Boyd Douglas-Davies announced the inaugural Garden Re-Leaf Day at the Garden Retail Awards in London.  Now in its seventh year, Garden Re-Leaf Day is the biggest charity fundraiser in the garden industry’s calendar and has raised over £500,000.

Positioned as the garden industry’s answer to Comic Relief and Sports Relief, the aim of Garden Re-Leaf Day was to celebrate the start of the garden year with fundraising events to raise money for Greenfingers, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of children in hospices through the creation of magical gardens.

For the garden industry, the day creates valuable team building opportunities and brings more shoppers into garden centres earlier to extend the peak Spring season. Garden centre managers, staff and other industry professionals tirelessly set up fun and exciting ways to not only raise money for Greenfingers, but also to promote gardening as an enjoyable pastime.

But where do these vital funds go?  Most will already be aware that the money raised is used to build Greenfingers hospice gardens which enable children and their families to enjoy special time together outside enjoying the therapeutic benefits of nature, and away from the bedside. 

Greenfingers work exclusively with each hospice to come up with a unique design that suits the needs of the children and families they care for.  Each garden is created with top industry designers and landscapers, as well as help from the local community, volunteers and gardening clubs.

In total, 53 Greenfingers gardens have been built since the charity’s creation in 1998 with many being funded by monies from Garden Re-Leaf Day.  The inaugural Garden Re-Leaf Day in 2012 raised more than £55,000 for Greenfingers, helping a specially designed, family garden to be built at both Robin House Children’s Hospice in West Dunbartonshire, and Donna Louise Children’s Hospice in Stoke-on-Trent.  In 2017, two new gardens were opened – the new Kaleidoscope Garden at Helen & Douglas House in Oxford, which features a colourful and protected garden pavilion that is being enjoyed by patients, their families and hard-working hospice staff.

The Courtyard Garden at Keech Hospice Care in Luton was officially opened by garden designer and Greenfingers Ambassador Adam Frost and featured a multi-coloured soft, but durable, flooring in swirling shapes and will be well used by families who are now able to enjoy mealtimes and activities outside in this new bright and sheltered courtyard.

The most recent Greenfingers garden was started in October by landscaper and designer Jody Lidgard of Bespoke Outdoor Spaces. The pirate themed garden is being built at St Andrew’s Hospice in Grimsby, which provides palliative care for children and young adults suffering from progressive life-limiting illnesses. 

More gardens are in the pipeline to be built in 2018 but this is where Garden Re-Leaf Day comes into its own, raising much needed funds.  The garden industry will be exploding with colour with plenty of FUNdraising activities throughout the day. 

Boyd Douglas Davies said: “Garden Re-Leaf Day has resulted in life-limited children and families who spend time in hospices every single year being able to enjoy precious time together in a Greenfingers garden.  It’s really easy to take part, you can sign up and participate in one of this year's organised initiatives such as the Garden Re-Leaf Walk or Plantathon.  Why not organise your own event, and register it so that it can be included in all the media briefings that raise awareness of the cause?”

You can sign up to take part in Garden Re-Leaf Day events or register your own by visiting the Greenfingers Charity website www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk/gardenreleaf

If you want to find out more about how to get involved in Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day 2018, whether by putting on events in your garden centre, through sponsored solo activities or simply by donating - contact the Greenfingers office on 01494 674749 or email Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk.

A team of Further Education horticulture students have attended the launch of the Young Gardeners of the Year – the competition organised by TV gardener David Domoney.

Delivered in association with The Prince’s Foundation for Building Community, the competition is being held at the brand new Ascot Spring Garden Show this April.

Last year, Writtle University College won Best in Show and a Gold Medal. Ben Wincott, Further Education Lecturer in Horticulture, will be guiding the nine Level 3 Horticulture students through the design and build as part of their course.

He said: “Young Gardeners of the Year is always a fantastic experience for our students and we’re looking forward to starting work on our design for this year. The competition gives our students excellent experience of working at a high level on a Show Garden and to a real brief, while also giving them the opportunity to network and raise their profile.

“As in previous years, we’ll be looking for sponsorship for our garden and would love to hear from any companies wishing to support us.”

