Blue Diamond MD, Alan Roper, said there will be 2 more Blue Diamond Garden Centres by Easter, taking the group to 44 centres and well on track to hit a turnover projection of £330m this year during his "Greatest Showman" introduction to the Blue Diamond Awards 2023.

Alan told GTN Xtra: "We have 2 acquisitions in process. Heads are agreed and we are aiming to get them both completed by Easter."

Commenting on the 1920's themed event, with around 700 attendees from across the garden centre group and key suppliers, which was held at the Athena in Leicester, a restored art-deco cinema, Alan said: It's hard to believe its a work function, the friendship in the room is tremendous.  I've spent 24 years building this culture.  It was hard at the beginning but it is the glue and it becomes infectious.  So many of the team love the job, they like the people they work with and it comes through on a night like this; the sense of belonging and camaraderie.

As Alan announced the Garden Centre of the Year Awards he said: "None of these awards are easy, but you look at the quality, the sense of team, of course the figures and those centres that made the grade on all of those factors with profitability being very important meant the quality this year was so high."

Blue Diamond Awards 2023 – Full results

Garden Centres of the Year

OAK Garden Centre of the Year: Grosvenor

Nominees:

• Cardiff
• Derby
• East Bridgford
• Endsleigh
• Grosvenor
• Newbridge
• Sanders
• St Peters

ACORN Garden Centre of the Year: Brambridge Park

Nominees:

• Brambridge
• Coton Orchard
• Evesham
• Harlow
• Lower Morden
• Nailsworth
• Trelawney

Restaurants of the Year

OAK Restaurant of the Year: Cardiff Restaurant

Nominees:

• Cardiff
• Derby
• Endsleigh
• Grosvenor
• Springfields

ACORN Restaurant of the Year: Nailsworth Waterside Cafe

Nominees:

• Brambridge
• Hereford
• Lower Morden
• Nailsworth
• Worcester

Kipling of the Year: Bicester

Nominees:

• Bicester
• Cadbury
• Sanders

Pastry Chef of the Year: Paula Cummings - Springfields

Nominees:

• Donna Kerr & Emma Cliff – Derby
• Ellie Leathwood – Fryers
• Kinga Wachowska – Sanders
• Paula Cummings - Springfields
• Trixie Hutchings – Fermoys

Head Chef of the Year: Dom Steffanelli - Grosvenor

Nominees:

• Adam Gellender – Brambridge
• Andrew Mellor – Chatsworth
• Andy Williams – Trelawney
• Dom Stefanelli – Grosvenor

Barista of the Year: Viegas Felisberto - Bicester

Nominees:

• Celeste Crook – Redfields
• Laura Thornley – Chatsworth
• Nick Margery = Lower Morden
• Viegas Felisberto – Bicester

Food Retailer of the Year: ACORN Jo Nicholls – Cardiff, OAK Michelle Richardson - Trentham and Jane Glanville - Endsleigh

Nominees:

• Bridgemere
• Cadbury
• Cardiff
• East Bridgford
• Endsleigh
• Fermoys
• Lower Morden
• Sanders
• Trentham

Furniture & Outdoor Leisure Award: ACORN Dennis Ridson - Trelawney, OAK Jacinta Butler - Derby

Nominees:

• 3 Shires
• Bridgemere
• Chatsworth
• Derby
• East Bridgford
• Grosvenor
• Hereford
• Lower Morden
• Matloock
• Sanders
• St Peters
• Trelawney
• Trentham

Christmas Award: ACORN Amy Roberts - Fryers, OAK Malcom Baines - Newbridge

Nominees:

• 3 Shires
• Bridgemere
• Derby
• Fermoys
• Fryers
• Harlow
• Le Friquet
• Lower Morden
• Melbicks
• Newbridge
• Wilton

Wild Animal Award: ACORN Daniel Underhill - Nailsworth, OAK Sophie Dawson – Le Friquet

Nominees:

• Canterbury
• Cardiff
• Le Friquet
• Nailsworth
• Rake
• Trelawney

Growing Media, Features & Containers Award: ACORN Philip Hayes - Trelawney, OAK Andy Gontier – Le Friquet

Nominees:

• Fermoys
• Harlow
• Le Friquet
• Lower Morden
• Nailsworth
• St Peters
• Trelawney

Seeds and Bulbs Award: ACORN Daniel Underhill - Nailsworth, OAK David Roberts – Percy Throwers

Nominees:

• 3 Shires
• Canterbury
• Derby
• Evesham
• Nailsworth
• Percy Throwers
• Sanders
• Springfields
• Trentham

Garden Care and Décor Award: ACORN Patrick Hurley - Harlow, OAK Zoe Gillyett – St Peters

Nominees:

• Cadbury
• Canterbury
• Harlow
• Le Friquet
• Lower Morden
• Nailsworth
• St Peters
• Trelawney
• Weybridge

Indoor Plants Award: ACORN Lisa Ceaser - Weybridge, OAK Tom Watkins -Cardiff

Nominees:

• Canterbury
• Cardiff
• Coton Orchard
• Fermoys
• Matlock
• Percy Throwers
• Tunbridge Wells
• Weybridge

Hardy Plants Award: ACORN Dee Stuart McDonald – Tunbridge Wells, OAK Kevin Flemming - Bridgemere

Nominees:

• Bridgemere
• Cardiff
• Harlow
• Lower Morden
• Nailsworth
• Newbridge
• Orchard Park
• Rake
• Tunbridge Wells

Seasonal Plants Award: ACORN Jonathan Feasey - Harlow, OAK Kyle Bartram - Bicester

Nominees:

• Bicester
• Grosvenor
• Harlow
• Lower Morden
• Matlock
• Orchard Park
• Rake
• Redfields
• Tunbridge Wells
• Wilton
• Worcester

The Fashion Award: ACORN Matt Evans - Cardiff, OAK Lyndsay Smith - Brambridge

Nominees:

• 3 Shires
• Bicester
• Brambridge
• Cardiff
• Chatsworth
• Coton Orchard
• East Bridgford
• Endsleigh
• Evesham
• Grosvenor
• Hereford
• Lower Morden
• Melbicks
• Newbridge
• Springfields
• Trelawney
• Trentham
• Weybridge
• Worcester

Customer Engagement Award: ACORN Canterbury, OAK Cadbury

Nominees:

• 3 Shires
• Cadbury
• Canterbury
• Lower Morden
• Sanders
• Trelawney

The Home Award: ACORN Laura Ross – Coton Orchard, OAK Vicki Gisbourne - Evesham

Nominees:

• Coton Orchard
• Evesham
• Fermoys
• Harlow
• Redfields
• Springfields

The Stock Management Award: Sanders

Nominees:

• East Bridgford
• Grosvenor
• Harlow
• Sanders

See GTN Xtra's full photo gallery from The Blue Diamond Awards 2023 below: