Wyevale Garden Centres today announces that the Trustees for the company pension scheme have purchased a £44m bulk annuity policy from Aviva, the largest insurance company in the UK.

Against the backdrop of the sale of all Wyevale Garden Centres over the last 16 months, and the general risks of long term defined benefit pension provision, Wyevale Garden Centres has worked collaboratively with the trustees to secure the purchase of the bulk annuity policy. This policy is contracted with the trustees and together with the other assets held by the pension scheme, is completely separate from the company assets.

This positive development significantly increases the security of all member benefits and paves the way for a full ‘buy out’, which would result in the purchase of individual annuity policies for each member, further securing their benefits.

Wyevale Garden Centres has historically made regular contributions into the scheme and during 2019 has made significant lump sum contributions, totalling £16.5m, which has enabled the Trustees to purchase this bulk annuity policy.

Each member will receive a communication today, advising them of this positive development and confirming that there will be no change to their benefits with pensions continuing to be paid from the scheme in the same way as they are now.

The company was advised by LCP, which acted as lead transaction adviser on the deal.

Anthony Jones, COO of Wyevale Garden Centres said: “I am delighted that our successful sale process has put us in a position to provide £16.5m of additional funding to the pension scheme and has facilitated the Pension Trustees purchasing of a bulk annuity policy from Aviva, a leading provider. This development significantly increases the security of the long term benefits that the scheme offers to members. We have also ring-fenced the further funds required to continue this process and purchase individual annuity policies for each and every member of the scheme.”

Justin King, Executive Chairman of Wyevale Garden Centres said: “When we launched the sale process, our main goal was to secure a positive outcome for all stakeholders. This purchase of the Aviva policy represents an extremely successful outcome for the pension scheme and I am delighted that we have been able to facilitate this result for all of its members.”

Claire Teagle, Director HR Trustees Ltd and Chair of Wyevale Garden Centres Limited Pension Trustees said: "The Trustees have engaged closely with the Company over the past year with the aim of improving the security of members' benefits as the sale process has progressed. The trustees are delighted with the outcome which the additional funding has provided to secure members' full benefits with an Insurance Company."

Jamie Cole, Deal Management Lead of Aviva said: “We’re delighted to have been selected as the provider for this scheme. Working to clearly defined requirements, set by LCP, made it easy for us to work towards the best solution for the scheme and members. In a year that has seen a record-breaking volume of transactions, this highlights Aviva’s ability to offer competitive pricing and service schemes of all sizes in the market.”

The sale of the final Wyevale Garden Centres last week prompts major changes in our "State of the Nation" garden centre ownership chart.

British Garden Centres jump to No 2 with the 22 sites purchased last week and two sites; Windsor and Enfield being traded by British Garden Centres while they await development outcomes as a result of earlier sales to developers.

Klondyke, Notcutts, Hilliers, Squires, Cherry Lane and Hillview all move up one place following the disappearance of Wyevale as a garden centre brand.

At No 10, Caulders and Otter Nurseries, with seven sites each, enter our chart for the first time.  Caulders purcased two centres from Dobbies earlier in the year and Otter Nurseries added two from Wyevale Garden Centres in April.

Whether it’s a passion for cacti, succulents or orchids, more and more of us are developing a strong desire to bring houseplants into the home. And it’s no wonder, when research shows that plants make us happier, healthier and more energetic. At the same time, consumers are becoming increasingly eco-conscious and looking to suppliers and retailers to provide more environmentally friendly solutions.

You’ll meet both growing needs by developing a partnership with elho. With an extensive range of beautifully designed indoor pots and planters, all made from sustainable materials, the elho collection meets the demand for houseplants that look great, and planters that don’t cost the earth.

Something for everyone

The b.for collection from elho has a vast range of popular indoor pots and planters in all shapes, sizes and colours. From the stylish matt textures and muted tones of the b.for soft to the geometric angles and bright colour pops of the b.for rock, there’s something to suit any interior décor scheme.

A new innovation for 2020, the b.for studio meets the growing demand for contemporary plant stands.  Created by Dutch designer Daphna Lauren for elho, the b.for studio will appeal to stylish consumers looking for the latest trends. Perfect for houseplant enthusiasts looking for sharp lines, neutral tones and statement styles.

Designer planters

Dutch design meets sustainability in the exclusive Pure collection. Carefully finished by hand to achieve a high-end look, these adaptable planters are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Create an impact in store with planted up Pure pots. The Brick Divider is perfect for creating flexible zones in the home or garden, and the Pure Edge is a contemporary alternative for those looking for strong lines.

Look out for new Pure LED planters in 2020, complete with Smart technology so your customers can control their lighting from anywhere using a phone or tablet. And the modern Pure Beads, available late 2019, that reflects next seasons furniture collection with more organic shapes and colours.

Give room to nature

The elho purpose is all about inspiring people to bring more nature into their daily lives. And elho is green in everything they do. All of elho’s pottery collection is made from sustainable material, produced with 100% wind energy and lasts a long time.

David Nicholson, Sales Manager for the UK & Ireland, comments, “The enthusiasm for houseplants shows no sign of abating. And we know that millennials and urbanites with no access to outside space are important markets for this category.

”We are all becoming more conscious of our dependence on single use plastics, and plant enthusiasts and younger consumers are particularly environmentally aware. At elho, we are passionate about working with garden retailers to help a broader range of customers to enjoy nature in a sustainable way.”

Elho is a family-owned company and the leading innovator in the synthetic pottery market. For more than 55 years, elho has dedicated itself to the product development and production of grow your own, outdoor, indoor and designer pots and planters. Every year elho launches dozens of innovations that continuously inspire people with fun, functional and creative products.

www.elho.com  www.facebook.com/elho

Trebaron Garden Centre at Newton-Le-Willows near Warrington has been sold for an undisclosed sum to Newbank Garden Centres.

The former owner Mike Withers bought the site in 1991 from pop singer Rick Astley's father when it was a 6 acre open field with one small greenhouse.

Redeveloped in 2006 the business is now a destination centre with several concessions and a large restaurant.

The transaction brings the stable of centres owned Newbank, a family business, to five, making it the largest chain in the north west.

MIke Withers also owns Sefton Meadows Garden Centre and the distributor Trans-Continental Group, whose brands SnowTime and SunTime are well known in the garden centre industry.  "The intention is to invest in Sefton Meadows Garden Centre and develop it into a destination centre."

Jon Bottomley, Newbank Commercial Director told GTN Xtra: "We are proud to add Trebaron, Newton-Le-Willows to our already amazing portfolio of garden centres. We have been looking for the right site for many years and approached Mike to see if he would part with the centre he is so fond of. We have dealt with him for many years and consider him a family friend which made the process a lot easier.

"We have many changes in place already to push this thriving garden centre to the next level and as a family, we are very excited about the next chapter for the business.  We've just got to try and throw a Christmas together now!"

Zest 4 Leisure’s in-house design team has worked hard to create a range of new products based upon current and future market trends, and in response to customer feedback for 2020.

Central to the new Zest 4 Leisure timber garden furniture range, the elegant Santorini Swing has been designed with comfort and style in mind. It features FSC® certified, bowed laminated supports and side trellis panels giving it a beautifully enhanced look, offering uninterrupted panoramic views of the landscape.

With a new shape canopy, the Santorini Swing is a focal point for any garden or outside space and will stand the test of time with a 10-year guarantee against rot.

To see Zest 4 Leisure’s new products and find out more information on the company’s newly launched aggregate range, visit www.zest4leisure.co.uk.

Wyevale Garden Centres have announced that it has secured the future of Elm Court as a garden centre. The existing landlord, Elm Court Garden Centre Limited will take over the operations and all colleagues at the site will transfer over.

The positive news follows the centre’s lease surrender in July 2019. In the time since, WGC has continued operating the centre under a license agreement and worked closely with the landlord to facilitate a positive outcome for the site.

Anthony Jones, COO of Wyevale Garden Centres said: "We are delighted with the outcome at Elm Court Garden Centre and I am pleased to confirm that 30 Wyevale Garden Centre colleagues will transfer across to the new management. I would like to thank Chaz and the team at Elm Court Garden Centre Limited as well as the centre colleagues for their hard work and wish everyone at Elm Court the very best for the future.”

Wyevale Garden Centres have also published a list of "Estimated last trading day as Wyevale Garden Centres" on the wyevalegardencentres.co.uk website:

Glee went Floral Thursday in support of Greenfingers Charity's special 20^th anniversary year, The event, supported by Garden Trade News, saw exhibitors and visitors to Glee joining in the fun by wearing an array of floral clothing throughout the day.

All those taking part were asked to support the charity by buying a raffle ticket which was entered into a prize draw to win fabulous prizes. Over £1,400 was raised for Greenfingers.

GTN's Greatest Floral Team Award went to Evergreen Garden Care.

Greenfingers Ambassador Trevor Pfeiffer suggested the idea after getting so many positive comments while wearing floral shirts at Glee last year. “Every time I wear a floral shirt for work it makes people smile so if we can get as many people at Glee on Thursday wearing floral what a happy place it will be!”

Greenfingers Charity's Director of Fundraising & Communications, Linda Petrons said: "This is a fabulous new initiative which we hope will become a regular event in the Glee and Greenfingers Charity calendar.  We're hugely grateful to ITE and Garden Trade News for their support which will not only raise the profile of the charity but also help to make a difference to life limited children and their families who spend time in hospices."

See our gallery of pictures below...

Ground-breaking new garden products have been confirmed as the winners of the coveted Glee New Product Awards 2019, run in association with GTN...

The winning products were chosen by an expert panel of judges representing independent and multiple retailers, consumer gardening media and trade media.

After initial judging of the 362 new products entered first thing the judges selected finalists in each category. Then those finalists had the opportunity to meet the judges, answer questions and make a pitch to be chosen as the winner.

The results:

Garden Decoration: Jardinopia Cane Companions

Growing Containers: Primeur Tierra Verde Planters

Garden Growing Materials: Environmental Factor NamaKnight Nematodes Biological insect control

Garden Giftware, Home & Clothing: Joint winners – Luxa London,The Holly Branch Candlesticker and Smart Garden Products Faux Bouquets

Garden Landscaping: Patio Blackspot Removal Co Ltd, Stone King Restorer

Garden Leisure & Entertaining: Mookie Toys Muddy Madness Wooden Mud Kitchen

Garden Tools & Machinery: iTip Rotating Handles for Wheelbarrows

Garden Plants, Seeds & Bulbs: MNP Flowers, Granvia Gold Zerochrysum

Garden Retail & Industry Services: The Christmas Cabin, Vacu Bio Net Christmas Tree Netting

Garden Wild Bird and Wildlife Products: Jacobi Jayne, Easy Peasy Bird Food

Best House Plants and Accessories Award: Tradescantia Nanouk from Javado

Best of British Winner: iTip Rotating Handles for Wheelbarrows

Best Eco Initiative Award: Tierra Verde Planters by Primeur

Best Overall New Product at Glee:  Granvia Gold Zerochrysum from MNP Plants

With a record 362 entries this year, the Glee New Product Showcase, in association with GTN, generated huge interest as Glee opened on Tuesday morning with hundreds visitors heading to the stand as part of their planning of visits for the rest of the show.

Prior to the show opening, the panel of 10 Glee New Products judges started the process of making their selections from the 363 new products entered into the showcase across 11 product categories.

From the initial judging process the products with the Top 3 scores in each category have been announced and they now have the opportunity to make a 2 minute pitch to the judges this afternoon, before the final decisions on the winners are made.

Here is the list of shortlisted products:

