Destination Garden Centre of the Year: Bents Garden & Home

Garden Centre of the Year: The Old Railway Line

Garden Centres of Excellence:
1. Bents Garden & Home

2. Barton Grange

3. Perrywood

4. Poplars

5. Haskins, Roundstone

6. Ayletts

7. Stewarts, Christchurch

8. Burston

9. Haskins, Snowhill
10. The Old Railway Line

The Worrall Cup: Haskins Big Reindeer Giveaway

Catering Rising Stars Winner: Louise Spinks, Ruxley Manor

Associate of the Year, The Haskins Stewart Cup: Smart Garden Products

The Pansies won the Greenfingers Challenge Cup and the Greenfingers Challenge raised £6,500 for Greenfingers.

The Awards were presented by ex England rugby player, Phil Vickery MBE.

See our gallery of photos from the gala evening below

A special African Safari themed party night at the Garden Centre Association conference saw delegates dressed in all types of fancy dress.

The winners of the Best Fancy Dress Award, kindly provided by Woodlodge were David and Madeline Eaton from The Solar Centres as amazing (and slightly intimidating) hyenas.

The other three finalists were: The Barton Grange Giraffes, The Fron Goch Flamingos and The Millbrook Monkeys.

Cowell’s Garden Centre (above) and Perrywood Garden Centre (below) were celebrating after winning Ruxley Rose Awards at the Garden Centre Association’s annual conference in Luton yesterday (Monday). They were among a celebrated array of centres picking up major awards at the event...

The awards were presented to the member garden centres during a ceremony at Luton Hoo Hotel.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “Once again the dedication and hard work of our member garden centres has shone through and they are running to the very highest of standards in the industry. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of them as they are extremely deserving of their awards.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

The full list of winners announced on Monday, January 21 were:

• Christmas Competition (Garden Centre category) sponsored by Gisela Graham – Castle Gardens
• Christmas Competition (Destination Garden Centre category) sponsored by Gisela Graham – Barton Grange Garden Centre
• Environment and Community Award – Garden Wise – Dumfries 
• Ruxley Rose (Garden Centre category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre
• Ruxley Rose (Destination Garden Centre category) – Perrywood Garden Centre & Nurseries
• Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Creativity and Innovation – Bents Garden & Home
• Customer Service Award – Best Customer Service – Perrywood Garden Centre & Nurseries
• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Garden Centre category) – Bridgford Garden Centre
• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Destination Garden Centre category) – Bents Garden and Home
• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Garden Centre category) – Bridgford Garden Centre
• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Destination Garden Centre category) – Haskins Garden Centre - Ferndown
• Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Garden Centre) – RHS Rosemoor Plant Centre and Shop
• The ifse Award for Catering Excellence – Best Garden Centre Restaurant (Garden Centre Category) – Fron Goch Garden Centre
• The ifse Award for Catering Excellence – Best Garden Centre Restaurant (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Poplars Garden Centre
• Weber Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Bridgford Garden Centre
• Weber Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Poplars Garden Centre and Barton Grange Garden Centre

Gallery of winners below...

Those clever folk a Woodlodge really pulled out the stops to create an afternoon and evening of "real" indoor 'Orse Racin' at Luton Hoo, the venue for this years GCA Conference.

Almost 100 garden centre and supplier delegates arrived at conference on Sunday to take part in the ninth Annual Greenfingers Challenge.

See our photo gallery below to see the results of the wooden horses, with jockeys, as they were reeled in by their winders.  As the evening progressed the Stewards had to intervene with more and more cases of attempted cheating and inevitable crashes caused by too much...

As ever the Greenfingers event created plenty of fun and most importantly raised funds for the Greenfingers Charity in it's 20th year.  We'll find out who wins the Greenfingers Challenge Cup, either Cabbages (suppliers) or Pansies (garden centres) on Tuesday night during the GCA Annual Dinner.

Huge thanks to Ian, Richard and Abbie from Woodlodge for a great evening.  Tally Ho!

With Wyevale Garden Centres CEO and trading director leaving at the end of the month, a big question mark inevitably hangs over the prospect of Wyevale Garden Centres existing as a group by the end of this year.

CEO Roger Mclaughlan told GTN back in June that he was hopeful a buyer would want to keep a group of around 60-70 centres trading as Wyevale Garden Centres, with his key point being that they would all be of a similar size and therefore simpler to run.

His imminent departure, along with trading director Paul Emslie, either means Justin King, who switches from non-executive director to an executive role, and Anthony Jones, who has been promoted from CFO to CEO, have a completely different view of the future or that a purchaser for 60-70 similar sized centres cannot be found and that the rest of the group will now be sold off piece-meal over the coming months, like the 40 sold to date. Some believe that King’s role on the board could be a temporary arrangement to speed up the next phase, whatever that might involve.

Rumours abound that another deal involving five centres will be announced imminently and several other garden centre operators have hinted that Christies, Terra Firma’s ‘auctioneers’, have been back in touch with them.

