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Ansell Garden Centre opens to customers just five days after it was destroyed by fire
 Less than a week after it was destroyed by a massive blaze, Ansell Garden Centre re-opened for business. Customers were allowed in from 10.30am and 3pm on Friday and afterwards managing director Paresh Raithatha spoke to GTN Xtra about the amazing response they’d had from both the garden industry and customers.
Pictured above: The height of the blaze. Right: Ansell Garden Centre tweeted this image under the caption "a symbol of hope from the ashes."
Less than a week after it was destroyed by a massive blaze, Ansell Garden Centre re-opened for business. Customers were allowed in from 10.30am and 3pm on Friday and afterwards managing director Paresh Raithatha spoke to GTN Xtra about the amazing response they’d had from both the garden industry and customers.
“It has been immense,” said Paresh. “The kind words have kept us going through some dark times over the past week. On Facebook alone we’ve received 50,000 messages.
“This level of support gave us the push we needed to get back on our feet and rebuild this business. We face a long road ahead but we’ll be back. And we’re determined to make the garden centre even better than before.”
The garden centre was gutted by fire last weekend when a huge fire broke out at 4.30pm on Sunday. It took around 100 firefighters more than five hours to bring the flames under control, with huge plumes of smoke seen in the sky from miles around.
The Ansell team were so eager to get back on the road to recovery that they decided to open up on Friday, alerting customers to the fact via social media, tweeting “please let as many as possible know. Will be nice to see friendly faces.”
Paresh told GTN Xtra: “Everything inside the garden centre was destroyed but we were still able to offer our customers the chance to buy plants, compost and containers.
“A good number of people turned up and they were pleased to see us trading again so soon.
“We are taking a delivery of 500 Christmas trees on Sunday and they’ll be on sale from Monday onwards.
“There’s a lot of work ahead of us but seeing the response from our customers today makes us even more determined.
“We’ve already started planning for the future and our aim is to get phase one of the rebuilding process complete by next Easter. That will give us the platform to restore Ansell Garden Centre to its former glory…but I promise it will be even better.”
To get some sense of how people have helped Paresh and his team face up to this awful blaze, here’s an extract from the Ansell Garden Centre Facebook page…
“We have been touched by all the kind words and support that you all have offered, from our family, friends, customers, suppliers, residents and our staff both new and old who have become part of our family.
“You all have given us the courage to move forward. We will hopefully see your smiles in the very near future and will keep you updated as much as we can.
“With some hope, we stay strong, we fight, we move forward.”
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Demolition threat over garden centre revamp
Charnley’s Home and Garden in Cumbria could be forced to tear down a new extension after it was revealed the garden centre did not get planning permission off the council to construct the building...
Charnley’s Home and Garden in Cumbria could be forced to tear down a new extension after it was revealed the garden centre did not get planning permission off the council to construct the building.
The garden centre, which was previously known as Crooklands, reopened in October following a £1m revamp.
It's understood that owner Marc Charnley, who opened the business 20 years ago with his father Lou and his sister Leeanne, did not seek planning approval to build the extension or to sell furniture.
A retrospective application was submitted to construct a detached extension which will provide retail space, but this was withdrawn by Marc Charnley late last week.
Barrow borough councillors will consider whether or not to seek enforcement action at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday, and this could result in the newly erected extension being pulled down just one month after it opened its doors to the public.
Mr Charnley has denied an wrongdoing and said he didn't realise that he had breached planning laws.
He told the North-West Evening Mail: "We have been selling furniture for the last nine years. We didn't think we were breaching any planning laws at all.
"We just expanded it slowly and apparently we are breaching planning laws according to them. We have been selling that stuff for eight years but we have just expanded it recently and we are allowed to sell furnishings and gifts."
In a report published prior to next week's meeting, case officer Barry Jesson concluded that there is "no exception" for the site operator choosing to "ignore planning legislation."
He also said that there are "serious issues arising from the unauthorised sale of goods, which may adversely impact upon the town centre."
Barrow Borough Council's planning manager, Jason Hipkiss, said the council operates a "town centre first" approach when it comes to approving retail planning applications with any out-of-town sites requiring justification to build on grounds of need.
Mr Hipkiss insists that no such justification was put forward by Marc Charnley.
He said: "The garden centre does sell other items as well which is just incidental but for places that want to sell sofas and tables we have a requirement to consider the town centre as an initial location to be selling these kind of things, with an out-of-town site such as a garden centre being a last resort.
"Other businesses have had to go through the right channels and Mr Charnley has not put anything towards us which suggests he has a special case."
Cumbria County Council, which is the highways authority, has also raised safety concerns about a lack of parking spaces caused by the newly built extension.
The authority fears this could result in more customers having to park on Ulverston Road, which could cause an increased risk of collision with cars travelling down that road at speeds of up to 60mph.
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Klondyke Strike Gold in Leeds
The lastest stage of the Klondyke Strikes strategy of store upgrades and refurbishment – a complete rebuild at Garforth in Leeds – is proving to be a gold medal success since its re-opening in October...
See GTN Xtra's picture tour of the new centre
The lastest stage of the Klondyke Strikes strategy of store upgrades and refurbishment – a complete rebuild at Garforth in Leeds – is proving to be a gold medal success since its re-opening in October.
