In This Issue
Overtime/Undertime — How to Control It
Monty Miracle celebrates record growth with new listings, accolades and products
April ‘resounding success’ for GCA garden centres
Durstons holds prices and keeps compost moving
RHS Chelsea Flower Show sells out ahead of opening
HTA member businesses at the heart of Chelsea
GCA announces 2026 summer regional award meetings
Warm April offset cautious shoppers in garden centres
GIMA Awards 2026 judges confirmed
Greenfingers Charity to relocate RHS Malvern People’s Choice winner ‘Lifted by Birds’
Zest MD completes Boston marathon for charity
HTA & BOA announce new grant scheme to benefit UK environmental horticulture production
Leaders of influence interviews in the latest issue of GTN magazine, read on-line here
Get your copy of GTN Xtra
Dobbies supports 53 community garden projects
New £3 million centre to help grow healthy gardens
Garden retail sector urged to don floral finery in support of Greenfingers Kilimanjaro trekkers
Napoleon launches the OASIS 106 Outdoor Kitchen
Charitable garden centre Chestnut Nursery wins two awards at celebration of business excellence
Henton & Chattell marks start of 95th anniversary celebrations with momentous expansions for Cobra
Hillier signs as founding retail partner of Spacelift
elho secures second major international design award
Wyevale Nurseries appoints new Finance Director
Sales Manager marks quarter-century at Bulrus
Explore new collections and innovations at Kettler’s June Trade Show
HTA response to the King’s Speech 2026
Are cities measuring the real value of plants?
Research reveals home and garden brands win on feeling, not just features
Record visitor numbers at BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair
EGO introduces cordless 3-in-1 inflator
World Therapeutic Horticulture Day celebrates the life-changing impact of gardening
The best of last week's
Blue Diamond profits up by 44% in 2025
DCUK awarded King’s Award for Enterprise
Scottish Air-Pot developer wins King’s Award
Klass Koncept unveiled at Gates Garden Centre
Sir David Attenborough at 100
Sustainable gifting in garden trade 
Alan Roper and David Domoney film next "Step by Step" episode on the Blue Diamond garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Caulders set to add Merryhatton Garden Centre as their 11th centre
Step outside for Loving Outdoor Living at SOLEX
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Blue Diamond profits up by 44% in 2025

Blue Diamond have announced pre tax profits of £31.4m for 2025, up 44% year on year, on sales of £395m.

 

The group added 6 centres during the year and Chairman Simon Burkes reports that they ended the year with their lowest debt ratio since 2021.

 

He goes on to say: “Like for like (LFL) sales were +6.1%, with +6.3% in Garden Centres and 5.8% in Restaurants. Total sales were up by almost 19%. This is again an outperformance of the market in terms of LFL sales, albeit by a small margin this year. Performance was strong across almost all departments, with the Garden Leisure category, which includes furniture and barbeques, achieving a remarkable 20% LFL growth.”

 

Managing Director Alan Roper explains: “Profit increased by 44% (£9.6m) to £31.4m, while EBITDA rose from £34.7m to £46.9m, underlining the inherent strength of the business and the effectiveness of disciplined commercial management.

 

“This outcome was achieved despite a £3m adverse impact on profit resulting from above inflation increases in the National Living Wage of 6.7% and higher employers’ National Insurance contributions introduced in April. Through focused management action, this impact was fully absorbed within the year.

 

“During 2026, the focus will be on staff efficiency benchmarking against internal best in class performance, with the expectation that this will deliver further profit optimisation without compromising service quality.

 

“Our priority is to continue enhancing profit through profit gap reduction and overhead optimisation. Lowering energy expenses remains an ongoing objective, achieved through the adoption of advanced energy saving technologies.

 

“As we move into 2026, our strategic priorities are clear and focused on strengthening profit resilience within a structurally more expensive operating environment.”

 

Simon Burke concludes his Chairman's report: “I want to thank our colleagues, now numbering more than 5,000, who work in all weathers to deliver these results for us all. At our annual awards event in March, we had over 800 people attending. What was striking is that despite the significant increase in the size of the business, there is still the same great sense of enterprise, energy and esprit de corps amongst the whole group, which bodes well for our future.”

 

You can read the full 2025 report and accounts at: https://www.bluediamond.gg/investor-relations/financial-reports



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