Elho won the Sword of Excellence at the GIMA Awards last night with its Green Basics Veggie Wall 80cm. Other winners on a spectacular night of celebration at Celtic Manor in Wales included: Richard Jackson Garden, Stihl, Fallen Fruits, Mr Fothergill's Seeds, Onduline, Wildlife World, The Solar Centre, Woodlodge, Evergreen Garden Care, Dalefoot Compost and Meadow View Stone.

Celebrating the innovation, dedication and passion that goes into everything – from product development, to marketing campaigns and point of sale – the evening saw 17 award winners revealed and was accompanied by a much-needed night of merriment to mark the return of the awards after a two-year hiatus.

GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall, commented on tonight’s event. “I would like to be the first to extend my congratulations to all of the winners and to all those that joined us to welcome the return of the GIMA Awards.  It’s been so good to be back and, even more so, to see that the industry has continued to grow and develop, even when faced with incredible adversity. 

“The entries to this year’s awards were of the highest calibre and demonstrate the perseverance and enthusiasm that continues to make garden retail one of the most exciting sectors to be part of.

“Our thanks also extend to our judges for lending us their expert eye and skilled opinion, as well as all of our sponsors; without whom the awards would be not be possible.”

GIMA AWARDS 2021 – THE WINNERS

The big award of the night – the GIMA Sword of Excellence – was, this year, awarded to the team at Elho for its Green Basics Veggie Wall 80cm. This all-in-one system, with frame and netting included, offers urban gardeners an instant growing solution and drew praise from the judges for its ease of use and ‘plug and play’ capabilities. The judges also said: “Such a great product, perfect for new gardeners with smaller outdoor space; and made from recycled plastics.  It really ticks all the boxes.”

The 2021 GCA Supplier of the Year Award was a hotly contested award but it was Meadow View Stone who walked away with the coveted title. The judges offered some key reasons why Meadow View deserves this leading accolade, including: “Some of best communication and supply in some of the hardest times, keeping me informed and the full range supplied on time”, and “Consistent service throughout a challenging year.  Very impressive support and supply”, 

This year, the Gardenex Export Achievement Award was awarded to Wildlife World. The judges’ comments included: “A worthy winner of this year’s Export Achievement Award, showing great initiative and success.  When developing a new sales channel in the USA, Wildlife World remarketed its bird care products for the American market, created vibrant and eye-catching instore displays and is now successfully trading with over 50 Wild Birds Unlimited stores, achieving a significant increase in sales in the USA.”

The GIMA Awards newest award – Sustainability – was also a hard-fought category, with Phoenox Textiles, Hygeia, Primeur and West Country Soil Improvement all enjoying finalist status. However, it was Dalefoot Compost who the judges selected as 2021 winner, describing it as, “a company that has sustainability and the environment at the very heart of what it does.  As well as delivering a great peat-free product, its peatland restoration work makes Dalefoot a worthy winner of this inaugural Sustainability Award.”

GIMA AWARDS 2021 - PRODUCT AWARDS

Garden Care 

Winner: Richard Jackson Garden - Plantsmith houseplant care product range

Finalists: Evergreen Garden Care - Miracle-Gro Peat Free, SBM Life Science Ltd - Provanto® Smart Bug Killer, Sipcam Home & Garden - Ecofective Plant Disease Defence RTU and Refill, REMIN (Scotland) Ltd - 10kg bag REMIN volcanic rock dust

About the winner: Traditionally, houseplant care products are packaged and sold like traditional garden care products. They’re functional but not aesthetic, you’d hide them under the kitchen sink for example. Plantsmith is a new range of professionally formulated products, designed to look as good as they perform.

What the judges said: “Great looking and well executed product that will sell well in all houseplant departments.”

Growing, Planting Equipment and Sundries

Winner: Elho - Green Basics Veggie Wall 80cm

Finalists: GARDENA – AquaBloom, Woodlodge - Honey & Wild Plant Support Collection, Capi Europe – Rain Barrel Row NL – olive green 

About the winner: It's a unique all-in-one ‘plug and play’ solution for any urban gardener wanting to grow climbing fruit, vegetables and flowers in a small space.

What the judges said: “Great all-in-one growing solution boosted by the use of recycled plastic.”

Garden Tools, Machinery and Implements

Winner: Stihl - STIHL HSA 26

Finalists:  GARDENA – Leaf Collector, Burgon & Ball - Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball garden tool additions, Westland Horticulture – The Capability Trowel

About the winner: The HSA 26 is part of the STIHL AS Cordless System for garden maintenance. The trimmer attachments are easy to swap over in seconds and, with a battery run time of up to 110 minutes, this lightweight and manoeuvrable tool is equally good at trimming topiary or lawn edges.

What the judges said: “Great flexible tool, lightweight and helps keep everything trim and tidy.”

Outdoor Leisure 

Winner: Fallen Fruits – MGO Firebowl

Finalists: Zest 4 Leisure – Burghley Arbour, Zest 4 Leisure – Chepstow Arbour, Tramontina – Beer Barrel Grill

About the winner:  With its light grey colour and contemporary design and dual use, firebowl/BBQ is a change from the traditional metal or terracotta garden heating options. Made from magnesium oxide, it is fire resistant, strong, resistant to mould and mildew, and can easily withstand the outdoor elements.

What the judges said: “Modern and functional.  Suitable for all gardens, balconies and patios.”

Plants, Seeds and Bulbs

Winner: Mr Fothergill's Seeds – RHS Flower Mixes

Finalists: Farplants Ltd – Skimmia Perosa, DLF Seeds Ltd – Tuffgrass (Johnsons Lawn Seed), Mr Fothergill's Seeds– Johnsons Seeds Microgreens Range

About the winner:  Aimed at novice gardeners and those looking for an economic and efficient way to fill flower beds and borders with long season colour. The seed is diluted with natural buckwheat husks to aid broadcast sowing. Grow beautiful flowers in three easy steps: Scatter, Rake, Awake!

What the judges said: “They've got everything right with this range; seed selection, packaging, name, easy to use, it really stood out.”