However, visitors to the Wyevale suppliers trade show this week were reporting a positive, even excited, mood in the WGC camp, with suggestions that the company has plans for the group, as distinct from further sell-offs.

So far everyone we’ve talked to who has purchased a garden centre from Wyevale has told us that sales have increased, footfall has grown, customers and staff are amazed by the price drops on plants and products when moving from Wyevale pricing to independent pricing. Some have added staff, increasing local employment; most importantly, employees inherited from Wyevale are really passionate about what they do and are delighted to be working with their new owners.

At Harrogate Christmas & Gift this week, GTN posed the question to several new owners of previously Wyevale centres: where is all this sales growth coming from?  Whose market share are you stealing? Unanimously, they replied that it is just having the stock there, at the right price plus good merchandising in pleasant surroundings, that is driving sales. This must be at the expense, during the pre-Christmas season, of the high street and other retailers.

But as we move into the spring gardening season, will these revitalised ex-Wyevale centres start taking sales from other retailers of garden products, including garden centres, DIY stores, country stores and the like?

We’ve tried largely to avoid speculation in GTN Xtra about how the Wyevale “Sale of the Century” will end up – but this latest move is full of intrigue.  Chelsea Flower Show 2019 is only five months away.  May we expect an announcement from Terra Firma boss Guy Hands then that the disposal of Wyevale has finally been completed?

Azpects,  the professional market leader for outdoor surface and patio care products,  have added a consumer range to their EASYCare brand offer.

Used widely by professional landscapers, builders and gardeners, Azpects have packaged nine top-selling and new products in consumer-sized packs aimed at garden centre and DIY customers.

“This is a really exciting development, driven entirely by customer demand,” reports Ben Wright, Business Development Manager at Azpects. “We’ve grown rapidly amongst professionals looking for the most effective products. Many consumers were asking where they could buy our patio, paving and decking care products too. Response to these handier sized consumer packs has already been excellent.”

Previously available through trade outlets, each of the nine new EASYCare products is available in two sizes of stylish consumer packs for garden centres, DIY stores and builder’s merchants.

The comprehensive range includes products aimed at keeping paving and hard surfaces clean and protected, such as the best-selling Algae Remover,  and new Patio Seal & Protect. For outside wood and decking, the choice includes Deck Magic and Algae Remove & Seal. The range even includes their unique Artificial Grass Cleaner and highly innovative Grass & Foliage Greener for providing lawn and leaves with an instant burst of green.

To help stockists display and promote the products, Azpects have created an eye-catching free-standing display unit. Showcasing their seven most popular products; it also highlights key features and many of the common garden challenges the products tackle with ease.

“Our new display unit looks great in showrooms and powerfully promotes our products and the simple solutions they deliver” says Ben. “It can be easily positioned to maximise sales and it’s fantastic to hear from stockists the impact our products are already making.”

Azpects have been providing hard landscaping and surface care products to professional landscapers for more than ten years. They gained a market-leading following with trades people and experienced rapid growth which has taken them to almost 30 products.

The Suffolk-based company has focused its entire range on ease-of-use and effectiveness, historically targeting trades-people who require quick, reliable and powerful results. Their range is biodegradable and solvent- and acid-free. Their new consumer sized packs are their latest development to provide easy and popular solutions to the common challenges for everyday gardeners.

For more information on their EASYCare range visit the website .

A combination of New Year Sales and mild weather has seen volume sales at garden centres place a smile on many industry faces. After just two weeks the GTN Bestsellers All Sales Index sits at 7% up year on year.

With some colder weather on the horizon we’re all hoping that just restricts itself to late January and February so that March and April this year become a reverse of 2018.

Judging by the mood of garden centre people at Harrogate Christmas & Gift this week, whilst everyone is concerned about the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, that isn’t stopping them buying and preparing for another bumper Christmas in 2019.

Congratulations go to Leisuregrow who celebrated 80 years of Noma at Harrogate with a gala anniversary event that featured comedian Dara O’Briain.  It really was a superb evening that was enjoyed by every one of the 250 guests. Well done Noma and Lesiuregrow (pictured below).

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year (week 2)
Garden Products – up 8%
Growing Media – down 45%
Wild Bird Care – up 15%
Veg-2-Gro – up 7%
All Plants index – up 9%
All Items index – down 3%

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

Whilst plant sales soared when the gardening season eventually got going last year, garden product sales didn’t follow in the same way. The sales volumes of the GTN Bestsellers Garden products Top 50 for the whole year sees a 19% drop year on year.

Some of that drop could be linked to the fire at Gardman, who only have three lines in our Top 50 for 2018 against 10 of the Top 50 in 2017.

Winners in the overall garden products chart for 2018 are pots.  Woodlodge Heritage Pots Stackable 27cm soared into the Top 50 at No 9, Elho’s Corsica Single Easy Hanger entered at No 18 and Woodlodge Small Pot Feet saw an 11% increase in sales to move up to No 3.

At the top of the chart, Tomorite and Fito Orchid Drip feeders swapped the No 1 and No 2 positions. Both dropped sales volumes in 2018 but Tomorite dropped less to be No 1.