Garden Decoration

DecoPak - 20Y40-Z41 - Rockin Pebbles and Pens

Jardinopia - 6S81 - Cane Companions

Primus - 6L20-M21 - RSPB Hand Crafted Wooden Birds

Growing Containers

Jagram – 20W20-X21 - Hexagonal Planters Set

Primeur – 19E10-E11 - Tierra Verde Planters

Vegepod – 8C75 - Vegebag

Woodlodge – 6S30-T31 - Weave Pots

Garden Growing Materials

Environmental Factor – 8B74 - NamaKnight Nenatopes Bio-logical insect control

Melcourt Industries Ltd - 7K19 - Melcourt Bag for Life

Natural Grower Ltd – 7J82 - Natural Soil Conditioner for Organic Growers

Garden Giftware, Home & Clothing

Greenkey Garden & Home – 19C35 - The Brick & Tile eco style recycled doormat

Luxa London – 7F70 - The Holly Branch Candlesticker

Smart Garden Products – 6L50 - The Faux Bouquets

Garden Landscaping

Azpects Ltd – 19E36 - EASY Garden Range

Kelkay – 6Q40-S41 - Feature Pebbles Midnight

Patio Blackspot Removal Co Ltd – 6L80 - Stone King Restorer

Garden Leisure & Entertaining

Capi Europe – 20V20 - The Rain Barrel Rib

EcoGrill UK – 19B72 - Eco Grill Eco Friendly BBQ

Mookie Toys – 6R10 - Muddy Madness Wooden Mud Kitchen

Garden Tools & Machinery

Handy Distribution – 6M40 - Greenworks Cordless Pressure Washer

Hotbin Composting – 6M70 - Hotbin Mini Composter

iTip – 19B64 - iTip Rotating Handles for Wheelbarrows

Garden Plants, Seeds & Bulbs

Javado - 19G40 -Tradescantia Nanouk

MNP Flowers – GH23 - Granvia Gold Zerochrysum

Wyevale Nurseries – GH3 - Agapanthus Poppin Purple

Garden Retail & Industry Services

Garden Pride Marketing – 7H36 - Guarded Pin Tree Stand

The Christmas Cabin – 20Y20 - Vacu Bio Net Christmas Tree Netting

Wheelie Klips Ltd – 19L15 - Klip ‘n’ Fresh

Garden Wild Bird and Wildlife Products

Leisuregrow Products – 6S50 - Bee Hive – Solar

Leisuregrow Products -6S50 - Insect Hotel – Solar

Jacobi Jayne - 6M90 - Easy Peasy Bird Food

Pet Products – in Hall 19 Pet New Product Area

Dickie Bag –19S60 - Neoskin Treat Bag

Scruffs –19Q32 - Scruffs Santa Paws Box Bed & Gift Set

Scruffs – 19Q32 - Thermal Blanket

Henry Bell – 8A50-B51 - Dog Gone Fishing

Trixie – 19Q30-R31 - Cat litter tray sieve-mat

Trixie – 19Q30-R31 - Dog Activity Flower Tower

George Barclay – 19R50-S51 - George Barclay Holmsley, Italain Leather Pet Carri

The winners of the Glee Buyers Power List were revealed at the show..

The Glee Buyers Power List has been set-up to recognise the individual buyers and buying teams who have gone above and beyond to make a difference within the garden retail industry this year.

The winners were:

Best Single Site Independent Garden Centre: Ayletts Nurseries

Best MultipleSite Independent Garden Centre: Grovewell Garden Centres

Best Garden Centre Group: Joint winners, Blue Diamond and Notcutts

Best Online Retail Buyer/Buying Team: Richard Jackson's Garden Centre

Best DIY/Builders Merchant Buying Team: Homebase

Best Supermarket/Department Store Buying Team: Waitrose

Best Pet Buying Team: B&M

Best High Street Retailer: John Lewis

Seven pet product suppliers are celebrating winning New Product Awards at Pets@Glee with the honours being presented at the end of day two of the show.

The winners were:

Pet Clothing Products

Winner: The House of Paws for their Santa Knitted Snood

Pet Toys and Entertainment

Winner: Trixie for their Dog Activity Flower Tower

Pet Accessories

Winner: Dickie Bag for their Neoskin Treat Bag

Pet Health, Grooming and Cleaning Winner: Trixie for their Cat litter tray sieve mat

Pet bedding and Travel

Winner: Scruffs for the Santa Paws Box Bed & Gift set

Pet Food and Treats

Winner: Henry Bell for their Dog Gone Fishing

Pet Technology

Winner: 101 & Co for their innovative Automatic Pet Feeder

Best Eco-Initiative in Pet Products

Winner: Danish Design Pet Products for their FatFace Marching Dogs Deluxe Slumber Bed

Best Overall New Product for Pets at Glee

Winner: The Neoskin Treat Bag from Dickie Bag

The Annual General Meeting of the Horticultural Trades Association, which took place at Glee this week saw the appointment of Boyd Douglas-Davies as HTA President.

Boyd Douglas-Davies, CEO of Hillview Garden Centres, has taken over the Presidency from Adam Taylor of Taylors Bulbs who has come to the end of his two-year tenure in the role and moves to the role of Immediate Past President.

Boyd has over 30 years of experience in garden retail. After training at Pershore College Boyd spent 20 years at Webbs of Wychbold during which time the business continuously grew and was recognised as one of the UK’s best garden centres. As CEO of Hillview Garden Centres he operates eight garden centres across middle England. A well-known figure in the industry Boyd is a trustee of the Greenfingers Charity and founder of Garden Re-Leaf Day.

The AGM also saw the following appointments:

·                The ratification of James Barnes as Chairman.

·                The ratification of the re-appointment of Bob Hewitt as a Director of the Board.

Immediate HTA Past President, Adam Taylor, comments,

“I feel extremely proud and privileged to have been able to serve the association over the last two years which has seen great change, both internally and externally. It has been an exciting, occasionally challenging, but always immensely rewarding experience and I would like to thank the HTA Board and Committees for their support, along with the team at Horticulture House. I would like to welcome Boyd to the President’s position and wish him all the best for his term of office.”

As outlined in the Annual Review there have been many accomplishments throughout the year. Mostly notably, three key areas include:

·                Plant health and biosecurity – leading the plant health agenda by launching the Plant Health Management Standard and ‘Plant Healthy’ toolkit.

·                Recyclable plant pots – driving forward the introduction of recyclable plant pots potentially saving 8,000 tonnes of plastic going to landfill.

·                Industry value – for the first time quantifying the value and contribution of the industry to enable us to raise our profile with Government and decision makers.

HTA President, Boyd Douglas-Davies, comments,

“I feel that this is a very exciting time for the industry – yes there are lots of challenges but with this also comes lots of opportunity. Sustainability is a key area that the industry is working hard on which is hugely important. Let’s not forget we are producing a great product in the shape of plants or ‘clean air machines’. We need to shout about this from the roof tops to ensure that the buyers of the future continue to come to us for great products that have a positive impact on the environment.”

He adds, “I look forward to taking the association through the next two years and encourage all members to play an active role in helping to shape the organisation for the future – ensuring the needs of the industry evolve with the challenges and opportunities that come our way.”

Members from across the sector who attended the AGM received the finance reports and annual review and re-appointed BDO as auditors. With regard to membership subscriptions for 2020, an average percentage increase of 3% across all bands, in line with inflation, was ratified.

Dougal Philip, Vice President of the Benevolent Fund, provided a report on activity across the year and encouraged all to help raise awareness of this valuable and underused resource which is available to HTA members and their staff.

The minutes of the AGM will be available to members on the HTA website in due course.

PATS Telford, the UK’s number one pet industry exhibition, is the best place to source new products, according to a growing number of garden centres attending the Autumn showpiece.

Visitors to PATS Telford on 22-23 September 2019 will be presented with thousands of products from more than 200 UK and international brands, making the exhibition essential to retailers seeking next year’s bestsellers.

And as the pet sector has become an increasingly essential part of garden centre retailing, PATS Telford has become a vital date in the industry calendar.

Dobbies is now the biggest garden centre group in the UK and the company views the pet sector as an important growth opportunity. Sean Kelly, Head of Pets at Dobbies Garden Centres, said: “I have visited the PATS show for several years. I always find it’s a great opportunity to catch up with all of the key suppliers from the industry under one roof.