Garden Landscaping

Winner: Onduline Building Products Ltd – ONDULINE EASYLINE DIY roof sheets

Finalists: Vitavia Greenhouses – Janssens Urban Greenhouse, Deco-Pak – Glasglo, Woodlodge – Honey & Wild Songbird Garden Arch

About the winner: With people spending more time in their gardens, introducing ONDULINE EASYLINE roofing sheets into the retail offering is creating a prime new opportunity to attract value-conscious customers who are keen to upgrade their existing garden buildings sustainably, rather than face the expense of a brand-new shed.

What the judges said: “A versatile product, ideal for small projects.”

Garden Clothing & Gifts

Winner: Richard Jackson Garden – Plantsmith Gift Boxes

Finalists: Smart Garden Products – Bees Collection, Burgon & Ball – RHS Gifts for Gardeners ‘British Meadow’ gardening gift collection, Woodlodge – Honey & Wild Bee Spiral Mobile

About the winner: You can buy beautifully packaged scented candles and beauty kits, but gardening gift kits have always tended to be practical and not particularly attractive. Plantsmith wants to change that with our houseplant care gift boxes. Designed to appeal as a gift for all houseplant lovers, especially the more style-conscious gardeners.

What the judges said: “The ideal gift for any houseplant lover.”

Pet Care, Aquatics and Wild Bird Care Products

Winner: Wildlife World – Artisan Bird Nesters

Finalists: Smart Garden – Wild Wings Feeding Station, Capi Europe - Design Butterfly Hotel, Westland Horticulture – Peckish Natural Balance Bird Food Range

About the winners: These are fantastic products for a few reasons: They are ethically produced – both in the sense of materials used – natural and recycled – and the fact that these products support woman in very poor parts of Bangladesh. These social enterprises transform local communities, pioneer upcycling, empower women, champion refugee rights and practice organic farming.

What the judges said: “Important social and environmental values embedded into good-looking, well made, practical products.”

Garden Lighting, Water Features & Ornamentation 

Winner: The Solar Centre – Kingsbridge Solar Wall Light

Finalist: Smart Garden Products – Mega SpiraLight, The Solar Centre – Salcombe Solar Wall Light, Smart Garden Products – Forli Flaming Lantern

About the winner: This light delivers everything a security light does but in a contemporary, stylish-looking light fitting.

What the judges said: “Super stylish, minimalist design and excellent quality.”

Decorative Pots & Planters 

Winner: Woodlodge – Bee Kind Honeycomb and Bumbee Pots

Finalist: Woodlodge – Bee Wall Teapot, Burgon & Ball - Burgon & Ball Malibu indoor plant pots, Woodlodge – Kensington Redstone range

About the winner: As concern escalates over pollinator decline and gardeners seek to make wildlife-friendly havens, Honeycomb and Bumbee were added to the Bee Kind range to draw attention to the plight of much-loved but endangered insects.  Highly giftable, the range is the perfect container for any nature lover.

What the judges said: “The Bee Kind range has been one of this year's best sellers and, at the same time, has supported the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, which is fabulous!”

GIMA AWARDS 2021 – MARKETING AWARDS

Best Point of Sale Material

Winner: Wildlife World – Cotswold Granaries FSDU

Finalists: Elho – Sustainability Vertical Banner, Elho – Green Basics 200L Rainbarrel POS, Westland Horticulture – Westland Specialist Feeds & Compost DQP

About the winner:  The Cotswold Granaries FSDU is a completely custom design, cut out of OSB using Wildlife World’s in-house CNC machine. The laser-engraved header, logo and shelf stripes offer a unique design, whilst cutting the environmental impact of printing! The unit is also made from 100% FSC and PEFC Timber.

What the judges said: “An attractive piece of point of sale that's natural, rustic, simple and not over-engineered.”

Best Sustainable Consumer Product Packaging

Winner: Wildlife World – Cotswold Granaries Wild Animal Food

Finalists: Sipcam Home & Garden – Ecofective Refills and Recycled Bottles, Westland Horticulture - Natural Balance range, Vitax Ltd - Vitax Organic Feeds, Hozelock – Superhoze Packaging

About the winner: No other wild animal food company has produced products in fully 100% home compostable packaging, even down to the re-sealable zip. It's a top quality, nutritionally dense range of feeds that will attract and sustain wildlife in the consumer’s garden.

What the judges said: “Attractive and well executed packaging with clear sustainable credentials.  Everything, even the resealable zips are fully compostable!”

Best Marketing Communication & Social Media Award

Winner: Evergreen Garden Care – Miracle-Gro Mental Health Awareness Campaign

Finalists: Stihl - TV ad and supporting campaign, Westland Horticulture – Peckish Digital Bird Food Campaign, Westland Horticulture – Specialist Feeds Digital Campaign

About the winner: We have not seen a mental health campaign like this in the garden care space before. We were not seeking to promote a specific product with the campaign, but instead to work to encourage open dialogue about mental health and educate about the health benefits of gardening.

What the judges said: “A well-executed campaign, which really brought the connection between gardening, mindfulness and wellbeing to the fore, as well as encouraging an open dialogue about mental health.”

This year the GIMA Awards winners were selected by a panel of industry experts, made up of Alexa Blackmore, The Gardens Group; Andy Bunker, Alton Garden Centre; Matthew Bent, Bents Garden & Home; Trevor Pfeiffer, Garden Trade News; Victoria Redshaw, Scarlet Opus; Phillippa Stubbs, British Garden Centres; and Stuart Whalley, Rosebourne. 

Here’s our picture special from last night’s glitzy GIMA Awards evening hosted by celebrity Vernon Kay.  Pictures taken by Steve Burden and Trevor Pfeiffer.

Experienced Field Sales Agent (Commission Only)

This is a B2B sales role please do not apply if you do not have the relevant experience.

Firmans Direct are looking for experienced Sales Agents to promote their superb range of garden furniture to garden centres and independent retailers across the UK.

What do we do?

Firmans Direct Ltd is a UK based company specialising in Garden Furniture.  We have been selling business to business for over 40 years and have a multi-national customer base.  Supplying high quality furniture direct from our manufacturing sites to both large chain retailers & independents stores, we are keen to reach out to new customers. We provide all our Sales Agents with the best support and opportunity to succeed with us.

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for Field Sales Agents who have a great personality, fantastic customer interaction skills and proven sales experience.  Our ideal candidates will have sales experience in a B2B environment, good communication skills, conversant with Microsoft office and Microsoft Outlook and PowerPoint presentations.   Be persistent and engage with customers to build long lasting business relationships.

What do we offer?

Our Agents handle a designated area and have full access to sell all Firman’s products across all sectors of the furniture industry and garden centre market within this territory. Full product training is given in house, and field based training will help smooth the successful applicant into the Firman product ranges.

What’s included:

• Generous commission scheme
• Own dedicated sales area
• Full product training
• Field support
• Backup of a full office team
• Full marketing Samples

If you want to be a part of the Firmans Team, please email your CV now!

paul.collins@firmansdirect.com 

Christmas and plants are proving to be the recipe of success for garden centre retailing this Autumn. They are the sectors that have driven the GTN Bestsellers up by 7% on the same week last year.

Christmas Top 50 sales were up by 8% and whilst plants were down by 8% on 2020 levels they were up by 30% on 2019.

The Little Dobbies at Richmond was certainly making the most of the Christmas and plants combination last weekend, using their Christmas displays to draw people in and then using plants as the prime product in front of Christmas baubles. It made for a pleasing display and was keeping the tills busy!

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 45.

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 3%
• Growing Media Top 50 – down 20%
• Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – down 5%
• Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 33%
• Christmas Top 50 – up 8%

GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 45

• All Plants with Barcode index – down 8%
• All Items with Barcode index – up 7%

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

A garden centre in Sussex has received planning permission to expand its premises and create new access.

Adur District Council’s Planning Committee voted unanimously to grant planning permission for the changes to the Mayberry Garden Centre in Portslade near Brighton.

Owner Tates of Sussex now has permission to enlarge its premises, making its indoor and outdoor retail areas bigger, with an extra floor space of more than 2,000 square metres. New access would include diverting a public right of way.

The plans would affect the eastern third of the vacant Eastbrook Allotments site which is also subject to a planning application by Tates for a car showroom.

A spokesperson for Tates said: “All aspects of the application have been meticulously and diligently considered.

“The highways authority have confirmed their support for the new access arrangements which will remove the need for deliveries to use the same access as the garden centre customers.”

The plans would affect part of a vacant allotments site which is also subject to a planning application by Tates for a car showroom.

Hillier has announced its line-up of festive events and launches taking place across the 18 garden centres throughout the Christmas 2021 period.

On Wednesday 3^rd November, Hillier Garden Centres officially unveiled its Christmas displays and collections in-store. As well as launch its Christmas digital magazine to the Hillier Gardening Club members, delving into the traditions of Christmas across the world. Once again Hillier will be supporting Mission Christmas with each store being a gift drop-off point. 

The week of the 22^nd November is a key date in the Hillier festive calendar, commencing the delivery of thousands of top quality UK grown Christmas trees to centres, ready for sale. Early December the Festive Celebration Evenings will begin with light switch-ons, festive entertainment and a chance to sip a warming cup of mulled wine while wandering through the Christmas tree forest.

This year’s festive menu presents an abundance of festive flavours across all Mulberry & Thyme Restaurants and The Courtyard Restaurant at Syon Park for customers to enjoy throughout late November and December. Including the return of the customer favourite Festive Afternoon Tea for Two.

The award-winning Wreath workshops are back at Hillier this year with the addition of table decoration workshops. Running from the 6th to the 10^th December, these workshops are delivered by knowledgeable Hillier Garden Centre staff, who will demonstrate to participants how to make their own festive pieces to take home and enjoy. 

Hillier Retail and Wholesale Director, Chris Francis, is positive about this year’s festive plans: “It’s another exciting year at Hillier, with a packed calendar of festive events and launches for customers across our garden centres. We’re looking forward to the return of our in-centre events and providing many happy customers with great experiences once again.”

For further information about Hillier, or for festive news, inspiration and a series of Christmas themed “how to” guides, visit www.hillier.co.uk, find Hillier Garden Centres on Facebook, or @Hilliergardencentres on Instagram.

Plant sales almost matched 2020 levels last week and were 30% up on 2019. The pull of plants, both indoor and outdoor, for brightening our lives during Autumn has clearly stuck.

Highlights of the week were:

• Cyclamen sales increased by 37% at the top of the GTN Plants chart.
• Poinsettias appeared in the chart for the first time this year, coming straight back in at No 16.
• Schlumbergera were the highest chart climber, up 25 places to No 20. 

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

As discussions between the international representatives charged with finding ways to tackle climate change draw to a close at COP26 in Glasgow, the Horticultural Trades Association is shining the spotlight on the opportunities for the horticulture industry to contribute to tackling climate change and delivering net zero.

Taking stock of progress made, celebrating the strength of commitment across the industry and looking to the future with positivity have been the themes this week, as the association marks one year since the launch of its Sustainability Roadmap.

Launched in November 2020, the Roadmap was created to give all members the help and assistance they need to ensure that their business can flourish in years to come.

On Thursday the association published its 'one year on’ sustainability impact report, setting out the progress made so far towards the Roadmap’s goals, together with details of what HTA members and stakeholders can expect in 2022.

Yesterday, an HTA roundtable, sponsored by Easitill Ltd, brought together opinion leaders from horticultural and environmental organisations to collectively examine the opportunities and challenges that sustainability presents for the industry. It concluded that there is real benefit in individual businesses collectively making small changes to make a big difference and together affecting substantive progress as a sector. A ‘white paper’ will be produced early in the new year to develop the themes and issues discussed.