Best performing general plant food of the year was Scotts, now Evergreen Garden Care, Miracle-Gro Slow Release Plant Food 1kg Plus 30% Free with a 40% sales increase to move up to No 5.

Premier Decorations had the bestselling garden lighting product of the year. Their Coloured Led Pull Light & Bulb increased sales by 18% to move up from No 10 to No 4.

What do you think will be the Garden Product Bestsellers of 2019? Will it be the year of garden decoration or will there be a resurgence of plant foods and pest controls?  For sure garden lighting, which has already got off to a flying start, will be among the front runners.  And will Gardman, now owned by Westland, get back to its pre-fire and sale position?

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

Burglars who broke into Hilliers Chichester garden centre and stole cash were spotted on a CCTV camera.

The camera captured the trio of intruders in the early hours of a Saturday in late November.

The footage reveals that one of the group realised he was being filmed and pointed the camera out to the other two.

Two of them looked directly at the camera whilst another, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, attempted to cover his face. They left after forcing the till and stealing cash, eluding the police, who arrived a short time later with dogs.

Officers believe the men could be connected to another local break-in on the same day.

Whilst 2018 saw a widespread move across the industry towards carbon pigment free pots, Porters Fuchsias’ Happy Plants brand have taken their recycling efforts one step further, with the addition of a recycling print to their 2019 Poppelmann Blue pots.

Almost 3 million such printed pots will leave Porters’ nursery this year, covering almost every product across their seasonal pot bedding ranges.

Porters were the first UK grower to introduce carbon pigment-free pots, having picked up on the format at last year’s IPM Essen trade show. From first seeing the pot last January, they quickly diverted over half a million 13cm pots from their summer production to the Poppelmann Blue pot, with the first stock hitting garden centres in early April 2018.

They combined the pot with Modiform’s moulded fibre EcoExpert tray, meaning that all delivered packaging from their 13cm range could be recycled at kerbside.

From this point, they have reconfigured almost all of their 2019 single-use plastics to be compatible with kerbside recycling; with PET bedding packs and jumbo carry packs soon to be released, as well as further expansions on their use of both PET and moulded fibre trays.

More than 70,000 of the new printed pots have already reached garden centres nationwide in the form of a 9cm primrose crop.

Reaction to the printed pots, designed in collaboration with Poppelmann, has already been extremely positive, with high hopes that the print will help customers to more easily identify the pot’s recyclability. In turn, it is hoped this will mean pots are more likely to be recycled – whilst most garden centres are now well briefed on the credentials of using a ‘non-black’ pot, general consensus is that this message has not yet widely been taken board by the consumer from a non-printed pot.

Printing on the pots also allows Porters to incorporate a barcode, meaning they can restrict the use of additional stickers wherever possible; there is a very real concern that residual stickers can inhibit the recyclability of the pots.

Avoiding the additional costs of printing and applying so many stickers has also helped Porters to mitigate the additional cost implications of using the carbon pigment free pot.

Wokingham Borough Council has been refused permission to appeal by Lady Justice Hallett DBE, Vice President of the Court of Appeal Criminal Division, against a ruling made at Reading Crown Court last year related to a prosecution action sought by the council.

Lady Justice Hallett also removed the reporting restriction that had been applied for by Wokingham Borough Council At the Crown Court in Reading in 2018, Hare Hatch Sheeplands plant nursery had claimed an "abuse of process" by the Council when it charged Sheeplands owner Rob Scott, and 10 others including six concession owners on the site, with the criminal offence of being in breach of an enforcement notice. 

Hare Hatch Sheeplands claimed that the Council was unfair in taking the decision to prosecute and that it was a "misuse" of the court process, particularly as full compliance had been achieved. 

At the Crown Court hearing Her Honour Judge Morris agreed with Hare Hatch Sheeplands, stating that owner Rob Scott had been "induced" by certain Wokingham Borough Councillors and Council officials to withdraw his appeal against the enforcement notice and added that this had the effect of denying him the opportunity to have the matter tested in the appropriate planning forum. 

Thereafter, she said, the Council "sought to gain advantage of this situation by prosecuting Mr. Scott for the alleged transgression of the enforcement notice, without him having recourse to the appeal process." 

Concluding her Judgement Her Honour Judge Morris had said: "The fact [Wokingham Borough Council] have chosen to do so under these circumstances, coupled with the clear, and in my view, inappropriate consideration of seeking to reclaim costs through the application of proceeds of crime, is unjust and unfair and so offends the court's sense of justice that it must stay the proceedings in respect of these defendants to protect the integrity of the criminal justice system."  

Following this Judgement Wokingham Borough Council applied for permission from the Court of Appeal at the Royal Courts of Justice to challenge Her Honour Judge Morris' Judgement.  

However, a two-day hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London last week ended with Lady Justice Hallett saying that the original judgement at Reading was "without fault and totally acceptable."

She refused to give the Council permission to appeal and confirmed that all defendants had been acquitted, meaning that criminal charges against Mr. Scott and the other individuals are now at an end. 