“There’s always a lot to see and the show certainly inspires me to fill the Dobbies pet department. It’s always interesting to see the new product innovation manufacturers are bringing to the market.

“It’s also an extremely friendly show, from both exhibitors and attendees – it’s what makes the PATS exhibitions so enjoyable.”

Hazel Oswald from Raemoir Garden Centre, who travels down from Aberdeenshire in Scotland to PATS Telford every year, said: “The exhibition provides great opportunities for sourcing new products and ideas for our pet department which is an integral part of the garden centre business. PATS has grown so much that a two-day visit is now essential."

It’s a similar story for Hayes Garden World in the Lake District, whose pet buying team have become regular visitors to the Telford exhibition. “As a prestigious garden centre with a massive presence in the North West of England it is essential that we stay on top of all trends, and PATS allows us to do just that,” said a spokesperson.

“Sending buyers to trade shows involves considerable expense in staff man-hours, travelling expenses and hotel bills so having a show like PATS Telford, which covers everything, is hugely beneficial.”

For further information

A full and up-to-date list of exhibitors is available on the website www.patshow.co.uk together with information on how to reach the venue and regularly updated show news.

Prongcroft Ltd, of Nottingham, a company which brings a fresh approach to garden care and maintenance introduced The Garden Prong at Glee last September.

The Garden Prong features an innovative two-prong system that will revolutionise an approach to gardening.

It is a tool with a unique design which lends itself to aerate soil and actually remove weeds around the base of plants and shrubs without damaging the plant or shrub.

The tool head is made from polished stainless steel to reduce soil adhesion, making it easier to work.

The tool is very lightweight, sturdy and easy to use for people of all ages and abilities.

Ideal for all ages and levels of expertise, Prongcroft comes in three sizes – short, medium and long handled – making it perfect for everything from vegetable plots to patio pots.

The company also introduced the Garden Apron, which is easy to wear and can even be worn over everyday clothes.  

Features include:

• durable materials
• padded for comfort
• adjustable straps
• detachable tool/accessory pocket,
• one size to fit all.

The adjustable straps are comfortable to wear and do not cut into the knee, as with traditional knee pads. There is also an integral pocket facility to insert standard kneepad inserts.

Contact

sales@prongcroft.co.uk 

0115 983 0344

www.prongcroft.co.uk

Gareth Roberts, of Pendre Garden Centre, Tywyn, was drawn out as the winner of a stunning water feature brimming with fabulous bottles of bubbly donated by long-term Greenfingers supporters, Woodlodge. The winning ticket was drawn by Linda Petrons, of Greenfingers.
 
Taking place on Woodlodge’s Glee stand (Hall 6, stand S30-T31) the ‘Fountain of Fizz’ raffle supports Greenfingers, and also helped to celebrate the company’s newly branded Water Studio collection of aquatic features.
 
Michael Wooldridge, Managing Director at Woodlodge, said: “Woodlodge is proud to support Greenfingers, a charity that has created the most amazing gardens at children’s hospices. These brilliantly designed outdoor resources offer so many benefits for life-limited kids, as well as their friends and families, who can enjoy precious time together away from the bedside in a natural environment. We hope that the Fountain of Fizz raffle for Greenfingers at Glee will generate significant additional income to assist the charity in its mission to build more stimulating gardens at hospices. To be in with a chance of winning the water feature and its bottles of fizz, I would like to encourage everyone at Glee to visit the Woodlodge exhibition space, where tickets will be on sale.”
 
Woodlodge has a long track record of helping to generate funds for Greenfingers Charity. The company’s Richard Newton undertook a parachute jump with colleague Abigail Stocker in 2017 and raised £2,355 for the charity, while Woodlodge assists Greenfingers throughout the year with its printing service, helping with signs and banners for charity events, product promotions. This year Woodlodge donated 10,000 jointly branded linen give-away bags for The Greenfingers Charity Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
 
For more about Woodlodge’s market-leading product offering, visit www.woodlodge.co.uk

The 2020 Garden Re-Leaf Day event was officially at Glee with Greenfingers Charity calling on all sectors of the garden industry and others to get involved in this exciting and pivotal part of the garden retail calendar.

Greenfingers Charity is delighted to announce that the 2020 event will take place on Friday 13th March and will once again include the popular Garden Re-Leaf Walk and Cycle Challenge, as well as other FUNdraising events which will take place across the country.

Garden retailers, manufacturers and suppliers are invited to participate by holding their own events, like a quiz night, raffle, auction, cake sale, virtual in-store challenge, spending the day in fancy dress or making a donation from every cuppa sold in the café.  It really is a great FUN way to increase footfall or awareness whilst at the same time engage with customers, motivate your team and raise your profile both locally and in the garden industry press.  There really is no better way to start the gardening season!

Garden Re-Leaf has raised over £55,000 this year, taking the total to £600,000 since it was founded by Boyd Douglas-Davies in 2012. 2019’s highlights – which also coincided with the charity’s 20^th anniversary - saw over 120 people take on the Garden Re-Leaf and Cycle Challenge in Buckinghamshire. Garden centres across the country got into the FUNdraising spirit with curry and quiz nights, charity walks and bike rides, garden centre tours, coffee mornings, raffles, planting weekends and much more. Suppliers also dug deep and held car wash and barbeque events, bike rides and fun-for-all-the-team events such as the mushy pea challenge and summer fetes. QVC also showed its support once again with a £1.50 donation from every plant or product sold during a special Garden Re-Leaf/ Greenfingers show.

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Greenfingers Charity said: “The support that the garden industry has shown for Garden Re-Leaf Day has always blown me away. Seeing so many different events take place to celebrate the day, to kick-start the gardening season, and to raise money for Greenfingers, is such an exciting and touching thing. I know it is appreciated so much by everyone at Greenfingers, and also by the children, their friends and families who enjoy time in a garden created by Greenfingers. I am sure the 2020 event is set to be even bigger and full of even more incredible events, demonstrations of support and the endless enthusiasm that makes the garden retail sector such a joy to be part of.”

If you want to find out more about how to get involved in Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day 2020, whether by putting on events in your garden centre, through sponsored solo activities or simply contact the Greenfingers office on 01494 674749 or email Linda@greenfngerscharity.org.uk.

Hot weather in July sent traditional garden centre category sales soaring according to the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade report for the month.

Seed and bulb sales were up 50.94%, outdoor plant sales were up 24.02% and sales in houseplants were up 19.7%.

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, said: “It is fantastic to see such a huge rise in sales in traditional categories compared to the same month last year (2018).