The first industry annual progress report highlights key achievements of the past 12 months including:

• The HTA convened and chaired a cross-industry growing media task force to work together on an agreed action plan for the voluntary removal of peat from horticulture between 2025 and 2028 in bagged growing media in retail, and 2028-2030 for commercial growers. The group were clear that for this ambition to be realised, the necessary volume of alternatives and support for businesses to transition to peat is needed - something the HTA is working with Government on.
• The creation of a partnership between HTA and carbon footprint and sustainability specialists Planet Mark. This saw HTA members with a combined turnover of £185m and over 6,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions taking part in free workshops - enabling them to get started with sustainability changes in their businesses.
• Developing constructive relationships with water companies to drive a better understanding of the industry’s needs, combined with the publication of ‘how-to’ guides for members on implementing water efficiency measures.
• Responding to government consultations on proposed packaging and recycling legislation changes, which will overhaul the current system, to ensure the needs of the horticulture sector are recognised.

The year ahead will see an increased focus on collaboration to create meaningful and substantive change across the industry. The HTA will look at ways to connect members with each other to share knowledge and experience, with plans to launch and grow a peer-to-peer business mentoring scheme in 2022 for members. Work on peat and growing media will continue in spring 2022, with a consumer education campaign on responsible and sustainable use of growing media planned for launch in Q1. We’ll be pushing for the horticulture industry to be promoted as a key part of the UK’s ‘Build back greener’ goals for the country.

HTA Chairman James Barnes commented “Taking stock of progress this week has been a useful and positive experience, demonstrating the enormous role our sector plays in tackling climate change and the impact it’ll have on our businesses. There's a huge appetite amongst people in our sector for building a sustainable future for horticulture.

“The challenges we must overcome and the opportunities it presents us with will play a much bigger part in how we operate than anything else. How we report on that and how we measure that will become even more important, alongside our annual review and financial accounts.

“I look forward to the HTA supporting more of the membership in starting their journey towards building businesses that are sustainable as well as profitable. We'll continue to work together to support our members and advocate for them in the year ahead. I look forward to seeing our Roadmap plans go from strength to strength.”

The association is encouraging all its members to join the sustainability journey to 2025 and contribute what they can, regardless of the size or type of business.

The latest information and resources on sustainability are available at: hta.org.uk/sustainability

Dobbies has announced three senior appointments, strengthening its team as it continues to develop its platform for growth. 

Richard Hodges is appointed as Dobbies’ Commercial Director. He joins from Sainsbury’s where he was Head of UK Wholesale and International Growth. Richard will take responsibility for all trading, as well as leading the rollout of the company's small store format, little dobbies, and growth plans for dobbies.com. 

John Dunning is appointed as Dobbies’ Restaurant Director. He was most recently at Bourne Leisure, where he was Food and Beverage Director for Butlins. 

Tim Hollis is appointed as Dobbies’ Head of Buying. He was most recently Head of Buying for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Holding a key role within Richard’s team, Tim will lead the buying team and be responsible for buying across all categories.  

Graeme Jenkins, Dobbies’ CEO, said: “Richard, John and Tim bring outstanding experience from the retail, hospitality and horticulture worlds. They will be instrumental in helping continue with our growth plan.” 

Richard Hodges, Commercial Director, said: “Dobbies is the UK’s leading garden centre business - I’m looking forward to playing a major role in the next stage of the company’s growth.” 

John Dunning, Restaurant Director, said: “Dobbies has always been a great place for food – I am looking forward to helping improve the restaurant offer for our customers.” 

Tim Hollis, Head of Buying, said: “Dobbies is continually striving to offer customers the best product ranges and I’m motivated by the opportunity to drive the business forward. I’ll ensure we continue to build on Dobbies’ sustainability commitments, taking our green credentials to the next level.” 

Andrew Bracey, Dobbies’ Chairman, said: “As we grow Dobbies organically and by acquisition we are always trying to improve what we offer our customers. By strengthening the team, we will be more able to do this and continue to improve on our outstanding customer experience.” 

The appointments follow a string of developments this year for Dobbies, including the launch of four little dobbies and the acquisition of a new garden centre in Boston.  

British Garden Centres have officially launched Christmas in all their centres across the UK and following their success, they are already seeing clear Christmas trends and success.

This festive season has already seen a 30% increase in sales of Christmas Lights across British Garden Centres. 

People are lighting up all areas of their homes, whether it's for Christmas trees, garlands, around the fireplace or outdoors, this area of our Christmas departments is proving very popular this year. British Garden Centres are also proud sponsors of this year’s Illumination Street. For more information and to get involved with this fantastic competition visit:  https://illuminationstreet.com. This year there's £5000 worth of prizes to be won! 

Amy Stubbs, Group Development Manager, said “We love Christmas at British Garden centres and although some suggest we start too early, we know how much our customers love our Christmas departments. Seeing the centres transform in late September and showcase their individuality really brings the magic of Christmas to each centre”. 

Brigg Garden Centre Christmas launch announcement post on Facebook had an organic reach of 180,000 people, which had a 275% increase from the 2020 announcement. 

Following their first month of sales and Christmas launches here are their top 6 best-selling Christmas trends. The top two positions account for 20% of our Christmas takings so far.  

1. Time to Remember

The traditional reds, vivid golds, and classic greens is a theme embraced worldwide and never goes out of style. The traditional theme helps create a warm and cosy ambience that will radiate through your home. It truly brings the feeling of Christmas to life.

2. A Winter’s Tale

Dreaming of a winter wonderland? The Winter’s Tale theme brings the magical snowy scenes into your home with stunning vivid blues, frosted whites, and beautiful silvers. A truly mystical colour palette perfect for any home.

3. Winter Rose

All things romance, Winter Rose is about bringing the love story and fairy-tale of Christmas to life throughout your home, with hints of classic pearl and champagne colours threaded through the stunning blush and velvet pinks with notes of magnolia. A truly gorgeous theme and style for your home this season.  

4. Sleigh Bells Ringing

A stunning mix of festive fun with hints of Scandi outdoor fees with frosty whites and silvers with rich berry reds and pine green accents. The fun gingerbread décor sits perfectly within this festive theme, to add some whimsical Christmas classics to your home. Bring the joy of Christmas home with beautiful gingerbread ornaments and scented products. 