In her hour long summing up Lady Justice Hallett said the Council's decision to prosecute Mr. Scott "was flawed."

Her decision was supported by The Rt Hon Lord Justice Lindblom and The Rt Hon Mrs. Justice Carr, who also presided over the Court of Appeal proceedings. 

Following yesterday's hearing in the Count of Appeal, Mr Scott said that he would like to thank both Lady Justice Hallett and Her Honour Judge Morris for taking the time to prepare comprehensive and exonerating judgements.  

While Mr Scott is clearly delighted that the Judgements have been given in his favour, his desire is to work with Wokingham Borough Council to ensure the sustainable future of the nursery and associated services and facilities on the Hare Hatch Sheeplands Nursery site, that will both benefit the community and support the local plan for Ruscombe and Twyford. 

Mr Scott said that he would take every opportunity to open a dialogue with Wokingham Borough Council to further this objective.

Employees of Zest 4 Leisure, a leading trade supplier of quality timber garden products including furniture, arches, arbours and fencing, have collectively smashed their charity fundraising target for 2018.

Throughout the year the company raised a fantastic £10,665 for Action for Children. The charity, which has been operating for 148 years, helps disadvantaged children across the UK and works closely with other charities, local authorities and health services.

Steve Morgan, Zest 4 Leisure’s Managing Director said:

“It has been a real pleasure to be able to raise money for a charity that does so much for young people throughout the UK.

“To see the Zest employees come together and get stuck into the wide variety of challenging events with huge amounts of enthusiasm has been fantastic and we’re thrilled to have raised in excess of £10,000. It has given everyone a real sense of achievement.”

From the Leicester and Chester Marathons to IRONMAN Wales, the Zest team has taken part in a number of grueling physical challenges to raise money. They’ve also had a lot of fun along the way thanks to charity golf days and an ‘It’s A Knockout’ style event!

Nikki Booth, community fundraiser North Wales for Action for Children said:

“It was wonderful to be selected as Zest 4 Leisure’s charity for 2018 and we cannot thank the employees enough for all their hard work in raising such a fantastic amount of money for us.

“The support that we have had from Zest has been amazing and it is great that, with the company’s help, we were able to highlight and raise awareness of the work that Action for Children does in the North Wales community.”

A family run business, Zest 4 Leisure is committed to employee fitness and long-term well-being as well as supporting the community and raising money for charity.

Steve added:

“Being involved with the local community is very important to us as a business, so we were delighted that, once again, participants in the Rhyl Schools Triathlon also raised money for our charity of the year.”

In addition to Action for Children, Zest 4 Leisure has supported a number of different charities over the years including Cancer Research UK and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

An announcement about the chosen charity for 2019 will be made shortly.

LOFA has announced that 100% of members offering cushions and cushioned outdoor furniture have now earned LOFAssured accreditation. 

LOFA’s (Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association) “LOFAssured” initiative ensures that all cushions sold by members comply with current government fire safety regulations.

LOFA has been on a three-year journey after committing to having 100% of relevant members compliant by the end of 2018.  The process saw members put through an educational audit followed by a full audit of all certification, documentation and traceability to ensure only safe, compliant products are offered to the marketplace.  The rigorous process included product testing conducted by an independent test house.

LOFA will now extend the scheme to retailers to help them to ensure they have performed all due diligence in their purchasing processes and are stocking safe, compliant furniture.

The retailer and consumer will be able to clearly identify fully compliant furniture from a LOFAssured member by the LOFAssured swing tag.

LOFAssured Certified members are :

4 Seasons Outdoors - www.4seasonsoutdoor.co.uk

A Mir & Co - www.a-mir.co.uk

Alexander Rose – www.alexander-rose.co.uk

Ascalon - www.ascalon.co.uk

Barlow Tyrie Ltd – www.barlowtyrieatgardensite.co.uk

Bramblecrest - www.bramblecrest.com

Cane Industries - www.caneindustries.co.uk

Culcita - www.culcita.ie 

Daro – www.daro-cane.co.uk

Desser - www.desser.co.uk

Europa Leisure – www.europaleisure.co.uk

Extreme Lounging- www.extremelounging.com

Firmans Direct Ltd - firmansdirect.com 

Garden Furniture Global – www.gardenfurnitureglobal.com

Glencrest Seatex Ltd – www.glencrestseatex.co.uk

Glendale Garden and Leisure – www.glendale-leisure.com

Hampson Agencies – www.jati-kebon.com

Hartman UK - www.hartmanuk.com 

Innovators International - www.innovators-international.co.uk

John Robertson Ltd - www.johnrobertson.ltd.uk

Kettler (GB) Limited – www.kettler.co.uk

LeisureGrow - www.leisuregrow.com

Leisure Plan – www.leisureplan.co.uk

Lifestyle Garden - www.lifestylegarden.com

Maze Rattan -www.mazerattan.com

Mercer Agencies – www.merceragencies.com

Munro Importers -pagodafurniture.co.uk

Norfolk Leisure Lifestyle Limited – www.norfolkleisure.com

Pacific Lifestyle Ltd - www.pacific-lifestyle.co.uk

Premier Decorations – www.premierdec.com

Quest Leisure Products Ltd – www.questleisure.com

Signature Weave – www.signatureweave.com

Supremo UK – www.supremouk.com

Woodlodge Products – www.woodlodgeproducts.co.uk

For further information on the Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association, call 02392 258844 or visit www.lofa.co.uk and www.lofassured.co.uk.