At the launch at Ascot Racecourse, Ben spoke to all the teams about his experience of the competition over the last eight years. Following the event, the Writtle team were given a tour of the Ascot sports turf facilities.

The annual competition – which sees six of the UK’s leading horticultural colleges go head-to-head for the title – celebrates young British ‘green’ talent as they create show-stopping, sustainable gardens that will be seen by thousands of visitors to the show.

The young gardeners are tasked with creating a back garden that will capture the imagination and inspire the judges and visitors, using clever plant association and design techniques.

Each college is being given a 5m x 4.5m plot. The garden style can be traditional or contemporary, and must inspire homeowners and passers-by on what can be achieved in a small urban space. The garden should appeal to the homeowner’s senses; the colours and design should offer a spectacular welcome when they come home, and brighten up the homeowner’s life.

The gardens will inspire city dwellers, showing all that can be achieved in urban locations, creating a sense of tranquillity and sustainability for the homeowner. Each garden should act as an escape from the pressures of inner city life and bring a touch of nature to the heart of the metropolis.

The teams are being asked to focus on the principles of sustainability, paying attention to issues such as the use of local, natural materials and the implementation of SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems).

David Domoney said: “To date we have given more than 600 garden landscaping and design students the opportunity to build gardens at a national event before they even leave the college gates. It’s always a great privilege to see great British talent come together to compete for the title of Best Young Gardeners of the Year, and with this year’s focus on back gardens, I can’t wait to see them come to life.”

Simon Sadinsky, Head of Education at The Prince’s Foundation’s, said: “The creativity of past years has shown us that no matter how small the space, we can all incorporate natural environments into our busy urban lives and we are greatly looking forward to seeing what is produced this year.”

Alastair Warwick, Chief Operating Officer at Ascot Racecourse, added: “Supporting young and emerging talent, in both sport and horticulture, is hugely important to Ascot so we’re excited to be giving these students a platform to showcase their skills and creativity.”

The colleges have to submit their garden design before the beginning of February. At Ascot they will have five days to build and plant their gardens in the Garden Terrace on Ascot’s Grandstand ready for the Show’s opening day on 13 April 2018.

Each garden will then be judged by an expert panel, which includes horticultural industry leaders, home and garden magazine editors, and acclaimed garden designers and landscapers. Entrants will compete to win gold, silver gilt, silver, or bronze awards. The overall winner will receive the Best in Show trophy, and visitors will be able to vote for the winner of the People’s Choice Award.

·         The Ascot Spring Garden Show opens from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 April. Tickets are on sale now and can be booked via Ascot.co.uk/gardenshow

·         For more information about studying a College-level course in Horticulture at Writtle University College, please visit writtle.ac.uk/FE-Horticulture

Rumours circulating in the garden industry today that Nicholas Marshall had left his job as CEO of Dobbies have proved be unfounded although two of his senior team – Lorrie Robertson and Andrew West – have left the company. Commuting to Edinburgh has been given as the reason for their decision to leave.

In a statement issued late Friday afternoon, the company said:

"Dobbies today announced a re-shuffle in some of its senior leadership positions. Graeme Jenkins is to become Chief Operating Officer, in addition to his present role as Chief Financial Officer. Graeme replaces Lorrie Robertson, who has left the Company.

"Marcus Eyles, currently head of online and horticulture, will take the role of Purchasing Director, replacing Andrew West, who has also left the Company for personal travel-related reasons.

"Dobbies congratulated Graeme and Marcus on their new roles.

"Nicholas Marshall, who was appointed CEO at the 35-centre chain, remains Chief Executive."

Nicholas Marshall took over at the top of Dobbies in March last year and within months of his arrival he had put together a team full of former colleagues.

In an interview with GTN last November Marshall said: “The theme here before I arrived was a pound shop. Actually it was worse than that – they had some things that cynical retailers would sell. In the DIY industry they go to China, they buy cheap products, bring it over here, put it at a price which is ridiculous and then they half-price it and people say what a good bargain, and it isn’t. Do we like garish, no.”

Read the full interview with Nicholas Marshall at: https://issuu.com/gardentradenews/docs/gtn_nov_2017

See GTN's photo tour of Christmas at Dobbies Mellville in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards, sponsored by Gardman, photo tour special issue using this link.

Wyevale Garden Centres have revealed that challenging trading conditions have forced them to review their structure at head office with the risk of job losses.

GTN Xtra contacted the garden centre group after being tipped off that at least 40 jobs were are risk.

A Wyevale Garden Centre spokesperson said: “We have recently reviewed our head office structure to ensure it is appropriate for the long term and continues to support our business plans.  

“The challenging trading conditions make it even more important that we are focused on the right areas to deliver for our customers.

“Following the review, we have informed colleagues that we are making changes to the CSC structure. As a result, some colleagues will be redeployed into new roles and we also expect there to be a reduction in headcount.

“We are in consultation at present with those colleagues who are impacted and our focus is on ensuring they remain well supported during this process.”

Since receiving the statement from Wyevale Garden Centres, GTN Xtra has learned that up to 48 jobs are likely to be lost.  Within Wyevale Garden Centres the CSC Structure relates to all head office roles.  Some speculation received by GTN's Newshound wonders wether the losses are as a result of the implementation of a new computer system, as reported by GTN Xtra in October last year.

Venanpri Tools, the Hand Tools division of Venanpri Group and owner of the Bellota and Corona brands, announced yesterday (Thursday) it has acquired Burgon & Ball Limited. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Sheffield, England – where it can trace its roots back to 1730 – and supported by a sales and marketing office in Poole, Dorset, Burgon & Ball’s products are primarily sold through garden centres and other fine retailers in the U.K., Europe and other countries around the world.

“Burgon & Ball has a remarkable legacy and has built an impressive reputation based on its high-quality products and customer service, which has led to strong growth and established the company as a market-leader in many of its segments,” said Cristobal Valdes, President of Venanpri Tools.

“We’re very excited to partner with the Burgon & Ball team to grow the company both domestically and internationally in the years to come.”

Heather Culpan, Managing Director of Burgon & Ball added, “The success of Burgon & Ball has been built on its commitment to the creation of design and function-led products with enhanced customer appeal and drawing on its Sheffield heritage.

“I am confident that the company will continue to progress through seizing new product and investment opportunities and synergy with the Corona and Bellota businesses.”

Venanpri Group is a global organization with two divisions (Tools and AgriSolutions) and more than 1,400 employees.

Venanpri Tools produces and distributes thousands of manual hand tool products, including pruning tools, shovels, masonry trowels, machetes, files and hoes (among many others) for professional and consumer use in the agricultural, gardening, construction, and industrial segments.

Venanpri Tools sells its products under the well-recognized brands of Bellota and Corona. Venanpri Tools sells in more than 80 countries and has manufacturing and distribution facilities in the U.S.A., Spain, Mexico, and Colombia; sales offices in more than 20 countries.

Venanpri AgriSolutions is the global market leader in the manufacturing of consumable wear components (including discs, coulters, sweeps, openers, tines, springs and blades) that are embedded into soil preparation and seeding implements such as plows, disc harrows, sugar cane harvesters, and planting/seeding machines.

AgriSolutions’ products are high precision wear components, selling under widely recognized brands including Ingersoll, Bellota, Solbjerg and Rozalma as well as the brands of its OEM customers for both new equipment and the aftermarket.

For more information on Burgon & Ball, visit its website at www.burgonandball.com.

Since the initial announcement of the change of ownership GTN now understands that Heather Culpan will continue to be involved in the business in a role yet to be determined.

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.

Pub, bar and restaurant buyers looking to refresh their drinks menus are set to enjoy a tastings extravaganza at next month's Casual Dining show, which returns to the Business Design Centre, in London, on 21-22 February.

Thanks to a 41% increase in exhibitors offering alcoholic beverages for 2018, visitors will be able to see and sample the show's biggest choice of beer, ciders, wines, spirits and mixers yet.