5. Enchanted Forest

This folklore woodlands inspired theme brings the outside in with the raw green and brown shades with accents of royal purple and autumnal oranges throughout. The rustic aesthetic is really brought to life with the Enchanted Forest theme.

6. A touch of Elegance

An extravagant yet modern take on Christmas with all thing’s gold! Featuring a stunning collection of vintage gold lights with champagne, light gold, pearl, and wool white decorations with gorgeous fairy-tale features. Candles and gold painted foliage to make your home stand out this season. 

British Garden Centres Group Christmas Buyer said, “Each year we can’t wait to start planning Christmas and sourcing products to bring the magic of Christmas to our stores. We are constantly looking for new trends but also remaining faithful to the classics like Traditional and Winter”.

There are more fabulous themes throughout the group in selected centres that cater for everyone’s taste, from Victorian-era flowers to the Scandi candy cane treats. The magic of Christmas is truly at British Garden Centres this year. The garden centre group has products for each area of your home including stunning door wreaths. 

British Garden Centres has seen incredible success with their Christmas launches and have an incredibly wide variety of stock across the group. With recent stock issues across the country, British Garden Centres are proud to have not been affected and successfully launched their Christmas departments, some as early as September. 

Follow the group on Pinterest for great Christmas inspiration. 

Following on from the astonishing success of Autumn Fair and the highest ever re-book, Spring Fair has announced that 90% of its stand space has been sold and its organisers Hyve Group plc are looking to increase the floorplan to accommodate the flurry of new brands keen to join the show.

As the leading and most definitive marketplace for wholesale home, gift, fashion and sourcing, Spring Fair, which also now incorporates fashion destination Moda, is known as a nucleus for creativity, inspiration, trends, and order writing, as well as bringing the industry together, building communities, nurturing collaboration, and facilitating relationships that last.

The next live event takes place at NEC Birmingham on the 6th – 9th February 2022 and features four key buying destinations - Home, Gift, Fashion and Design & Source, as well as the Inspiring Retail Stage which takes on the theme of empowering change featuring inspiring and innovative retailers who are changing their business with a positive impact.

Daniel Mayhew, Event Director, Spring Fair says; “Spring Fair was sorely missed this year and following the hugely successful Autumn Fair, the Spring Fair team are working hard to make the show better than ever. We have spent many months researching the market, talking to our customers, listening, and learning, and feel confident that Spring Fair will deliver the best possible experience across its four days. Visitors will discover the most inspirational and exciting brand line-up and stock rich exhibitors, as well as the newness, cross-buying opportunities, and sustainable products that are so key to buyers and their customers now.”

Recognising the challenges that the UK garden retail supply chain continues to face, DJ Turfcare – exclusive suppliers of an unrivalled portfolio of organic-based lawn fertilisers including the ever-popular MO Bacter – is offering its retail customers a unique promise based on orders made before Christmas 2021.

Any retailer who places an order with DJ Turfcare before the festive break will see their order prices held for the first half of 2022, with delivery lead times similarly protected*.

DJ Turfcare’s David Jenkins explains why this protection promise has been implemented. He said: “In recent years it has been hard for the entire supply chain to forecast the pressures that are shaping so much of our businesses. From Brexit to COVID, material and packaging supply issues to freight and logistic problems, it has been, at times, the perfect storm of problems. As a way of saying thank you to our customers for their ongoing loyalty - loyalty which has seen us achieve record sales even in the face of adversity - we want to alleviate some of this stress by holding our price structure and delivery lead times for the first six months of 2022 for all orders placed before Christmas. This way, our customers can rest assured that their stock will be with them when it is needed most, with no nasty surprises lurking around the corner.”

The DJ Turfcare portfolio features the bestselling MO Bacter Lawn Fertiliser, MO Bacter Instant, Bio-Lime, Recovery, Lawn Boost and Autumn Lawn Treatment.

Find out more

DJ Turfcare offers UK consumers access to one of the most respected lawn care product portfolios available on the market today. Endorsed by the RHS since 2018, the range delivers high performance results, whilst also setting a new standard for environmental responsibility and sustainability with its 100% organic-based products.

Find out more at  www.djturfcare.co.uk

In this Glee Review issue of GTN:

• Vitax increases range and capacity
• Remembering Eddie Topping MBE
• Capturing the essence of Autumn at Chelsea
• Get Grilling with Traeger
• Glee 2021 – a special return
• Glee Buyers Power List
• Glee New Product Awards
• Sustainability Award – Southern Trident
• Glee 2021 Gallery
• Floral Thursday for Greenfingers Charity
• GTN Bestsellers Subscription Offer
• GTN Bestsellers – September garden centre sales analysis and charts
• Garden Centre Books
• HTA Column – Tales of the unexpected
• GIMA Column – The future is looking bright.

Experienced Field Sales Agent (Commission Only)

This is a B2B sales role please do not apply if you do not have the relevant experience.

Firmans Direct are looking for experienced Sales Agents to promote their superb range of garden furniture to garden centres and independent retailers across the UK.

What do we do?

Firmans Direct Ltd is a UK based company specialising in Garden Furniture.  We have been selling business to business for over 40 years and have a multi-national customer base.  Supplying high quality furniture direct from our manufacturing sites to both large chain retailers & independents stores, we are keen to reach out to new customers. We provide all our Sales Agents with the best support and opportunity to succeed with us.

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for Field Sales Agents who have a great personality, fantastic customer interaction skills and proven sales experience.  Our ideal candidates will have sales experience in a B2B environment, good communication skills, conversant with Microsoft office and Microsoft Outlook and PowerPoint presentations.   Be persistent and engage with customers to build long lasting business relationships.

What do we offer?

Our Agents handle a designated area and have full access to sell all Firman’s products across all sectors of the furniture industry and garden centre market within this territory. Full product training is given in house, and field based training will help smooth the successful applicant into the Firman product ranges.