A member of the sales support team at Wyevale Nurseries was awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours List.

Karen Jones received the medal for her long and dedicated service to Kingsland Cub Scouts in Herefordshire.

The 54-year-old said she was shocked to read she had been given the award. “I wasn’t aware I’d been nominated. It’s a great honour and I feel extremely proud. My greatest pleasure working within the Scouting organisation is encouraging young individuals and watching them flourish and grow. I’m especially proud when some come back into Scouting as young leaders.”

Karen, who is married with three children, has worked for Wyevale Nurseries for more than 30 years in the company’s sales office.

Andy Johnson, Managing Director at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “We’re delighted for Karen, this is a wonderful honour and a testament to all her hard work in the community.

“She is an integral part of our sales support team, processing the majority of our landscape customer orders. Karen is a dedicated and committed colleague, who demonstrates wonderful skills both inside and outside the world of work, and she truly deserves this award.”

Karen was notified that she was going to receive an award before Christmas

Karen has volunteered at Kingsland Cub Scouts for more than 30 years and is the group’s Akela (eader of the pack).

She was also awarded a medal for services to horticulture and long service to Wyevale Nurseries in 2018.

Yorkshire contractors have started work on the first phase of a £4 million project to develop Tong Garden Centre near Bradford...

Leeds based Jennings has been contracted to do the demolition work and East Yorkshire based family business Ashcourt has been appointed as the main ground workers on the project, which includes a new plant canopy, an indoor play area and an events centre.

Tong's MD Mark Farnsworth said: "In our continued support of, and investment in, the Yorkshire economy, we have appointed Yorkshire tradesmen wherever possible.

"We estimate that £2.5 million of the £4 million investment will be spent with Yorkshire firms, including Jennings, Ashcourt, the mechanical and electrical systems contractors and businesses like Total Flooring that will be involved in the fit out. This can only be good for the regional economy."

Work on the new plant canopy is expected to be completed by April and the indoor play and events centre is scheduled to open in July.

The work is the first phase of a two year development plan.

Subsequent developments include a new two storey building and restaurant in May 2020 and the development of the lakeside space to build log cabins for educational and horticultural use in 2021.

Glee at Spring Fair 2019 event director Matthew Mein provides an update on what the industry can expect, and why the event is a ‘must attend’ as retailers finesse their spring plans.

Why Glee at Spring Fair – how does it differ from the September show?

Glee at Spring Fair was introduced in 2018 for one simple reason - Spring Fair is the UK’s number one Home and Gift Fair, with an audience which is already engaged and ready and willing to do business. The exhibition already welcomes a strong garden centre contingent, with owners/operators and gift buyers out in force.  Our aim is to encourage other category buyers from across the gardening spectrum to maximise their attendance at Spring Fair.

This ‘second edition’ of Glee, taking place in the early pre-spring season (3-7 Feb, NEC Birmingham) give retailers an additional destination to refresh their ranges ahead of key retail spikes. It will also provide garden buyers with valuable insight into the latest concepts and trends for 2019, helping them to better direct their buying. 

What can visitors expect to see?

Glee at Spring Fair will be a concession that will deliver a selection of some of the best products from some of Glee’s core product sectors. Core gardening will remain at its heart, with key brands such as Woodlodge, Fargro, Charles Taylor, Creative Products, Unique Tables, Logs Direct, Chain Products, Joseph Noblett, Innovators International, Suncatcher, Tepro, Newbud Industrial, Kingdom Teak, Dizmes, Neat Ideas, Laurica Plants and Riverco Trading showcasing their 2019 ranges.

The concession will retain Glee’s signature boulevard aisle and highly-recognisable branding throughout. The Glee Café will act as a hub for Glee’s supporting trade associations – the HTA, GIMA and Gardenex. Offering a wealth of knowledge and benefits, the presence of these trade associations will add some fun and interactive elements to the five-day event.   GIMA will be on hand to answer questions regarding membership and how the association can support manufacturers, whilst international buyers will also be able to meet with enthusiastic suppliers within Gardenex’s own International Buyer Event.

A popular part of the September show and 2018 Glee at Spring Fair, the Glee New Product Showcase will be making its home within the Glee Café.

Who can exhibit?

Any brand from across the gardening spectrum can join Glee at Spring Fair. In 2018 we saw a wide showcase of products including garden decorations, ornaments, statuary and water features, to garden structures and outdoor entertaining. Garden care, where fashion and impulse-buy potential is at its highest, also proves to be a popular attraction for buyers looking to differentiate their retail space in such a competitive market.