Initial budgets have been smashed, extra staff recruited and when GTN Xtra visited last week the centre was full of happy customers and ringing tills. The low ceiling heights, warm colour schemes and shop fittings give the centre a homely feeling, as though it had been open again for quite a while. The Topiary Restaurant, which has 220 covers, is "serve to table" and the popular specials menu includes dishes such as Ox Cheek, Red Mullet and Roast Garlic and Vegetable Curry. Chief Executive David Yardley told GTN Xtra: "We've completely changed everything with this centre and paid big attention to customer service and staffing. Next year we will start a major programme of staff development across the whole group to build on the learnings from this opening and our other refurbishments." Bob Hewitt, who retires in December to take up the role of part time Chairman, added: "Our next re-developemnt will be Edinburgh Morton Hall which will be followed by works at Polmont, including new head office facilities, and Weaver Vale. We have gained great returns from our strategy so far so that will continue. That won't stop us looking at any potential aquisitions though."
Also pictured above are Finance Director Sharon Allen and Retail Operations Director David Abbott, who along with the rest of the board and head office team had been at the centre with managers from all the other Klondyke Strikes centres who had been attending their company conference.
See our photo gallery below for a tour of the centre.
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November storms towards record sales
Another week of sales up on last year means it’s almost certain we will be reporting on a record month at the end of November, reports GTN Bestsellers...
Another week of sales up on last year means it’s almost certain we will be reporting on a record month at the end of November.
Judging by the packed car parks and restaurants we’ve seen whilst out making visits for The Greatest Christmas Awards, garden centres are providing a great place to visit during stormy weather. Sales volumes reported in the GTN Bestsellers data shows they buying plenty of items too.
The GTN Christmas products Top 50 was up by 19% on last year, reflecting higher footfall and this had a knock-on effect for garden products, up by 19% and growing media up by 14%.
With Christmas sales running 30% up year on year the biggest challenge could be managing displays as products sell out.
GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year...
- Garden Products - up 19%
- Growing Media - up 14%
- Christmas Products - up 19%
- All Items Index - up 8%
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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The Garden Industry Manufacturers Association (GIMA) and the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) have joined forces to purchase the garden industry’s leading media-facing event, The Garden Press Event.
Founded in 2006, the event was set up to bring together suppliers of garden products, with trade and consumer editors from both print and broadcast outlets.The only event of its kind for the industry, the Garden Press Event has grown in popularity, with over 110 exhibitors (including a host of international brands) attending 2016’s exhibition.
The show is now set to enter an exciting ‘next chapter’ under the guardianship of both GIMA and the HTA, who together will work to add more content and value for both exhibitors and visitors. Guy Burtenshaw and Sue O’Neill, the original founders of the exhibition, will continue to be involved in the event.
Talking about this exciting development, GIMA’s Director, Vicky Nuttall, said: “The Garden Press Event has continued to cement itself as the go-to annual exhibition for those brands that want to talk exclusively with members of the press as it’s a great way of developing both marketing and PR strategies for the year ahead. Meanwhile members of the press can enjoy uninterrupted time with leading and emerging brands, together generating exciting content for future publications. GIMA has long been a supporter of the show and the opportunities it presents, so we are so pleased to be able to report this latest news."
Echoing Vicky’s thoughts, Carol Paris, HTA Chief Executive, said: “The HTA is delighted to confirm its involvement in the future of the Garden Press Event. We want to retain the values of the show, but also add extra content in turn providing a great opportunity for our members to showcase and promote the garden industry to the media I’ve no doubt that together the HTA and GIMA will be worthy new owners of the event."
Guy Burtenshaw, Director of Media Events, along with journalist Richard Jackson, was inspired to set up an event exclusively for the press in 2006, when the first press event took place.
Guy added “We want to say a particular thank you to all of the exhibitors and visitors who have helped to grow the Garden Press Event and make it such a great success over the past 11 years, we now believe the time is right for the event to grow and develop and be ‘owned’ by the industry, and GIMA and the HTA are the right organisations to do this."
The 2017 event takes place on 16th February at the Barbican (London) and will not be affected by this change in ownership.
Space is still available to book and all enquiries for the time being should continue to be directed via email to guy@gardenpressevent.co.uk or telephone 01243 860600.
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Ever increasing demand for its award-winning wildlife products has led Wildlife World to completely redevelop its workshops for better production efficiency and output.
The company has effectively tripled the size of its workshop facility within its base at Chavenage outside Tetbury in Gloucestershire where its full product range and bespoke wildlife products are made.
With its extensive range of wildlife habitats, feeders and accessories Wildlife World is now reaching a much bigger market in both the UK and internationally.
This year, Wildlife World has added two major UK retailers to its customer list for whom the company makes special versions of its bird and insect habitats, feeders and its bee and bug biome.
Wildlife World creates products to match the product theme set by the retailers, including the design and colour scheme. Further afield, Wildlife World’s development of the American market has seen new retail partnerships with Hammacher Schlemmer and American Gardeners Supply, two of the most popular home and lifestyle department stores in the US.
Norman Sellers, Founder and Managing Director of Wildlife World, commented, “We are delighted with the company growth we have achieved this year, particularly because it means that more consumers are understanding the real benefits of our habitats to wildlife and ecology in general.
"Even though production volumes are well up, we continue our focus on making sustainable products which are not only fully researched and tested but also are made from environmentally-friendly materials such as FSC timber and water based paints.”
At Glee in September Wildlife World launched no less than 20 new products, including a number of bird houses and feeders as well as its new novelty Dewdrop range for birds, bees and beneficial insects, an attractive new design and shape that has caught the imagination of retailers and consumers alike.
Glee was also the debut for Wildlife World’s new venture with Simon King OBE, wildlife cameraman and TV presenter, where the company has especially designed and created a separate new range of products under the ‘Simon King’ brand. Such was the success of the launch that one of the products, the Brushwood Robin Nester, won the Glee product award category for ‘Best New Wildlife and Pet Product’.
Further information on its extensive range of wildlife products is available from Wildlife World on 01666 505333, by emailing info@wildlifeworld.co.uk or by visiting the company’s website at www.wildlifeworld.co.uk
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Stewarts Garden Centre at Broomhill near Wimborne has gained planning approval for a major redevelopment of the centre that was originally built in the mid-seventies.
Martin Stewart, Managing Director of the family owned group of horticultural businesses, says that he is delighted that the proposed development of an Oak Structured restaurant, coffee lounge and new staff and public facilities designed by Southampton based Plum Architects have been welcomed by planners.
“We are fortunate that we are trusted to be good neighbours in this very rural and attractive corner of Dorset. The expansion is not to develop just another giant centre, in fact the footprint of the new building only slightly exceeds the current structure. We aim to create a more intimate, friendly and interesting destination for anyone keen on horticulture and to offer some convenience for supplies to local people,” says Martin Stewart.
Key features for the centre will include professionally run Educational Training facilities for horticultural and crafts training for groups and planned talks and demonstrations. The current commercial nursery will also be updated with new buildings that will allow access to the public to view the businesses’ “home grown” plants. The popular animal area enjoyed by children to see some of the livestock owned by the Stewarts will remain a feature.
The passion for horticulture has been in the Stewarts family for 8 generations. The business can be traced back to 1742. Stewarts claim to be the earliest dedicated garden shop opened in 1955 before their first out of town centre at Christchurch opened in 1961.
Martin Stewart says that the cost of the development is not finalised but it will be over £1 million.
The centre will remain open once building commences in 2018 using locally sourced contractors. There will be additional job opportunities to boost the current team on the site from 110 to an estimated 120.
Further information available from www.stewarts.co.ukPictured: Retail and Marketing Director Terry Head, Centre Manager Jason Carter and Martin Stewart with designer drawings.
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Squire’s Garden Centres in Milford and Badshot Lea (Farnham) are running a competition to see which local school can design the best decorations for a Christmas tree.
Primary school children from across Surrey are taking part, and the children visited Squire’s this week to hang their decorations on a special tree for their school, which is on display in the garden centre.
There is a voting box next to the school trees, and customers (and friends and family!) can vote for their favourite tree between Friday 25th November and Sunday 4th December.
Ricky Bowness, Manager at Squire’s in Milford said: “It’s no secret that children love Christmas and we hope to inspire pupils to create some truly original designs to celebrate this special time of year.”
Squire’s will announce the winning trees during the week of the 5th December. The winning schools will receive a certificate plus goody bags packed with Christmas treats for each child that took part.
www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk
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spoga+gafa continues on its course of success
After a successful spoga+gafa 2016 achieved a 6% increase in attendance and reaped lots of praise by the participants of the trade fair, all the signs for the international garden fair 2017 are also very good...
After a successful spoga+gafa 2016 achieved a 6% increase in attendance and reaped lots of praise by the participants of the trade fair, all the signs for the international garden fair 2017 are also very good.
The early bird campaign that enables exhibitors to secure their presentation space early at favourable conditions had achieved a record result when it came to a close on 28 October:
Exhibitors from 56 countries registered during the campaign period and thus secured themselves their preferred stand location at the next spoga+gafa in good time. 84% of the planned exhibition space has already been booked. As such, the result has increased again by 4% compared to the early bird result of the previous year. spoga+gafa 2017 will take place in Cologne from 3 to 5 September.
In addition to the good result in terms of quality, the field of participants is already proving to be very high-quality. Numerous strong brands as well as national and international industry giants have confirmed their participation at spoga+gafa 2017 in good time and will once again enable the guests to experience the garden theme in all its facets.
In line with the diversity of spoga+gafa, registrations were received for all of the four production sections: garden living, garden creation & care, garden bbq and garden unique.
First-time exhibitors, who will be making their way to Cologne, include among others Florensis and Fleuro Select. Brands like Barlow Tyrie, Biohort, BM-Massivholz, Briggs&Stratton, EFSA, Einheitserdewerke Patzer, Felco, Fitt, Glatz, Happy People, Hartman, Hozelock, intex, Keter, Koopman, Mesto, Napoleon, Nardi, Rösle, Scheurich, Selecta One, Sieger, Solo, Tielbürger or Weber-Stephen will among others also be on board at the international garden fair in September 2017.
The spoga+gafa 2017 is open to trade visitors on 3 and 4 September from 09:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m. and on 5 September from 09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m. Further information is available at www.spogagafa.com
The Garden Day 2017 is open to end-users and trade visitors on 2 and 3 September from 09:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m. Further information is available at www.tagdesgartens-koeln.com
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GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards underway
 Garden centres throughout the UK are already impressing judges of the GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards as inspections for this prestigious event started this week...
Garden centres throughout the UK are already impressing judges of the GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards as inspections for this prestigious event started this week...
After all the judges visits, our GTN experts meet to decide on the winners and the results will be announced at The Greatest Awards Christmas Party on January 8th 2017 in the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, during the evening after the first day of the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Show.
The award for The Greatest Garden Centre Team at Christmas is a category decided purely by customer voting. Using the voting postcard pdfs we supply you can invite your customers to vote for you as The Greatest Garden Centre Team at Christmas. You can also invite them to vote online using a special Greatest Awards voting link.
Voting will run from today through to Thursday December 22nd. When all the votes are counted, the size of each garden centre team is then taken into account so that small and medium sized centre teams have as much chance of winning this accolade as large centres.
To register your team for customer voting in GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards please send an email to thegreatestawards@tgcmc.co.uk or follow the link below to download the voting forms and posters to get started straight away.
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Do your customers think you are The Greatest at Christmas?
The ultimate accolades at GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards are The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Teams, as voted for by garden centre customers. Voting starts now and runs through to Thursday December 22nd and to be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is download the posters and voting forms below for in-store voting and add our voting link to your facebook, twitter or website to get customers voting on-line too!
 The ultimate accolades at GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards are The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Teams, as voted for by garden centre customers. Voting starts now and runs through to Thursday December 22nd and to be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is download the posters and voting forms below for in-store voting and add our voting link to your facebook, twitter or website to get customers voting on-line too!
As we head towards the busiest weeks of the year it’s time to ask your customers to vote for you as The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team. There's no entry charge for taking part in The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre voting but we are looking to raise funds during November and Decemnber for Greenfingers. If you'd like to make a donation to Greenfingers, please use this link.
GTN Xtra and the Greenfingers Team are also looking for great new Christmas fundraiing ideas for Greenfingers, so get your creative thinking caps on, let us know what ideas you've come up with and you never know, you may be inline for a special award at The Greatest Awards Christmas Party in January.
So, what are you waitiing for? All you have to do is download the voting posters and voting postcard artworks from GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards Dropbox 2016 folder or these links:
GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2016 Voting Postcards.pdf
GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2016 Poster A1.pdf
GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2016 Poster A3.pdf
GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2016 Poster A4.pdf
GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2016 Post Your Votes Here Artwork.pdf
Print them out and get your customers voting. They can post them to our Greatest Christmas Awards office or you can create "Post your Votes" here boxes for votes to be posted in store. You can also ask your customers to vote for you on line this year, just paste this link: http://tgcmc.newsweaver.co.uk/GTN/s9lzjxs25b7 into your social media pages, e-mail newsletters and websites. The link will take them straight to our voting form. Last year we recieved a record number of on-line votes and we expect the number to grow even further this year. The closing date for votes, both on-line and posted in-store is 4:30pm on Thursday 22nd December. If you collect votes in-store, please send them through to us on a regular basis to help with the counting and then make sure you send your final batch of votes off directly after Christmas. The Greatest Christmas Awards are presented in Harrogate on January 8th 2017 so the cut off for final votes to be received and counted in our office is Monday 4th January 2016. Remember to look through all your votes before you post them to us - your staff will love to know all the wonderful things your customers say about you as they vote for The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team. When all the votes are counted, size of centre and number of staff are taken into account, so there are as many chances of small and medium sized centres winning this ultimate Christmas accolade as that of a big centre. If you have any problems downloading any of the files please e-mail thegreatestawards@tgcmc.co.uk and we’ll send you them by e-mail straight away.
Good luck!
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This year you can ask your customers to vote for you on-line in The Greatest Christmas Awards.
All you need to do is copy and paste this voting link into your website or your social media posts: http://tgcmc.newsweaver.co.uk/GTN/s9lzjxs25b7
You can add The Greatest Christmas Awards logo too:
GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards logo
The closing date for on-line votes is 4:00pm on Thursday 22nd December 2016.
Please note: To avoid unscrupulous multiple votes the system will only accept one vote per IP address, so please do not use on-line voting in store, the postcards are better for in-store voting.
We'd love to know how you use your social media, e-mails and website to drive your customer voting. Please send us links to your activity and we will report on them in GTN Xtra: trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
When all the votes are counted, size of centre and number of staff are taken into account, so there is as much chance of small and medium sized centres winning these ultimate Christmas accolades as that of a big centre. If you have any problems downloading any of the files please e-mail thegreatestawards@tgcmc.co.uk and we’ll send you them by e-mail straight away.
Good luck!
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The Company:Apta is the leading supplier of quality flower pots and accessories to the UK garden trade, under its own brand and iconic UK brands, The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Laura Ashley. The company has achieved very considerable growth and now wishes to strengthen its merchandising team with the recruitment of additional Product Merchandisers. The role will appeal to motivated and ambitious individuals. Job title: Product Merchandisers (Full-Time). See Territories below. Area 1: Gloucestershire and surrounding areas Area 2: Southwest and surrounding areas Salary: £22,000+ after training with immediate start. Generous bonus scheme & company vehicle. Progression: Apta has a track-record of promoting its staff.
The Role of Product Merchandiser: - Building upon strong partnerships with existing customers
- Working with the sales team and head office to ensure that customer experience is always exceptional.
- Planning and working to an effective journey plan, maximising customer contact.
The person for this Product Merchandiser opportunity:
We are looking for committed, fit and motivated individuals to join our excellent merchandising team. The main duties involve setting up display benches and displaying our products within garden centres. Area 1
Mainly covering Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Wales and surrounding areas. The ideal applicant will live central to these areas ideally in Gloucestershire. Other locations within reasonable proximity will be considered.
Area 2
Mainly covering the Southwest and surrounding areas. The ideal applicant will live central to these areas ideally in the Exeter area. Other locations within reasonable proximity will be considered.
This is an outdoor job involving heavy lifting and only applicants whom are fit, healthy and willing to work extended hours during our main season should apply. A company vehicle is provided for all work duties along with a fuel card and mobile phone. A full clean driving licence is required and applicants need to be 23 + years of age. Applications should be sent by email with your CV and covering letter to Brian Cobb, Merchandising Manager, brian.cobb@apta.co.uk or telephone 07968 153418 for any other details.
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Assistant Quality Controller (ref:DS8844)
Location: Northamptonshire
Salary: £18,000 - £20,000
Date: 23 Nov
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent
This major garden centre group are looking for an Assistant Quality Controller to join their QC team at their Northamptonshire based distribution hub. The QC department known for supporting a quality assurance approach for all horticultural plants so that their Garden Centres provide the healthiest and most vibrant range within the market place inspiring customers to buy thereby maximising the commercial contribution.
The Role
Responsibilities will be:
- Plant specification - Prepares and agrees specification documentation for horticultural plants in collaboration with the Horticulture QA Controller, suppliers and buyers so as to set the required standards.
- Quality checks - Undertakes spot checks across the full horticultural plant so as to make sure that quality standards are being maintained with the plant health and labelling and to identify and resolve quickly any errors.
- Plant health management - Develops and maintains effective working relationships with the local governmental offices so as to anticipate and mitigate any plant health issues for the Garden Centre's plant stock.
- Stakeholder management - Engages and develops effective working relationships with key stakeholders across the business so as to ensure the quality assurance approach and specifications are clearly understood and implemented into our standards of practice.
The Candidate
For this role they are looking for someone who is passionate about plants and is enthusiastic in providing healthy and vibrant plants for customers. Shows initiative, with a flexible and enthusiastic approach.
The ideal candidate will be:
- Be inspiring
- Be helpful
- Take ownership
- Be passionate
- Qualifications within horticulture
To apply for this role click here
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Grower, Nursery Operative (ref:DS8831)
Location: Hertfordshire
Salary: £14,400 - £16,600
Date: 16 Nov
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent
This leading wholesale nursery producer and cash and carry is looking to recruit entry level Operatives to their existing team. This is a great opportunity to learn and develop your career in the commercial horticulture sector.
The Role
The role will be to assist with all aspects of nursery production, plant stock care and maintenance enabling Company objectives to be met. Communicate effectively with the team to ensure efficient completion of the work. Be able to competently follow instructions and work to the appropriate standards/procedures for each task. All operatives will be expected to work in each department, i.e. Dispatch, Production and Sales as required. Training will be provided for new tasks. When staff are working in another department they will still report to their original line manager for absence reporting/holiday requests etc.
Job Responsibilities:
Customer Orders - Maintaining collated orders pending collection or dispatch.
- Order picking with reference to specific customer requirements.
- Packing and loading of plants prior to collector, or dispatch with attention to preserving the quality of the order.
- Updating computer records to reflect the state of orders due for collection or dispatch.
- Communicate with the Sales team regarding shortfalls or quality issues with their orders.
Production
- Work efficiently as part of the Production team to ensure all stock is grown and nurtured to the highest possible standards. Assist in the following areas of work:
- The preparation of bare root, liner and plug material ready for potting, and in the potting and setting down process.
- Plant maintenance tasks as instructed.
- The movement and selection of stock, as directed.
Sales/Cash and Carry
- Ensure plants are located and presented correctly to maximise sales opportunities, as directed.
The Candidate
The ideal candidate will have training within horticulture and be looking to advance their career. Should also be reliable, willing, have a good attitude and work ethic and able to follow written and verbal instructions. Able to work within a team. Able to read and write in English to a good standard. Holder of a driving licence.
To apply for this role click here
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Garden Centre Sundries Shop Manager (ref:DS8813)
Location: Kent
Salary: £35,000 - £38,000
Date: 11 Nov
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent
This top Kent garden centre was started in 1913 by the grandfather of the current owner from the humble beginnings of a market garden. Fast forward to today, the current 14 acre Garden Centre site was purchased in 1990 and comprises of their own production nursery, retail plant and shop area as well as Coffee Shop including the display gardens. The Garden Centre takes approx. £6 million pa and the plan is to increase the shop's square footage by 25% over winter 2016 with a new entrance, to showcase their products and services.
As part of the strategy to increase sales, customer service and team morale, our client wants to recruit a Shop Manager who will be accountable for driving sales from a current base of c£1.5milion pa. The shop's core product range is horticultural (including compost, aggregates, fencing amongst others), house plants and gift ware. They have a succession plan in place and there is an opportunity for the successful candidate to progress their career. The successful candidate will appreciate the huge seasonality of the business and the extra hours that may be required in the spring months to ensure success in the crucial trading period.
They are looking to recruit a Manager from either a garden centre or high-street retailer who is entrepreneurial and represents a great leader of people with strong team motivation skills and customer service focus.
Our client is looking for a candidate who isn't just focussed on KPIs and figures but has a hands-on approach on the sales floor. There is an opportunity to get involved in buying product and negotiating deals with suppliers alongside being creative with displays and marketing. An interest in gardening is essential as they want someone who has passion and drive and can convey this to staff and customers.
The role requires the candidate to have hands on approach and work alternate weekends as a 10 day fortnight (although in Spring more hours are expected).
The role is paying up to £35-38,000 + performance related bonus (agreed KPIs in year 2).
To apply for this role click here
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Plantarea Supervisor Manager (ref:DS8811)
Location: Berkshire
Salary: Excellent
Date: 08 Nov
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent
Our client is a wonderful independent garden centre and nursery set within the grounds of a rural estate. This lovely centre has a large plantarea and café, along with a garden shop that offers customers a range of quality gifts and garden sundries. They are currently looking for a superb plants person to assist their Nursery Manager in running the Plant Centre. They are open minded and will look at Supervisory to Management level candidates for the role.
The Role
- Will be to manage the plant centre on a day to day basis - ensuring plant stock is in tip top condition and merchandised to a high standard.
- Buying of additional stock needed for the centre - liaising with suppliers on delivery etc.
- Supervising staff and holding key holder responsibilities when senior managers are unavailable.
The Candidate
For this role candidates must have:
- A proven track-record in the industry along with good management and supervisory skills.
- Excellent plant knowledge and a good background in horticultural retailing is a must for this role as they offer over 3 acres of quality plants from their own nursery as well as choice plants sourced from a variety of other suppliers.
Salary will be competitive and depend on experience and what you can bring to the role.
To apply for this role click here
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with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox. The best news service every weekend and all the breaking news as it happens.
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Lights, houseplant feeders and gardening gifts are really providing a boost to Garden Product sales as Christmas gets closer.
This week there are six lighting lines in the Top 10 GTN Bestsellers garden products, and several lines of gardening gloves and tools re-enter the chart as customers look for gift ideas.
The main highlights this week were:
- Kaemingk LED Black Antique Lantern 40cm was the highest new entry at No 2.
- Another new entry was Smart Garden Inside Out 20-inch Ripley Wall Clock at No 26.
- Apta Pot Standard 11cm was the highest re-entry at No 13.
- Gardman Leaf Rake was the highest climber, jumping 34 places to No 14.
- Fito Drip Feeder For Orchids 32ml retained the top spot.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
Santa and snow drive Christmas sales
Santa and snow are driving sales of Bestselling Christmas lines this year. Illuminated Santas and snowman figures are selling well as the season for grotto visits gets underway...
Santa and snow are driving sales of Bestselling Christmas lines this year. Illuminated Santas and snowman figures are selling well as the season for grotto visits gets underway. Have you got some great snow related displays?
Here are the highlights:
- Snowtime Mini Acetate Santa 17cm was the highest new entry at No 2.
- Kaemingk LED Tealights White pack of 6 was the highest re-entry at No 15.
- Vivid Arts Hanging Robin Mini Snowball was the highest climber.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
Compost sales 14% higher than last year
That is some result for growing media sales mid-November and just indicates how important it is to keep that area well merchandised even while eyes are dragged off to keep Christmas sales rolling on...
14% more sales than last year. That is some result for growing media sales mid-November and just indicates how important it is to keep that area well merchandised even while eyes are dragged off to keep Christmas sales rolling on.
The main highlights were:
- Scotts Levington Organic Blend Topsoil (25litres) was the highest climber, jumping 26 places to No 2.
- Bord na Mona Growise Organic Garden Compost (50 litres) was the highest re-entry at No 18.
- Arthur Bowers New Horizon Multipurpose (10 litres) was the highest new entry at No 28.
- Scotts Levington Multipurpose + John Innes (56 litres) retained the top spot.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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Increased sales of Cyclamen, Pansies and Poinsettia kept plant sales almost static week on week with notable sales of hedging plants – Taxus, Buxus and Fagus providing welcome sales increases albeit in the bottom half of our weekly plant sales chart.
- Yew hedging, Taxus, saw the biggest week on week increase to re-enter at No 20.
- Buxus plant sales increased by over 800% to re-enter at No 28.