What’s included:

• Generous commission scheme
• Own dedicated sales area
• Full product training
• Field support
• Backup of a full office team
• Full marketing Samples

If you want to be a part of the Firmans Team, please email your CV now!

paul.collins@firmansdirect.com 

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Azpects Ltd, creator of EASYJoint, has welcomed Emma Dallas to its Sales Department, as Regional Account Manager for Retail.

Azpects specialises in developing and manufacturing products for creating and maintaining outdoor hard landscaping.

Emma will be supporting Rebecca Cox in the retail division’s growth. Previously on the road as an account manager/agent, Emma’s background mainly lies in DIY, garden centre and houseware supplies. 

Additionally, Scott Westwood joins the merchant sales team as Regional Account Manager for the East of England. Scott will be taking over from Lewis Good, who has been promoted to Sales Support Manager. Scott’s background has been developing the landscaping department at a garden centre in Cambridge for the last few years. Azpects played a major role in the department's development, so he brings a plethora of product knowledge and trade contacts with him.

Kevin Ager, Sales Director of Azpects, commented: “As part of Azpects’ ongoing growth strategy we have taken the decision to move into the retail market with a variety of our landscaping creation and maintenance products.

"Emma’s many years’ experience within the garden centre and DIY industry will be pivotal within this role as she joins Rebecca Cox in the Retail Division.

"Meanwhile, we continue to develop our internal sales support team to ensure that we can provide the high level of customer support that our customers have come to expect. I am happy to welcome Scott to the team and am sure that he will prove an excellent asset to the company."

While cold weather products dominate the top of the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products chart for last week it was sales of pots and pot feet that saw the biggest overall increase.

After all those pots that were sold during the summer it’s good to see pot feet sales reaching record levels, and people are still buying pots in unheard levels of volume for this time of year.  

Highlights of the week were:

• Smart Garden Plant Warming Fleece 10m x 1.5m moves up five places to No 2 just behind the Smart Garden Anti-Freeze Tap Cover which stays at No 1.
• Woodlodge Pot Feet Large are the highest re-entry at No 11 closely followed by Apta’s Green Pot Feet which are a new entry at No 12.
• The Woodlodge Pot 599 is the highest climber of the week, up 23 places to No 13.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Christmas sales are getting back on track according to analysis of the weekly EPOS data received for GTN Bestsellers.

Top 50 Christmas lines sales were up by 8% on the same week last year, static compared to 2019 and 21% up on 2018.

While sales of products in stock are going very well, some centres are still reporting that stocks ordered for Christmas have not yet been delivered, and some have said they’ve now cancelled them for fear of not arriving in time for this Christmas.

The next three weeks sales are always critical for Christmas. Let’s just hope there is enough stock to keep the tills ringing.

Highlights of the week were:

• History & Heraldry Santa's On His Way Personalised Cards move back up to No 1 in the GTN Christmas Products chart.
• The Three Kings 39cm Silver & White Inlit Tree Magic by Smart Garden Products is a new entry, straight in at No 2.
• Armitages Good Boy Dog Advent Calendar re-enters at No 9 in its quest to once again be the biggest selling garden centre advent calendar.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

With thoughts turning to Christmas after Halloween it’s no surprise to see a continued drop in growing media sales volumes.

However, Top 50 totals for last week were still 41% up on the same week in 2019. Wow!  

Are people starting to buy for next season or are they just enjoying gardening so much they want to keep on growing? Answers in an e-mail please: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk

Highlights of the week were”

• Strulch Organic Straw Mulch 100 litres was the highest growing media chart re-entry of the week at No 26.
• Bloomin Amazing Soil Enricher 70 litres increased sales by 81% to move up seven places to No 3.
• Melcourt SylvaGrow Peat Free Tub & Basket 50 litres more than trebled sales volumes to re-enter at No 35.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Southern Trident has appointed a new Digital and E-Commerce Manager. Alistair Williams has joined the company to help develop, lead and manage all the commercial and marketing activities of the company’s online networks.

Alistair brings a huge amount of knowledge about the digital world, and his expertise will help to continue to grow and establish Southern Trident as a leading player in the gardening market.

He has been working with all things digital his entire career. He started by kicking off pioneering and innovative online marketing campaigns and partnerships with international virtual social network Habbo Hotel. He created media first partnerships with the music industry, which saw the introduction of A-list stars like Faithless and Ozzy Osbourne.

He has also worked closely with The Commission of Information (COI) to introduce drugs, HPV vaccine and sexual health information into the teenage-focused social networks, the first foray into social media by the UK government.

After a two-year break travelling the world, which led to the publication of a recipe-travel book, Local Food from Around the World, he moved agency side to hone his digital skills for the next eight years.

He believes digital affects all aspects of a business and is looking forward to improving Southern Trident’s use of digital to help retailers and customers alike.

Alistair says: “I’m really excited to join a company having the same sustainable and environmental ethos as I do. The time is now to resolve our carbon emissions and it’s awesome to work with a company who lives and breathes this goal. I want to help develop an online community around these principles, while championing the use of coconut coir and in particular our peat-free composts. I firmly believe using sustainable materials, like coconut, has a massive role in combatting climate change.”

Steve Harper, Southern Trident CEO, says: “This is a critical role for us as we continue to expand as a company, and it will strengthen our focus on the web-based side of our business while also improving our consumer engagement via social media and in other digital areas.

"As well as developing, leading and managing all our commercial and marketing activities, he will develop and implement innovative, growth-focused sales, marketing and a consumer loyalty strategy in the digital space.

"This will ensure that our profitable business growth is accelerated and that we achieve commercial success in both direct web and third-party marketplace networks. This is not only great for us, but also a very positive move for our network of retailers and other partners.”

The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) is proud to partner with Salzburg Global Seminar to shape a better world for people and planet.

This partnership aligns the common goals of both AIPH and Salzburg Global Seminar in pursuit of co-promoting the benefits of inviting more plants and nature into our increasingly urban lives. At a time when cities are growing rapidly, and nature is diminishing at alarming rates, urgent action is needed. Plants and nature, which provide multiple benefits and services, are powerful tools with the potential to address many of the ever-mounting challenges faced by growing urban communities. Through this partnership, AIPH and Salzburg Global Seminar seek to accelerate the rate of transformation in cities to bring wide recognition to the value of plants in providing solutions for common city problems and to create an enabling environment to shape and nurture a strategic shift in city governance and planning.