“After we saw so much rain in June, we weren’t holding out much hope of an improvement, but thankfully we were not disappointed as July turned out to be one of the hottest month’s on record ever, which meant big business for our garden centres as customers flocked to them for everything they needed for their plots.

“Temperatures just kept on rising too, so much so, that we officially experienced a heat wave in the last week of the month, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius and above in many places.

“While we have sales in non-traditional categories to fall back on if the weather isn’t so good, it’s always great to see traditional ones doing well. It looks like it may have been a tad too hot to be cooking burgers on the barbecue this time around however, as sales in furniture and barbecues were down -8.02%.”

Sales in garden sundries were up 13.38%, pets and aquatics sales were up 7.49% and gift sales were up 7.75%.

Hard landscaping sales were up 11.73% and food hall and farm shop sales were up 4.83%.

Clothing sales were up 21.67% and catering sales were up 12.03%.

Overall sales for the month were up 10.77% with a year to date change of 6.61%.

Gary Carvosso, Managing Director at Coolings Garden Centre, said: “We had a very good month at all our sites, however at our head office in Knockholt the real winners were plants. Despite the record heat, the monthly rainfall was average, keeping people planting.

“The intense heat was short lived which resulted in outdoor plants sales 20% up on a hot July in 2018, house plants were even better at 35%. Keeping fresh looking plant stock is a must and across several acres this is a challenge in the heat, thankfully our teams are hugely experienced in plant care.”

The GCA BoT reports are compiled using actual sales figures and provide an up-to-date trading position statement. They are made available mid-month following the end of the prior month after all member garden centres have submitted their results.

Joe Aldworth, Marketing Manager at The Old Railway Line Garden Centre, said: “The weather helped mask some of the Brexit uncertainty in July with very strong sales for us. Overall the garden centre was up 15.7% and restaurant up 22.8%.

“People were clearly enjoying their gardens resulting in outdoor plant sales being up a massive 38.7%, sundries up 25.6% and seeds up 30.6%. Our ‘Family Fun Zone’, a variety of events and the good weather was a perfect mix to drive increased footfall throughout the summer. Most other departments also experienced strong sales growth, including houseplants up 44.3%, gifts up 26.1% and homeware up 14.0%.”

The BoT reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

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The Green Heart – Glee’s horticultural hub - has crowned Darby Nursery Stock as winner of its 2019 Best Green Heart Display award.

The award was a hotly contested one, with many stands catching the judge’s eyes. However, it was Darby Nursery Stock that took home the title for 2019.

Judges praised the display for its commercial strength, and inspirational plant display techniques that helped to showcase tried-and-tested varieties as well as the latest introductions to buyers. Darby Nursery Stock, which grows 1,800 varieties on its 70-acre site in Norfolk, picked the finest stock from its commercial operation – which handles two million pots per year – to stage its award-winning feature at Glee’s Green Heart.

The Best Green Heart Display Award was presented to Darby Nursery Stock’s Sales Manager, Hannah Darby, by Neil Gow, Glee’s Green Heart Special Project Manager, and Glee Event Director, Matthew Mein.

Glee’s Matthew Mein said: “Our congratulations to Darby Nursery Stock. Plants remain the heart of garden retailing and displays such as this one continue to set the standard. Thank you also to our judges for giving up their valuable time and insight, and also to Woodlodge for its continued support of the Green Heart.”

Receiving the award, Darby Nursery Stock’s Hannah Darby said: “Our display was set up to demonstrate plants that complement each other, and the award will certainly help us to showcase the best in autumn plant stock, as well as new lines for 2020.” Three new and exclusive plants took pride of place on Darby Nursery Stock’s award-winning display, including Rosemary ‘Summer Sizzler’, Dahlia ‘Hawaiian Sunrise’ and Sedum Mojave ‘Jewels Collection’.

Featuring more international companies than ever before, the Green Heart sees leading brands come together to create the strongest display of new plant varieties and inspiration for plant buyers and retailers looking to

The Growing Media Association (GMA), a group of manufacturers and suppliers producing over 90% of growing media used in UK domestic and commercial sectors, continue to make progress with the industry road map. Timelines for two initiatives are announced today demonstrating the action and commitment towards achieving sustainable bagged growing media for the consumer market in a manageable timescale.

One of the initiatives included in the road map is the Responsible Sourcing Guide which will allow all growing media ingredients to be consistently labelled. The scheme uses seven criteria for indicating environmental performance for growing media and these are: energy use, water use, social compliance, habitat and biodiversity, pollution, renewability and resource use efficiency.

This unique approach will enable each ingredient to be scored ensuring that environmental performance for all ingredients is taken into account. Once scores are available bags will be able to be labelled using a recognisable traffic light system.  This approach will mean that consumers will be able to understand bag contents at a glance enabling them to make better informed purchase decisions. This demonstrates GMA’s commitment to improved on pack labelling with the aim of introducing such an approach onto bags for the 2020/21 season.

Steve Harper, GMA lead for the Responsible Sourcing Scheme comments, “It is important that the environmental performance of all growing media ingredients are assessed and that all growing media is made from raw materials that are environmentally and socially responsibly sourced. This is where the Responsible Sourcing Scheme can make a real difference. By the end of 2019 an auditable scheme will be in place allowing all growing media manufacturers to undertake an audit by the end of 2020.”

As part of the road map towards reducing the use of peat to zero in growing media within a manageable timescale, a university research project has been commissioned to look at the socio-economic impact of the use of all materials and the barriers to change. The results of this are expected in 2020.

The road map also includes goals such as improving the quality of green compost so that it can fulfil its potential in the growing media market through the widespread adoption of existing protocols.

Where could experience in the commercial bedding plant industry take you? Bedding plant enthusiasts are invited to find out by applying for the £1,500 Ball Colegrave Sponsored Travel Scholarship.

Part of the David Colegrave Foundation (DCF) Scholarship Season, this award supports knowledge and experience in bedding plant production and marketing with the opportunity for travel across the UK and Europe.

Those in the early stages of their career at a commercial bedding plant nursery, or students studying horticulture with an interest in commercial bedding plants should apply.

Crop Technician Apprentice, Robert Perry, who won the scholarship last year is using this award to fund his place on the 2019 Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) automation study tour. He will be visiting some of the leading bedding plant growers in the Netherlands looking at the latest technology, innovation and automation.

Robert studies at Pershore College in Pershore, Worcestershire and works at Bordon Hill Nurseries in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, where he focuses mostly on young bedding plants. Robert is fascinated by the mechanisms behind plant growth and development and is keen to expand his knowledge further though travel.