- Beech, Fagus, plants are new in the GTN Bestsellers chart at No 47.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
HTA Contact Conference on ‘Surviving and Thriving’
‘Surviving and thriving’ is the theme for the biennial HTA Contact Conference 2017. The event, which takes place on January 17-18, will feature presentations by Chief Plant Health Officer Professor Nicola Spence...
‘Surviving and thriving’ is the theme for the biennial HTA Contact Conference 2017, which takes place on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 January at Whittlebury Hall, Northamptonshire.
Growers and nurserymen from across the horticulture industry are invited to attend the two-day conference which will focus on tackling and surviving the challenges of Brexit and focus on topics such as innovation, production and biosecurity, recruiting and retaining labour, as well as water and chemical regulations post Brexit.
The conference will feature presentations by Chief Plant Health Officer Professor Nicola Spence who will talk about the latest on threats such as Xylella fastidiosa and what could change with our plant health regulations following Brexit.
Industry Policy Adviser David Brown will reveal the findings of the Grown in Britain project – what the opportunities are and how we overcome the barriers to import substitution for oak.
NFU horticultural adviser Amy Gray will set out the latest situation and government assurances for migrant labour in production horticulture whilst Dove Associates’ John Adlam will update on the latest Water Abstraction Reform situation.
A session focussing on industry innovation and future markets will include Bruce Harnett, from Kernock Park Plants, on the advanced technologies that could transform horticulture and Professor James Hitchmough, Head of Landscape at Sheffield University, will highlight potential new markets for plants through exploiting their functionality as well as enjoying their good looks.
Both days of the HTA Contact Conference 2017 promise to provide plenty of inspiration and ideas to take home and is an invaluable and unmissable event for anyone in the hardy stock sector.
In addition to the HTA Contact Conference, the APL Stone Seminar will take place on Tuesday 17 January and the BPOA Spring Conference will take place on Wednesday 18 January, both also at Whittlebury Hall. The shared lunches and breaks will offer unrivalled networking opportunities across sectors of the industry which do not often come into contact with each other
Delegates at each event are also welcome to attend the joint dinner, which takes place at Whittlebury Hall on the evening of Tuesday 17 January. The dinner will also include an engaging after-dinner talk from Adam Frost.
To book your place or for more information on the event email events@hta.org.uk
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 Baby Bio is advising garden centre retailers to capitalise on the rush to buy poinsettia by showing consumers the benefits of feeding their plants with a few drops of Baby Bio.
“Most people buy poinsettia at Christmas but few take good care of them, which presents a real sales opportunity to garden centre retailers,” explained Christina Bouzala, Group Brand Manager of SBM Life Science Limited, owner of Baby Bio.
“A bottle of Baby Bio in the midst of the poinsettia display, along with some helpful information is all that’s required to persuade consumers to pick up a bottle at the same time as their plants.”
Baby Bio has produced a dedicated point of sale display and dispenser for Baby Bio Original and Baby Bio Original Drip Feeders, specifically designed to tempt consumers into making the complementary purchase.
The company is also publishing five top tips that will help consumers make sure their poinsettia flourish throughout Christmas and beyond.
- Place in a nice light spot but not direct sunlight.
- Keep them away from drafts and avoid anywhere too cold.
- Water sparingly; over-watering could harm the plant.
- Feed monthly by putting a few drops of Baby Bio in the watering can.
- Mist the plants regularly if you want to prolong the flowering period.
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with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox. The best news service every weekend and all the breaking news as it happens.
Subscribe for free using this link: http://tgcmc.newsweaver.co.uk/gtnxtra/7rulj2yio7x?a=6&p=49514304&t=20355005
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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 printed newsletter.
As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2014 as well as 2015 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period. Access is by subscription only. For £195.00 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 Christmas Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here
Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers 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.
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Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters delivered via the post for only £195.00.
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 receiveing the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.
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All the latest news from the world of garden centre catering
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 Leading specialist coffee roaster, Matthew Algie, is looking to bring festive cheer to its customers with a special Christmas edition of its Espresso Warehouse catalogue.
Espresso Warehouse supplies ‘everything but the coffee’ to operators and distributors across Europe. From seasonal recipes to stocking fillers, this Christmas edition has everything operators need to entice customers and increase sales over the festive period.
This includes three indulgent winter warmer recipes – Cinnamon Crunch Latte, Gingerbread Latte and Cherry Hot Chocolate – along with the ingredients needed to make them. Each recipe has been created to drive trip spend – aided by eye catching point of sale.
The Matthew Algie elves haven’t forgotten tea lovers either, thanks to Suki Tea’s seasonal flavours. From the mulled wine headiness of Spiced Citrus to the chocolate and truffle depths of Dark Cocoa, Espresso Warehouse has handpicked flavours which will brighten up even the coldest winter day.
And it isn’t just drinks on show – what better way to boost trip spend than with seasonal impulse snacks? Matthew Algie’s eye-catching Gingerbread Reindeer stand out at the point of sale, whilst the brand new Mighty Fine Salted Caramel Honeycomb Bar offers a sophisticated and scrumptious treat in irresistible packaging.
Espresso Warehouse’s Christmas edition also showcases a selection of gift ideas for coffee lovers which will help increase trip spend in the run up to Christmas. Including the AeroPress Coffee Brewer, Hario V60 gift set and Chemex 3-cup Coffee Brewer, all are ideal presents for the discerning coffee drinker, allowing them to create the perfect cup in their own home.