“We are really excited about this new partnership with the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH).  There are many great areas of overlap and alignment in our priorities and the approaches we can take to support and drive change to help inspire better urban futures for everyone.  It is particularly timely to be able to announce this partnership as COP26 draws to a close.  If we are to address the climate crisis then we will need many more atypical partnerships like this.”- Dominic Regester, Program Director, Salzburg Global Seminar.

The partnership announcement lays the foundation for sustained collaboration between AIPH and Salzburg Global Seminar, who have expressed a mutual interest in working together both in the short and long-term. As a means of demonstrating the partnership in action, AIPH has joined the network of partners for Salzburg Global Seminar’s Parks for the Planet Forum 2021, where AIPH has taken up an active facilitation and participatory role. This renowned forum is a long-term collaboration to reconnect people and nature in an urbanized world. Launched in 2015, it aims to improve human and societal wellbeing by expanding access to nature-rich urban spaces, increasing investments in urban conservation, and creating dynamic partnerships between people, cities, and protected area systems.

“AIPH is proud to join the Parks for the Planet Forum as a supporting partner. We are excited to demonstrate our partnership in action through our participation and to connect with a global community of champions for the power of plants and nature. Together with Salzburg Global Seminar, we hope to learn from, share with, and inspire other like-minded individuals and organisations to showcase the power of collaboration.”- Dr.Audrey Timm, Technical Advisor, AIPH

Similarly, Salzburg Global Seminar have expressed their support for the AIPH World Green City Awards. The AIPH World Green City Awards is an ongoing competition, with entries open every 2 years. Designed to champion ambitious nature-orientated approaches to city design and operation, they seek to recognise public initiatives relying on a greater use of plants and nature to create better city environments – helping to fulfil local aspirations for improved economic, social and environmental resilience. The awards celebrate innovation, achievement, and commitment to the globally recognised imperative to embrace nature-based solutions that harvest the power of plants and associated ecosystems services to help address the major challenges facing cities today – or tomorrow. Launched on 22nd April 2021 at the AIPH Green City conference “Champions of Green Cities,” online entries for the AIPH World Green City Awards are now open for the inaugural 2022 edition.

“Partnering with AIPH on the Green City Award was an obvious choice for Salzburg Global Seminar. The partnership presents a great opportunity for us to support our goal of improving the quality of life and biodiversity in cities through enhanced access to nature. We believe our partnership with AIPH will be of great benefit to our Fellows through the valuable knowledge and experience the organization can and has already shared.” -Jennifer Dunn, Program Development Manager, Salzburg Global Seminar.

AIPH has, since 1948, united horticultural producers in an international community that thrives to this day. Much has changed in that time. Technologies advanced, cities rose from the ground, and we have become more connected than ever. As a result, our essential bond with nature has been weakened. Thus, AIPH strives to reignite and uphold an appreciation of plants that we believe is a basic human instinct. Believing that nature is the foundation on which our increasingly urban lives depend, AIPH leads global thinking on the successful integration of plants and nature into the built environment by supporting the bold and ambitious actions of local governments and urban change-makers. Through its Green City Programme, AIPH promotes awareness of the urgent need for urban greening and the essential role of plants in creating vibrant urban areas. Its mission is to develop an international standard for green cities as well as being a focal point for green city best practice and a source of expertise.

Salzburg Global Seminar is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1947 with the mission to challenge current and future leaders to shape a better world. Its multi-year program series aim to bridge divides, expand collaboration and transform systems. Salzburg Global Seminar convenes outstanding talent across generations, cultures and sectors to foster lasting networks and partnerships for creative, just and sustainable change. Over 38,000 Fellows from more than 170 countries have come together through this work, with many rising to senior leadership positions.

Salzburg Global Seminar works to foster lasting networks and partnerships for creative, just and sustainable change. Ultimately, Salzburg Global Seminar seeks to enable systemic transformation by inspiring new thinking and action on critical issues, and by connecting local innovators and global resources.

Given its role in convening change-makers, city shapers, and new ideas, Salzburg Global Seminar is uniquely positioned to support the work of AIPH, and specifically the AIPH World Green City Awards by attracting the attention of city leaders and showcasing what is possible if we approach the challenges we face today with the systems-perspective we need to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. AIPH, in return, brings the essential voice of the global horticultural industry to the table to ensure that plants are given the recognition they deserve in global discussions around shaping a better world. Together, we stand united to support the global green city agenda and drive transformative change through the co-development of bold, new ideas.

“Our partnership with Salzburg Global Seminar formalises an exciting collaboration to enable transformation for a better urban future. Through our joint work, we seek to inspire the global urban change-making community to drive impactful action to secure the sustainability of our increasingly urban future. We urgently need new ways of working, thinking, and doing to invite more plants and nature into our daily lives. Together we will champion this cause to ignite a movement for greener cities.” – Mr. Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH

Jointly acknowledging the power of partnerships, a spirit of collaboration underpins the organisational philosophies of both AIPH and Salzburg Global Seminar. Together we aim to shape a better world by championing the power of plants and nature and harnessing this power to inspire a movement for greener cities and ultimately secure our collective urban future.

Celebrity TV gardener and designer Joe Swift, a long time customer of Camden Garden Centre, joined staff and customers in Richmond yesterday to officially open The Plant Room, a new houseplant lovers paradise on Sheen Road, just 15 minutes walk from the new Little Dobbies.

Camden Garden Centre MD, Peter Hulatt, told GTN Xtra: "We've been working on this idea for about three years and only found this shop in this location earlier this year, around the same time as Dobbies announced they were opening a Little Dobbies here too."

The plant emporium is on two floors of what used to be a rug shop with the ground floor being the main plant shop area lavishly stocked with houseplants from Javado plus cacti from Giromagi, supplied by Key Essentials.