Some of the world's best-selling beer and cider brands are now confirmed, including Heineken UK - Blade, KBE Drinks (Kingfisher Beer Europe), Duvel Moortgat UK, Budweiser Budvar UK, Carlsberg UK, World Beers, and Molson Coors (whose portfolio includes Carling, Coors Light, Staropramen, Cobra, Grolsch, Doom Bar, Worthington's, Caffrey's, Singha, Rekorderlig and Aspall).

Amathus Drinks, Ethnic Brand Marketing, independent spirits agency Mangrove Global, Crooked Beverages (natural alcoholic sodas), Marussia Beverages - importers and distributors of premium brandy, whisky, vodka, gin, liqueur, sherry, tequila, mezcal, wine and sake, Longflint Drinks and Wobblegate Cider Co are also set to exhibit.

"Drinks menus often dictate where many consumers choose to eat, so we're thrilled to be able to offer such a vast and diverse range of alcohol, and, of course, non-alcoholic beverages, to this year's visitors," says Casual Dining's event manager Eva Ellis.  "Our exhibitors will be promoting the best choice of quality, innovation and differentiation within the market - everything casual dining restaurant and pub operators need to stay ahead of their competitors."

King of craft & artisanal spirits
As in previous years, the show's Craft Beer & Cider Pavilion and Artisan Spirits Lounge will feature some of the country's leading, and newest, microbreweries and distilleries.  With their variety of styles, quality ingredients, innovative flavours, alternative blends, and distinctive branding, craft and speciality drinks can offer operators great scope for menu customisation.

Craft Beer & Cider Pavilion exhibitors include Cranes Drinks, Kraft Beer UK, Black Storm Brewery, Sxollie Cider, Celtic Marches, and Cotswold Cider Company, plus Freedom Brewery and Thistly Cross Cider - joint winners of the show's annual King of Craft competition last year.  The latter will be hoping to take the crown again with its newly launched Cloudy 5.5% Cider.

While Toschi UK, Bathtub Gin, Locksley Distilling, Pococello, Gorilla Spirits (launching a new Maraba Coffee Liqueur), The Handmade Cocktail Co, World of Zing, Bluecoat Gin, and Kalosa Spritz will be making their debut in the show's expanded Artisan Spirits Lounge.  Returning exhibitors include Pinkster Gin, 10 Degrees C, Masons Yorkshire Gin, Tails Cocktails, Wild Drinks, and Whittaker's Gin.

Drinks for every occasion
Thanks to an increase in daytime food-led occasions, soft drinks - particularly premium adult offerings - are an increasingly lucrative category for casual dining operators.  Catering to that demand are Coca-Cola Freestyle, Schweppes, Britvic Soft Drinks, Vimto Out of Home, Fever-Tree, Lucozade Ribena Suntory, Franklin & Sons, Radnor Hills, Fentimans, MONIN UK, Frobishers Juices, Ugly Drinks, Think Drinks, Cawston Press, Coldpress, Rebel Kitchen, Dalston Cola, Pip Organic, Double Dutch Drinks, Sejuiced, Karma Cola, Jax Coco, and Food & Drink Wales.  They're just some of the exhibitors sampling everything from fruit juices, cordials, pressés, syrups, mixers, tonics, waters, and more at the show.

Specialist teas, coffee and hot drinks - another big revenue stream - can be sourced from Nestlé Professional, UCC Coffee UK & Ireland, JJ Foodservice & Lavazza, Caffè di Artisan, Birchall Tea, Lincoln & York, Brewtea, Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Co, and more.

Over 200 exhibitors
The show's full exhibitor list - available to view at www.casualdiningshow.co.uk/exhibitor-list - features over 200 leading industry suppliers offering everything from new food and drink products, catering equipment and tech, workwear, tableware, payment solutions and business services.

Among them are AAK Foodservice, Adande Refrigeration, Beacon Foods, Blanco Nino, Capreolus Fine Foods, Comtrex Systems, Dr. Oetker Professional (UK), Eden Furniture, Finsbury Food Group, Gamble Foodservice Solutions, Harfield Tableware, Jenpak, Kavli Food Solutions, Kettle Foods, Kraft Heinz Foodservice, L'Aquila, Marshfield Farm Ice Cream, Maws Fine Foods, McCain Foodservice, Moy Park Foodservice, Nelson Catering Equipment, Nigel Fredericks, OrderZing, Pidy, Quorn Foods, Reynolds, Seafood from Norway, Southover Food Company, Tevalis, The American BBQ Company, The Billington Group, The Tasty Meat Company, Westlers, Whitby Seafoods, Yumpingo, and Zapp Canopy Umbrellas.