Andrew Jack, Head of Marketing at Matthew Algie, commented: “Winter is a key selling period for the hot drinks market and Christmas in particular sees more consumers looking to treat themselves to unique and unusual products. With our Espresso Warehouse Christmas edition, we want to help our customers get in the festive spirit with an exciting range of drink recipes, treats and gift suggestions that will ensure they have an offering Santa would be proud of.”
For a copy of the Espresso Warehouse Christmas edition, visit www.espressowarehouse.com, contact Espresso Warehouse on +44 (0)141 420 2422, or email orders@espressowarehouse.com
For more information go to www.matthewalgie.com
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Leading casual dining operators – including TGI Friday’s, Mitchells & Butler, Casual Dining Group, Bill’s, Wahaca, and Côte Restaurants – are preparing to host Keynotes at Casual Dining 2017.
Returning to the Business Design Centre in London next year, on 22-23 February, the multi-award winning event for the casual dining sector (including multiple and independent pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, and contract caterers) has lined-up exclusive, free Keynotes and interviews with some of the biggest names in the business.
Among them are Martin Robinson, non-executive chairman of CDG, Karen Forrester, CEO of TGI Friday’s, Mark Fox, CEO of Bill’s Restaurants, Jo Fleet, MD of Wahaca, and Andrew Gallagher, group marketing director at Côte Restaurants. Plus Bob Ivell, non-executive chairman of Mitchells & Butler, and Neil Rankin, executive chef at Noble Inns (and owner of Temper) in conversation with Paul Charity, MD of Propel, and Peter Martin, VP of CGA Peach respectively.
“Casual Dining is an amazing event for industry people to come together to learn and share ideas,” says Jo Fleet.
“Attending Casual Dining is a fantastic way to keep up with emerging trends and explore new product innovations and ideas that could shape the industry’s future. I’m really looking forward to it,” says Andrew Gallagher.
James Douglas, co-founder of Red’s True Barbecue, will also be making his Casual Dining speaker debut. For him, as for thousands of fellow operators, Casual Dining is “the one event we just don't miss”.
“Casual Dining offers a fantastic few days to rub shoulders with the best in the industry, swap stories and ideas on what’s hot and what’s not, as well as gleaning some real-time insight from those who share the same daily issues as yourself,” he explains.
Shaping the future of casual dining
“It’s very important to bring all the key players, operators and suppliers together to spark innovation and to collectively address some of the macro changes that will mould the way consumers eat,” says Bill’s CEO Mark Fox. He’ll be sharing insights into the challenges of business growth in his opening day session: ‘Studying your past to better shape your future’.
“In a time of unprecedented political and economic uncertainty, Casual Dining gives us an opportunity to figure things out with our fellow professionals and to focus our minds on what’s important in our world.
“In my Keynote session, I intend to highlight how many of the changes that we are seeing in the casual dining sector are not really new – they just haven’t happened for a while. And that, by looking backwards into the history of your business, you can find answers to many of the questions that the current trading environment presents.
“I will seek to demonstrate that, whilst customer habits are changing, they have, in many ways, not changed at all. As operators, we have to ask ourselves how we have changed over the past ten years and whether it’s time to undo some of those changes,” he says.
As in previous years, market updates and insights will be provided by Peter Backman, managing director of Horizons, Simon Stenning, executive director of MCA, and Kate Nicholls, CEO of The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR).
The implications of Brexit, and its effect on food inflation, consumer confidence and the economy, is just one of the hot topics Nicholls is set to address in her opening day session. She’ll also be giving a comprehensive overview on the new regulatory costs of the national living wage (NLW), Apprenticeship Levy and Business Rates coming into force in April 2017.
Visitor registration now open
Casual Dining 2016 attracted over 4,400 attendees (up 22% on 2015), and was called an “essential forum for sharing new ideas, innovations and insights” by Carluccio’s co-founder Simon Kossoff.
“Casual Dining is a great opportunity to see what's new and innovative, in what is a very competitive market,” says Simon Xavier, executive chef leisure division at The Restaurant Group.
Thanks to glowing testimonials, like these, from across the sector, significant year-on-year growth in attendance, and another 20% increase in floor space (to expand the show into a new area on its Upper Feature Level), Casual Dining 2017 will be its biggest edition yet.
Over 200 leading industry suppliers – showcasing an innovative choice of food and drink, equipment, table top, POS technology and services – are preparing to exhibit.
“Everything that casual dining operators need to run their businesses successfully – from the food and drink they serve to how it’s paid for, the kitchen equipment to the front of house – it’s all here,” explains Chris Brazier, the show’s group event director.
“Casual Dining showcases the best choice of the latest innovations completely dedicated to the casual dining pub and restaurant sector, which is why so many buyers recommend it and, after only three years, call it their favourite show of the year,” he says.
Casual Dining will return to the Business Design Centre, in Islington, London, on 22-23 February 2017. For more information and to register for a free trade ticket, visit www.casualdiningshow.co.uk and use priority code CD30 (direct link: https://registration.n200.com/survey/24y1mqra1qoez?actioncode=CD30).
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