"Houseplants have been a really vibrant part of the mix at Camden Garden Centre for 10 years now, so along with the charity trustees, we felt the time was right to set up this new venture," added Peter.

A small garden products section with seeds from Mr Fothergills, tools from Burgon & Ball and plant care from Growth Technology sits at the back of the plant displays.

Downstairs features trendy home and garden lines from PTMD, plus pot covers from Ivyline, with Woodlodge providing the terracotta pots for outside urban gardening.

With many of the staff coming from Camden Garden Centre there's plenty of great advice on hand to help both novices and experienced plant lovers.

On the same day as England played at Twickenham against Tonga, and CEO Graham Jenkins visited his newest Little Dobbies store, GTN Xtra braved the crowds and the horrendous traffic to see what Dobbies were bringing to a bustling South West London high street.

The timing of the opening of the newest Little Dobbies, in what was previously a Top Shop and Top Man store, has meant they have been able to lead of Christmas in the shop windows to draw crowds into a shop stacked with quality houseplants at the fore and a typical Dobbies Christmas offering as the backdrop.

The premise was certainly working on Saturday afternoon with a steady flow of people entering the store, browsing and buying plants, Christmas and pet treats (as with Dobbies garden centres the store is dog friendly, even on the high street.)

Compared with the other two London Little Dobbies, at Westbourne Grove and Chiswick, this store is huge and even has a small stock area at the rear.

The team is made up of managers from Dobbies garden centres in the south east and new young retailers all of whom have great confidence to answer customer questions about houseplant care.

From the customer reaction it's no surprise to learn that Dobbies are investigating up to 50 more sites across the country to bring the Little Dobbies experience to more city centre high streets.

Alexander Mackie Associates Ltd has announced the sale of Fair Gardens Plant Centre located in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, to Flywheel Investment Group Ltd.

The team at Flywheel Investment Group have over 20 years’ experience in the garden centre sector and they look forward to working with the Fair Gardens team and their suppliers to deliver a truly authentic garden centre experience for their customers.

Fair Gardens Plant Centre has been in the same family ownership for the past 40 years and it has been sold because of retirement of the owners.

Despite the lull in footfall and sales caused by the petrol ‘crisis’ at the start of October, overall garden centre sales performed at high levels to set a new record volume, according to the weekly EPOS data analysed by GTN Bestsellers.

October 2021 total volumes were 4.7% higher than 2020 and 26% higher than the average for the month over the previous nine years.

Remember to send in your nominations for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards, the judging visit slots are filling up fast. Email: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 44.

• Garden Products Top 50 – up 10%
• Growing Media Top 50 – down 6%
• Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – up 14%
• Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 23%
• Christmas Top 50 – down 12%

GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 44 

• All Plants with Barcode index – up 3%
• All Items with Barcode index – up 3%

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights of the GTN Christmas Bestsellers chart for last 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 £100m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call 07973504214.

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

AQUA, the market-leading showcase for the UK’s aquatics and water gardening industry, will be returning to the Telford International Centre on Wednesday 11^th and Thursday 12^th October, 2023.

Following a successful event last month, the biennial exhibition is set to again attract the major companies in the trade, who acknowledge the importance of exhibiting their products and services to aquatic and garden centre retailers, all under one roof.

Preparations for the 2023 event are underway and the organisers have already received enquiries from companies seeking to rebook their exhibitor stands, with some firms requesting larger spaces next time.

PM Aquatic Imports is thinking of taking an even bigger area in two years thanks to the success of this October’s event, with the company’s Jeremy Gay saying: “This show is the best place for aquatic companies to network and develop more business.”

More than 50 suppliers showcased an impressive line-up of new products at AQUA 2021 in front of a two-day audience of 1,074 retailers and buyers last month. Although the attendance figure was down on the previous event, both exhibitors and visitors agreed the event had been a huge success for the aquatics and water garden industry.

Companies like FishScience revealed it was the company’s best exhibition to date. “We received more orders and leads than at previous shows,” said founder David Pool.

It was a similar story for Aquatic Now, whose chief marketing officer Craig Timms commented: “The organisers did a great job in putting on the show. Thank you for all of your help which resulted us in having our best-ever show.”

And Mark Walsh, of Platinum Reef Products Ltd, agreed. “It was a great event in difficult circumstances.”

Retailer Lynne Henbury, of Kettering Koi & Ponds Ltd, revealed why she thinks AQUA continues to be so popular. “It’s great to see so many aquatic suppliers all under the one roof – it’s definitely worth visiting. We introduced ourselves to some potential new suppliers during the exhibition, and then enjoyed some great networking at the after-show drinks reception with current suppliers. We will definitely be attending again in 2023.”

Patricia Dunlop, of Fish and Bits, said: “I absolutely love this show, and it felt safe especially with Covid around,” while Chris Reynolds, of Landscapeplus Ltd, commented: “It was a great show as always.”

Other AQUA 2021 visitor feedback included:

• “Clean, easy to move around, great staff, great show.”
• “Great to see so many people within the industry in one place safely.”
• “Great day – no further comment needed.”
• “A very friendly relaxed atmosphere”
• “Fantastic!”

For all the latest information and news on the next AQUA show in 2023 visit www.aquatelford.co.uk

Fish4Dogs has added six new complementary canned recipes to its popular Finest dog range, incorporating nutritional vegetables such as pumpkin, pea, carrot, spinach, sweet potato and green beans to a variety of fish.

The ‘topper’ cans acknowledge the fact that although dog owners like the convenience of complete dry food, many prefer to add interest and moisture to their dog’s meal. 

Harriet Cook, Fish4Pets’ customer service advisor, allowed her dogs Nala and Hendrix to be involved in trials for the new range.  

“Unlike our Finest complete food, which has an appealing aroma and satisfying taste, many people feel that dry kibble gets boring for their dogs, so they like to add things to it,” said Harriet.

“This can quickly upset a dog’s digestion, particularly if they have dietary sensitivities, so feeding a fish and vegetable topper is a great way to add that interest without adding anything unhealthy. 

“My dogs adored the addition of these new cans on top of their kibble, and if they’re happy, I’m happy.”