Free Keynotes
Casual Dining's high-profile seminar line-up includes Keynote interviews with Chris Hill, CEO of New World Trading Company, and Paul Merrett, acclaimed chef director and owner at Jolly Fine Pub Group. Plus exclusive panel sessions featuring big names from Yummy Pub Co, Glendola Leisure Group, Whiting & Hammond, Nando's, Young's & Geronimo Pubs, Flat Iron, Hubbox, All Star Lanes, and Picturehouse Cinemas.

Other speaker highlights - there are 18 sessions to choose from - include Jon Knight, CEO of Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group; James Spragg, COO at Casual Dining Group; Susan Chappell, divisional director, Exec co, Mitchells & Butlers; Zoe Bowley, MD, PizzaExpress; and Nick Collins, CEO of Loungers.

"I've always loved the show," says repeat visitor (and speaker) Tim Foster, owner & head of being awesome at the Yummy Pub Co.  "Getting up close and personal to existing suppliers for a natter, and finding new ones, is what has always excited me - and Casual Dining is the market leader."

"Casual Dining is a fantastic event for anyone in our industry.  It's great to be able to meet so many suppliers in one place," says Max Wright, head of food & drink procurement at Casual Dining Group

Casual Dining returns to the Business Design Centre in London on 21-22 February 2018.  Entry to the show's Keynote Theatre (sponsored by Yumpingo) is free with advance visitor registration.

Bookings are now open for the HTA Catering Conference 2018, ‘A Recipe for Growth’, which takes place on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 June at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. This successful two-day event and dinner is aimed at all those in garden centre catering from business owners and managers to chefs and front of house staff.

The conference this year moves to a new apt venue – Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which provides a great in-keeping back drop to the event. Alongside the conference and dinner there will be an exhibition showcasing garden centre catering suppliers with plenty of opportunity for networking with peers across the industry.

Amongst the first speakers to be confirmed for the conference are Jim Cregan, Founder of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee’s. After getting incredibly frustrated with working as a labourer, shifting bricks in the winter and hosting major UK festival stages dressed as a mermaid in the summer, Jim realised enough was enough and decided to head to Oz, it was there he fell in love with iced coffee and returned home to start his own company. Jimmy’s Iced Coffee was formed in 2011 and with his sister as his business partner, a great deal of hard work and enthusiasm, they’ve built a successful business in the UK.

Jim will be the keynote speaker on Tuesday 5 June where the focus for the day is on strategy and operations.

The second day of the conference, Wednesday 6 June, focusses on food. We will be joined by Paul Hargreaves, Founder and Chief Exec of Cotswold Fayre, a speciality & fine food wholesaler. Paul will be focusing his session on food trends to watch out for throughout 2018 and into 2019.

Jane Land, Founder of Veganuary, a charity that has encouraged over 200,000 people to try vegan for the month of January, will also be joining us on day two. With millennials moving towards meat free and free from foods, Jane will be talking about how you can make sure you are catering for all diets and why this shift in attitude towards plant based diet is gaining momentum.

HTA Communications Manager Gill Ormrod comments, “The HTA Catering Conference provides an unrivalled opportunity for all those involved in garden centre catering to get the latest ideas and inspiration about trends, issues and views from the industry and the wider hospitality sector. With the new venue of Birmingham Botanic Gardens this year’s events promises to be better than ever!”

Look out for further details about the programme which will be available in the coming weeks.

Book your place at www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Exhibitors booked to attend so far include BIRA, Citation, Frobishers Juices Ltd, Newbery International Produce Ltd, The Handmade Cake Company and Vision Commercial Kitchens.

For details about sponsorship opportunities at the event please contact the HTA Commercial team:  Tim Bell on 07808 775177 /  tim.bell@hta.org.uk or Phil Swainston on01235 776181 / phil.swainston@hta.org.uk