Who should visit?

Any retailer aiming to maximise sales of garden products in the year ahead – especially those with a strong design focus – will not want to miss out.

Where to find out more?

Visit the website for all the latest developments regarding the main September show as well as Glee at Spring Fair 2019. Brands interested in exhibiting are invited to call 0203 3033 2160.

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GIMA and LOFA have announced a new seminar for suppliers currently working with, or considering employing the services of, commercial sales agents.  The half-day event is to be held at the HTA on the 20 February.

A good commercial sales agent can be invaluable to your business, but what happens when you want to exit your agreement? Is there a contract in place?  Many companies are employing the services of agents without any form of contract or knowing where they stand legally with the partnership.

Sales agents are an integral part of the garden retail sales arena, many of whom work successfully on behalf of their clients and retail customers. As leading trade associations representing suppliers in the garden retail sector, GIMA & LOFA are aiming to ensure their members are fully informed about their rights and those of the sales agent.

Together the two associations are putting on a half-day seminar designed to bring attendees up to speed on all the issues they need to be aware of when employing agents.  At the end of the session, delegates will be taking away a blank agency agreement and the benefit of knowing where they stand with their relationships and how to move forward successfully.

The seminar is being delivered by Guy Bottard, a Partner and commercial law specialist at Maitland and Walker, where he provides practical advice to small and medium-sized businesses. 

The workshop is designed for any sales director, manager, business owner or principal who is involved in employing or working with sales agents, or anyone who is considering using agents in the future.

Cost – £95+VAT per delegate (GIMA/LOFA member); £150+VAT (non members). 9.30am – 2pm, Lunch and refreshments included

For further information call either of the trade associations directly:

Register and book places via the GIMA website www.gima.org.uk

Garden lighting sales have got the year off to a great start for the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart. The 24 garden lighting lines in the Top 50 this week accounted for 51% of the volume sales. 

Two weeks in and this is the best garden products start to the year since 2015.

Here are the highlights:

• Smart Solar’s Eureka Retro Orb Stake drops from No 1 last week to No 2. Fito Drip Feeder For Orchids returns to the top.
• Smart Solar Bottle It! Lights are the highest placed re-entry at No 11.
• Westland Organic Chicken Manure Pellets 10kg move up 28 places to No 16 as keen gardeners make the most of the mild weather.

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

Early Bird Growing Media sales haven’t flown out in such high volumes as last year just yet.  After two weeks the cumulative Top 50 volume is down on last year but higher than any of the previous six years.

Highlights were:

• Westland Jack’s Magic All Purpose Compost, 60 litres, leads the way as an Early Bird favourite at No 1.
• Westland John Innes Seed, 30 litres, is the highest chart re-entry at No 8.
• Westland Houseplant Potting Mix with Seramis, 8 litres, climbs 23 places up the chart to No 15 as all those houseplants given as Christmas gifts get January aftercare.

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

As usual for this early in the year it’s onion set sales that dominate in the GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro chart. 

The top three varieties for early planting are the same as last year – Red Baron, Stuttgarter and Hercules F1 but sales are up by 14% year on year.

Highlights were:

• Taylors Rhubarb Timperley Early is the highest placed re-entry for the week, back in at No 4.
• Mr Fothergills Tomato Gardeners Delight is the highest placed veg seed line at No 7.
• Beetroot Boltardy seeds from Mr Fothergills and T&M drop to Nos 13 and 14 this week after being No 1 and No 4 in the first week of January.

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

Despite the mild weather, Wild Bird Care sales have got off to a good start, up 16% on last year after two weeks in the GTN Bestsellers Wild Bird Care Chart. 

Gardman’s delivery problems look to be resolved as they once again dominate the top of the chart with 18 of the Top 20 lines.

Highlights were:

• Gardman Mealworm Pouch 400g is the highest chart climber this week, up to No 18.
• Tom Chambers Classic Seed Blend 3.75kg is the highest re-entry at No 24.
• Westland Peckish Suet Pellets Fruit & Berry 3kg is the highest of three new Suet Pellet entries, in at No 32.

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

Plant sales got off to a flying start in 2019.  After just two weeks the GTN Bestsellers Plants Volume Sales Index is up by 20% on last year.

• Primula lead the way for early instant colour with sales volumes over six times higher than the No 2 group of plants, Narcissus.
• Viola are the highest placed re-entry in week 2, back in at No 15.
• Heathers, Ericaceae, increased in sales to climb 35 places up the chart at No 13.

All Plants volume sales change: Week on week UP 55.4%. Year to date vs 2018 UP 19.9%, vs  2017 UP  55.9%.

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

Wyevale Garden Centres has today announced a number of changes to its executive and senior leadership team.

Following the successful completion of the initial phase of the sale process, and a strong close to the year, Roger Mclaughlan (avove), Chief Executive of WGC will leave the business at the end of January, handing over the running of the business to Anthony Jones, who is promoted from Chief Financial Officer to Chief Operating Officer.