Robert comments: “Being chosen for this scholarship has allowed me to travel to see horticultural environments vastly different from my own workplace. I have wanted to have the opportunity to do so for a long time and am amazed and grateful that I have been presented with this opportunity.”

Supporting Robert’s application, Stuart Lowen at Ball Colegrave, says: “David Colegrave developed many great ideas in his business through his travel overseas, keeping an open mind to new practices and challenges in plant culture. This led David to introduce ground-breaking new product innovations and solutions within our industry. This Scholarship aims to support a like-minded individual currently working within the commercial bedding plant industry, looking to extend their knowledge and experience through exploring horticulture across the UK and Europe.”

DCF Scholarship season is open now until 31 January 2019.

To apply visit www.davidcolegravefoundation.org.uk

Perennial’s Patron, HRH Princess Alexandra, and President, Alan Titchmarsh VMH, will attend a glittering 180th Anniversary Festival Dinner on 11 October 2019.

The black-tie event will be held at the award-winning 5-star Corinthia Hotel in London. Guests will enjoy a champagne reception with live music from harpist Hayley Wild followed by an exquisite three course dinner.

An after dinner speech from Alan Titchmarsh will lead into an exciting live auction with prizes including the chance to spend the day with Alan and the team from ITV’s ‘Love Your Garden’ and royal box tickets for the Royal Variety Show 2019.

Find out more and book tickets online at www.perennial.org.uk/festivaldinner 

Wyevale Garden Centres (“WGC”) today announces that it has sold its remaining trading business to British Garden Centres (“BGC”). This includes the sale of 20 centres today plus a further two centres expected to be sold shortly.

The acquisition of these centres largely completes the WGC sale process that began in May 2018. The deal is WGC’s fifth transaction with BGC following the sale of one centre in December 2018, five centres in February, eight centres in June 2019, and one centre in August 2019.

All sites will continue to operate as garden centres and the sales are expected to complete between late-September and early-October. BGC will use this strong portfolio of centres as a springboard to enter the south of England market.

In addition, WGC and BGC have worked closely with the owners of both Enfield and Windsor garden centres, to agree a new two year licence arrangement, with the centres targeted to be operating under BGC from late September.

Anthony Jones, COO of Wyevale Garden Centres said: “I am delighted to announce the sale of all remaining Wyevale Garden centres to British Garden Centres. I am also pleased we have facilitated discussions between British Garden Centres and the respective owners of Enfield and Windsor garden centres and expect to confirm a new licence to be granted to British Garden Centres shortly.

“We have built a strong relationship with Charles, Phillippa and their team over the course of five transactions, and I am excited to see what the future holds for these ambitious, experienced operators who can now showcase their successful garden centre operation on a national scale.

“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank all of our colleagues across these sites for their hard work and passion which has been instrumental in facilitating this positive outcome and I wish them all the best for the future.”

Charles Stubbs, MD, of British Garden Centres, said: “This is a very exciting new chapter for British Garden Centres – this additional portfolio takes us to 49 centres and launches us in the south of England, making us a truly national operator.

"I have witnessed huge improvements at Wyevale Garden Centres over the last 18 months and I am therefore delighted to have acquired so many fantastic centres that in my opinion have never looked better.

"We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues and working with them as we transition these centres over to British Garden Centres and introduce our wonderful new ranges to further enhance the offer for customers.

"I would like to thank Anthony and his team for their professionalism and support in working with us to put together this exciting portfolio of garden centres at the end of their sale process.”

Westland will become the first to promote the sale of peat free growing media on main stream TV with a £1.5m campaign in 2020.

Marketing Director Keith Nicholson told GTN Xtra: "2020 will see Westland build on a strong year for New Horizon, which saw consumer sales out of retailers double in 2019. Westland have announced they drive change by being the first company to advertise a peat-free growing media. New Horizon, will go mainstream and supported by £1.5 million national TV advertising, airing on ITV, Channel 4 and all other national channels from March.

"It’s a big step change for the industry, New Horizon will be communicated to over 20 million households across the summer season next year. It’s about bringing consumers on the journey. Consumers want choice and now we’re making it accessible to the widest number of gardeners. New Horizon has such a strong story, and our Zero Green Waste policy, is seeing performance of this product range delivering at every level…for retailers, gardeners and overall quality."

This approach will see Westland deliver around 80% peat-reduction by this time next year in consumer growing media. Nicholson added: "If we can get this right it will put the industry on a strong footing. We are really pushing the agenda and we continue to deliver what our consumers and retail partners want – performance and quality."

Nicholson said it has taken years to overcome short-term decisions by many suppliers to introduce poor-quality peat alternatives in early 2000’s, and only now are we regaining the trust of the gardener: "If we are not careful the same mistakes may be made by some looking for a low-cost replacement strategy."

SBM has appointed Stax as its exclusive distributor to the garden centre and nursery trade.

Nick Walton, who heads up the UK/I operation for SBM Life Science said the new route to market would help to achieve the company’s ambition to become a worldwide leader for home and garden solutions.

The Bayer Garden business was sold to SBM back in October 2016 and SBM Life Science in the UK was launched. “We have invested in new brands for the UK/I markets and will continue to do so over the coming years,” Walton said. “We also continue to invest in our field sales force and since launching SBM, we have moved to four employed territory account managers to enable our business to build more collaborative relationships with our partners”

From 1 October, SBM have agreed a sole strategic distribution partnership for the traditional trade business with Stax Trade Centres. Walton continued: “An enormous amount of work behind the scenes has gone into reviewing our current route to market and we strongly believe that Stax can help us achieve our vision. We have a fantastic relationship with the team at Stax and we have been exceptionally pleased with the commitment that they have shown our business over the last five years.”

Stax joint managing director David Hibbert said: “We’re delighted to have been selected as sole strategic distribution partner to SBM for the traditional trade market. They are a very significant player in the gardening solutions market and their decision to work with us reflects the growth we have made as a major distributor, both to independent garden centres and groups alike.

“Stax has worked extremely hard, to develop its own garden centre distribution capabilities, and to forge a strong and stable a relationship with SBM. This new partnership represents the reward for those efforts, and we’re very much looking forward to continuing our association with the SBM team and helping them achieve their vision.”

SBM are committed to servicing the UK/I markets and see this as a positive step forward in their strategic plans to allow a more coherent and effective way of collaborating with garden centres and nurseries.

UK Sales Manager for SBM, Scott Williams, said: “I have no doubt that this next step for our business is absolutely the right thing. I have personally managed the Stax account now for about eight years and have every belief that they will take on this challenge and excel. My team will be visiting garden centres after Glee as we embark on our pre-season campaign, so if you miss us at Glee, we will bring our 2020 plans directly to you.”