Justin King, currently Non-Executive Chairman, will become Executive Chairman. As part of this re-organisation, Paul Emslie, Trading & Marketing Director, will also leave the business, and there are further changes across the leadership team.

The changes follow a transformational year for WGC which has seen the sale of 40 garden centres and put the business in a much stronger financial position. These changes deliver a support structure and cost base appropriate to the future needs of the re-shaped business.

The business commenced a sale process in May 2018 and continues to evaluate a wide range of competitive offers from the group buyers, regional operators and local entrepreneurs.

Justin King, Executive Chairman of WGC said: “I would like to thank Rog for his outstanding leadership in transforming Wyevale Garden Centres into a business that puts customers and colleagues at the heart of its operation. Wyevale Garden Centres has transformed beyond recognition over the period of his leadership and is now well placed for the future.

"I would also like to thank Paul for the critical role he has played in transforming our customer proposition, including delivering improved ranges, better stock availability and stronger customer communications.”

Roger Mclaughlan, Chief Executive of WGC, said: “I am absolutely delighted to be handing over to Anthony Jones, who has worked closely with me on every step of the turnaround, including leading the re-shaping of the portfolio through the sale process.

"I am extremely confident he will deliver strong results. I would also like to thank all our colleagues at Wyevale Garden Centres who are the most passionate, talented and committed I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”

Two hundred and fifty invited guests celebrated 80 years of Noma in Harrogate last night.  In the glitzy star lit surroundings of the Theatre Royal comedian Dara O'Briain entertained after a wonderful three course meal interspersed with more entertainment including singing waiters.  The evening ended on the packed dance floor with music provided by The Secret Show Band.

Leisuregrow held the event to celebrate NOMA's 80th Birthday and to say thank you to all of their customers.

See GTN Xtra's photo gallery of the evening below and if you are in Harrogate you can meet the Noma team in Hall A.

History and Heraldry scooped the No 1 Christmas Bestsellers spot  in the GTN Bestsellers Christmas Product chart for 2018, with last years winners Suki claiming both the No 2 and No 3 Bestsellers positions.

Once again, new products were the biggest winners with customers when it comes to volume sales.  Nine of the Top 10 Christmas Bestsellers were new lines.  The forty seven new lines in this years chart accounted for 48% of the Top 100 sales volume which dropped by 17% on the volumes for the Top 100 in 2017.

Download a pdf of the Top 100 using this link

Work is officially underway on an exciting refurbishment project at Notcutts Garden Pride Garden Centre, on Common Lane in Ditchling.

Due to be completed this summer, the garden centre will have an extended covered planteria offering customers more variety of plants and garden supplies.

The garden centre will also benefit from an improved layout, upgraded lighting and flooring throughout, and new concession space for even more shopping variety.

The project also includes development of a brand new restaurant with a bright and spacious dining area seating up to 300 people, plus an additional 80 seats in a new alfresco south-facing dining terrace with views across the downs. There will also be a new outdoor children’s play area for little ones to enjoy. Freshly prepared breakfasts, lunches or afternoon teas will be available in the new restaurant, with comfortable seating areas for a relaxed dining experience.

The garden centre and current restaurant area will remain open as usual throughout the refurbishment period.

Gary West, general manager at Notcutts Garden Pride, said: “We are very excited to be investing in major improvements at our garden centre to provide customers with a fresh and contemporary shopping and dining experience.

“Notcutts Garden Pride Garden Centre will continue to remain open as usual and we are hoping to keep disruption to a minimum but we ask customers to please bear with us in the meantime. We look forward to unveiling our brand new look to all of our customers later this year.”

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 2016 as well as 2017 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.

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Garden Plants Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care chart for this week are here

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 £120m.

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 call 01733 775700.

Buy your subscription today and start receiving the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.

Commercial Kitchen – the UK's leading kitchen equipment, services and design show(NEC Birmingham on 4-5 June 2019) – will feature innovations and solutions designed to help foodservice equipment buyers and caterers make their kitchens greener, says organiser Diversified Communications UK.

With visitor registration now open, this year's attendees - who annually include key decision makers from all types and sizes of kitchens (from Michelin-starred restaurants to local pubs and bars, from casual dining chains to fast food outlets, leisure venues, work canteens, schools and hospitals) will also benefit from a wealth of expert advice on managing sustainable back-of-house protocols and increasing their resource efficiency via a series of dedicated keynote sessions.

The Soil Association's new Green Kitchen Standard, which recognises and promotes caterers' environmental credentials, will also be supporting and exhibiting at the show for the first time. The Sustainable Restaurant Association will return as a show supporter (ceda and the FCSI - the show's lead partner and partner respectively –have also already been confirmed).

Kitchen equipment wish-lists for the year ahead will, of course, vary from business to business. According to Matthew Merritt-Harrison, new chair of the FCSI UK and Ireland and managing partner of Merritt-Harrison Catering Consultancy, it's important to focus on “energy-efficient equipment that is cost effective and sustainable over its life cycle”. It won't always mean taking the lowest cost options, but the best value in the long run, particularly when considering new warewashing, combination ovens, induction cooking and refrigeration equipment, he says.