Simon Wright, Stax purchasing director, added: “I am delighted that SBM have a very clear vision of where they want to be within the market and have chosen Stax as a strategic distribution partner to help them achieve this. SBM have my full support in their route to market change and we look forward to helping them in achieving their vision of delivering excellent service”.

SBM Life Science Ltd are at Glee on stand 7G70-H71.

Essex garden centre Summerhill says its Christmas launch over the August Bank Holiday weekend – an annual ritual for them –  went  “a bit bananas!”

A press release and photos to the local paper resulted in BBC Essex radio and ITV News asking for interviews and footage.

They kicked off with a launch video on Facebook that has reached more than 47,000 people to date. You can check it out here.

Customers were offered a ‘10% off ‘ vouchers if they spent more than £50, valid for their next purchase of Christmas products through September.

Sleeker and lower furniture lines, urban gardening, re-use of plastic, masses of garden decoration lines and loads of BBQ's were the headlines at spoga+gafa in Koln.

Among the regular gardening products the GTN Xtra team found a clock that chimes with farmyard sounds on the hour at Eschart Designs, (Fallen Fruits in the UK) and a BBQ designed to be carried on a bicycle!

And in the Efsa concept store they were promoting "Beer from heaven"  - a brew made from harvested rainwater in the Netherlands!

GTN Xtra's photo tour of the show is below.  

More than 40,000 trade visitors from 124 countries attended the three-day event in Cologne , the organisers reported.

There were 2,281 exhibitors from 67 countries exhibiting trends and highlights for the coming garden season on 230,000 square metres. The central theme this year was City Gardening - gardening without a garden.

“spoga+gafa has hit the nerve of the industry with City Gardening which spanned all the sectorts of the show," said Catja Caspary, vice president, trade fair management. "In 2020, the industry can look forward to our new key theme –Sustainable gardens.”

John W. Herbert, European DIY-Retail Association (EDRA) / general secretary, confirmed that the top decision-makers and key distributors across the industry were extremely satisfied with the outcome of spoga+gafa.  “ We have received a thoroughly positive feedback from our more than 200 international top buyers. Especially the presence of strong brands like Fiskars, but also the ambience of spoga+gafa overall was assessed very positively. The trade fair was even more attractive this year. The quality and the design of the products presented was very high-quality. Industry trends such as City Gardening, for example, were realised in an innovative and creative manner.”

spoga+gafa 2020 will take place from 6 to 8 September.

IGCA members from across the world were in London and the South of England last week taking part in the annual IGCA Congress - Windsor...

250 delegates had already made visits to Redfields, Rosebourne, Stewarts, Haskins and Coolings garden centres before GTN Xtra caught up with them at Millbrook Gravesend and Ruxley Manor on Tuesday.

Also on the agenda during Congress, which closes on Friday afternoon, are visits to Longacres, RHS Wisley, Squires Hersham and Badshot Lea, Aylett Nurseries, Europlants, Garsons and Kew.

See our photo gallery from the visits to Millbrook and Ruxley Manor (including a visit to Pixie Manor) below.

RHS Retail Director, Damian Powell, took GTN's Trevor Pfeiffer on a guided tour of the new plant centre and retail areas at RHS Wisley last month.

With 70% extra display space across the shop and the plant centre stocks have been increased stocks to fill the new plant area.  That includes 30 metres of Ferns which are in great demand.

Read the full interview with Damian Powell in the August Issue of GTN, out this week.

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 2017 as well as 2018 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

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro 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.

lunch! ramps up innovation levels again, with a record 110 new products ‘going for gold’ in its Innovation Challenge Awards.  Many of these innovations will be enjoying their official trade launch at the show, which returns to ExCeL London next week, on 19-20 September.

Products competing for a much-coveted gold Innovation Challenge Award will be showcased in the Innovation Challenge Gallery, which offers visiting buyers – working across food-to-go, retail, hospitality, catering and wholesale – an industry-leading preview of what’s new and launching on the market. 

lunch! visitors get to choose the award finalists by voting for their favourites on opening day (between 10am and 4pm), with their top picks going forward to the exciting Innovation Challenge Live pitches session the following day.  Successful exhibitors (there’s usually around 15 finalists) will then take turns to wow the judges.  They have just 90-seconds to impress them.

The Innovation Challenge judges – who’ll be putting this year’s finalists to the test – include Paul Ettinger, co-founder and business development director at Caffè Nero; Martyn Clover, head of food at Tortilla; Shereen Ritchie, operations director at LEON; Shane Kavanagh, MD of Crussh; James Kidman, head of food at Crussh; Simon Woplin, head of innovation at Ambassador Theatre Group; Martin Hambleton, head of procurement at En Route International; Louise Direito, head of innovation at Krispy Kreme UK; Kristian Katin, owner of Feed Wagons (former ops director at Small Batch Coffee Roasters); Frank Boltman, director of TRADE; and chef/consultant Jay Morjaria, a winner of BBC’s Million Pound Menu.

Innovation Challenge entries include:

• Abakus Foods: Seaweed Crisps - Lightly Salted 
• Beast: Beast 
• Bells & Whistles: BELLS & WHiSTLES Berry and Cashew Cake Slices 
• Berrington Spring Water: Aluminium Refill Bottle 
• Biogroupe: KARMA Ginger Beer 
• BioPak UK: BioPak Carnauba-Wax Coated Cutlery 
• Bio-tiful Dairy: Biotiful Kefir Protein Mango & Passionfruit Compote 160g 
• Boka Food: Boka Strawberry Granola 
• Borna Foods: Unsweetened Pistachio Drink 
• Bravura Foods: Laidback Lemonade 
• Bravura Foods: Relaxing Raspberry  
• Bravura Foods: Mindful Mango & Passionfruit 
• Cheesies: Cheesies Cheddar 20g 
• Counterline: ECHF Duel Heated & Chilled Merchandiser 900mm Wide Version 
• Crické: Cricket Cracker - Ginger & Chilli 
• CUP&CINO Kaffeesystem Vertrieb: Barista ONE Twin  
• The Curators: The Curators Salt & Vinegar Pork Puffs 
• DELI LITES: Plant Based Coconut Mocchaccino Breakfast on the Go 
• DELI LITES: Guilt Free, Plant Based Donner Kebab 
• The Dreamery: Zefir  
• DRGN Turmeric Superdrink: DRGN Turmeric Superdrink - Citrus 
• Drink 420: Drink 420 Elderflower Lime CBD drink 
• Drinks Cubed: Water Cubed Natural Mineral Water 500ml & 1L
• Enviroware^®: Paper Cutlery from Enviroware 
• Evolution Foods: Natural Selection Mango Dippers with Raspberry Coulis Dip 
• Fire Grain Freekeh: Fire Grain Organic Freekeh 
• FITCH Brew Co: FITCH Sparkling Cold Brew Tea - Rosehip, Hibiscus and Elderflower 
• Flower & White: Flower & White Salted Caramel Meringue Bites 
• FrieslandCampina UK: Yazoo No Added Sugar 200ml Carton 
• Fruit Bowl: Fruit Bowl Perfectly Pressed Blueberry & Acai Berry Bar 30g 
• fwip: fwip Portobello Machine 
• Good Root Bakery: Empotato  
• Gut Instinct: Oatstix 
• Holy Moly Dips: Holy Moly Dips - Snack Pack 
• Huel: Chocolate Huel Ready-to-drink 
• Hullabaloo: Nutty Munch 
• Humble Acre: GOGO ROOS 
• ima vegan sushi: Ima Vegan Salmon
• International Delicacies: Kitchen & Love Cauliflower Meals - Indian Vegetable Curry 
• J&G Pecans: Pecan Crunch 
• Jack & Bry: Jackfruit Pepperoni 
• The Jackfruit Company: The Jackfruit Company - Pouched Jackfruit 
• Joe & Seph's: Vegan Coconut & Cacao Popcorn 
• Johnsons Juice Co: Johnson's Cloudy Still Limeade
• Kepak: Goode and Tucker
• Lazy Vegan: Lazy Vegan Ready Meal Tikka Masala 
• Lizzie’s Food Factory: Lizzie’s Vegan Rocky Road Bar
• Lizzie’s Food Factory: Lizzie’s Plus Bar Orange & Apricot
• Lizzie’s Food Factory: Lizzie’s Plus Bar Pecan & Cranberry
• Lord Sandwich/FullWrap: Full Wrap 
• Love Taste Co: CaFiend 
• Love Taste Co: Matcha the Day 
• Love Taste Co: Livin La Vida Cocoa 
• Magrini: Magrini B285 Blender with App Control 
• Matok V'Kal: Liteez 
• Mighty Sesame: Mighty Sesame Tahini 
• MiiRO Plant-Based: Crisp-Coated Signature Chocolate with a Peanut Heart 
• Mindful Bites: Mindful Bites - Veganettone
• Mr Lee's Noodles: Mr Lee's Coconut Chicken Laksa 
• Munchy Seeds: Warm Cinnamon  
• Nairn's: Nairn's Gluten Free Pop Oats BBQ 
• Nairn's: Nairn's Gluten Free Pop Oats Salt & Vinegar 
• Nairn's: Nairn's Gluten Free Pop Oats Sour Cream & Chive 
• Native Snacks: Native Snacks Popped Lotus Seeds - Jalapeno & Kaffir Lime 
• Nix & Kix: Nix & Kix Watermelon and Hibiscus  
• Nooj: Nooj 
• Norseland: Applewood^® Vegan 
• nüber food: Green Pepper, Lime & Chilli Veggie Bar 
• Nush: Nush Almond Milk Cheese Spread Chive
• OGGS: OGGS Mini Vanilla Cupcakes  
• Other Foods: Crunchy Shiitake Mushrooms 
• Paterson Arran: Paterson's Fruity & Filling Oat Bars 
• PERKIER FOODS: Perkier Cacao & Salted Caramel Quinoa Bars 
• The PIEwich^®: The PIEwich^® 
• PLAYin CHOC: PLAYin CHOC ToyChoc Box 
• Popcorn Shed: Mini Pop! - Toffee Mini Popcorn 
• Pri's Puddings: Pocket-sized Pies - Pecan Pie 
• Qwrkee Foods: Qwrkee Vegan Jerky Maple Bacon Flavour 
• Qwrkee Foods: Qwrkee Plant Based Probiotic Puffs - Vegan Cheese 
• Rapid Action Packaging (RAP): Precious Planet 
• Rapid Action Packaging (RAP): M&S Asian and Global Food Range 
• RATION - The Better Bite: RATION Apple, Mango and Passion Fruit 40g Snack Bar 
• Re:Nourish: Re:Nourish Digest Soup 
• Rebel Kitchen: Rebel Kitchen Chocolate Hazelnut Mylk  
• RJF Farhi: Farhi Snack On the Go Range
• Rubies in the Rubble: Rubies in the Rubble Tomato Ketchup 
• Rubies in the Rubble: Rubies in the Rubble Plant Based Mayo 
• Sabert Europe: BePulp Compostable Meal Box to Go 
• Satisfied Snacks: Roughs - Tomato and Feta 
• The Savourists: The Savourists - Black Olive and Nori Seaweed 
• The Savourists: The Savourists - Sundried Tomato and Herb  
• SCI-MX Nutrition: PRO 2GO Gooey Bar - Salted Caramel 
• Scraegg UK Distribution: Scraegg Pro 
• Seedful - The Heart of Nature: Seedful To Go
• Stoats Porridge Bars: Apple & Cinnamon Mini Porridge Oat Bar 
• Sweetland: Light Vegan Baklava  
• TENZING Natural Energy: TENZING Raspberry & Yuzu 
• The Turmeric Co: The Turmeric Co. Raw Turmeric and Beetroot 
• Unrooted Fresh Energy: Unrooted Fresh Energy - Baobab & Ginger 
• Upbeat Brands: Upbeat Sparkling Protein Water with Natural Energy
• Veg of Lund: MyFoodie Raspberry Organic Drink 
• Vita Mojo Operating Systems: Dynamic Menus 
• Wales - Fine Food Cluster: Daioni Organic Mocha 
• Wales - Fine Food Cluster: Saveg Goan Curry Pie 
• Wi5: Wi5 
• Willy's: Willy's Kombucha + Apple Cider Vinegar Sparkling Apple Drink 250ml 
• Willy's: Willy's Apple Cider Vinegar + Beetroot Shot  
• Yorvale: Yorlife Kefir Ice Cream - Jaffa Orange 
• Your Daily Protein: Your Daily Protein Vanilla Drink 
• Yummycomb: YummyComb rus-STIX - Sea Salted caramel 

The Innovation Challenge Live (The Pitches) starts at 11.15am on Friday 20 September in Keynote Theatre 1.  The results will be announced at 4.15pm that day. 

For further information about the products up for Innovation Challenge Awards, the 2019 online Show Guide is now available to view online at www.lunchshow.co.uk/2019-showguide. 

Free trade registration
lunch! returns to ExCeL London on 19-20 September. To register free in advance, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk and quote priority code LU22 (https://eventdata.uk/Forms/Default.aspx?FormRef=Lun99Visitor&PageNo=20&TrackingCode=LU22).