Switching to more efficient appliances can offer multiple benefits, aside from alleviating rising energy costs; it can reduce consumption, waste and carbon footprint – and save valuable staff time. When identifying key trends for commercial kitchens in the coming year, Tyron Stephens-Smith, project & creative director at design and install firm TAG UK Ltd, said he'd also seen more operators evaluating ecological equipment offers and efficiencies to combat the rising costs of staffing.

Show highlights include a raft of sustainable products for 2019

Whatever a business’s needs, Commercial Kitchen's 100-plus exhibitors are likely to have it covered. 

Cuisinequip/Valentine Equipment, DC Warewashing & Icemaking Systems, Gamble Foodservice Solutions, Hupfer/Trak, Jestic Foodservice Equipment, Meiko UK, Precision Refrigeration, Regale Microwave Ovens, Synergy Grill, Target Catering Equipment, and Wexiödisk, are just some of this year's exhibitors promoting their latest energy-efficient/sustainable models and systems.

Here's a preview of what they'll be exhibiting this June:

• Jestic Foodservice Equipment is showcasing the latest in sustainable frying technology from Henny Penny. The revolutionary Evolution Elite open fryers use up to 40% less oil, deliver ongoing efficiencies and labour savings, and use state-of-the-art technology to guarantee consistency and reduce waste.
• Hupfer's ThermaDry uses modern heating technology with low power consumption, utilising infrared heating lamps over traditional heating coils.  With integrated ceramic plates for dry heating and a newly-developed gantry, the ThermaDry is the ultimate energy efficient hot holding drop-in unit.
• Gamble Foodservice Solutions is the UK distributor of FWE's range of cook-and-hold ovens, which are among the most versatile on the market. They'll be introducing the compact countertop LCHR-1220-4. This plug and play oven runs from a 13-amp plug, with lower wattage elements that will save money in electricity.
• Target Catering Equipment is demonstrating its award-winning, energy saving TR-E+ induction range, which incorporates four square zone induction hobs, induction griddle and convection oven. It's a versatile stove, which suits various cooking styles including multiple pan cooking, direct plancha cooking and large single pan cooking.
• Thanks to the latest patented burner technology and natural ceramics, Synergy Grills (like the SG900 for example) use on average 59% less gas and produce less carbon monoxide residue compared to commercial gas grills of similar sizes.  The heat capturing ceramic technology ensures that heat is focused directly towards the food, therefore requiring less energy for a cleaner, safer and greener grilling experience.
• Wexiödisk is showcasing its remarkably efficient, award-winning, green WD-6 Duplus and WD-PRM6 single-hood concept.  Featuring a world first, double-rinse sequence, the pre-rinse and wash technology uses just one litre of fresh water per cycle, significantly reducing water, electricity, and chemical consumption, yet delivering consistently outstanding results.
• The rapid heat-up and energy efficiency of HWM induction hobs from Cuisinequip are ideal for operations where adaptable cooking systems with low residual heat and a small footprint are needed (Robin Hill Country Park in the Isle of Wight is a recent example).
• Meiko UK's M-iClean H is the first truly ergonomic pass-through dishwasher, with astounding economic performance including up to 21% energy-savings compared to previous Meiko hood machines. Water consumption is also minimised thanks to a 2.4 litre final rinse, compared to 3 litres per rack on older Meiko machines.
• Precision Refrigeration's most popular and energy efficient product at this year's Commercial Kitchen show is the A energy rated MCU211 GN1/1 counter. Used by chefs across the world, the MCU211 features: durable stainless steel interior and exterior, R290 hydrocarbon refrigerant, and 60mm zero ODP insulation.
• Regale Microwave Ovens is promoting the Panasonic NE 1878 complete with new Microsave CPS3A Cavity Liner. The saving of 6.3% on power use makes it one of the most environment-friendly, heavy-duty microwave ovens on the market, while the cavity liner made specially for this model will save the ceiling plate (roof liner), ceramic glass base plate, and the lens light cover.
• DC Warewashing & Icemaking Systems' Optima Double-hood Passthrough Dishwasher - OD1450AD, is capable of washing 1,400 plates an hour (or up to 120 baskets) and comes with energy saving stand-by mode and an auto-On/Off features. When fitted with the new DC Steam Heat Recovery System it can reduce energy use by up to 25%, plus because it removes the steam generated by the wash cycle there's no need to install a separate extraction canopy or condense hood.

Professionally reconditioned equipment is another option for operators on a tight budget (and it also helps reduce landfill waste).  Returning exhibitors offering this service include Caterquip UK and General Catering.

For operators looking for new eco-friendly ways to manage their food waste, there's PRM Waste (which launched its PRM Bio-Processor at Commercial Kitchen 2018) and EXBIO, with its popular Ex Series digester.

Show features include a free two-day seminar programme, the Innovation Challenge Awards, and ceda Awards Gallery.

Visitor registration for the show now open here and quote priority code CK12.