Great Britain
GCA awards top garden centres and Rising Star at 2024 conference
Garden centre teams from across the country are celebrating after receiving awards at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference in the Cotswolds yesterday (Monday, January 29, 2024). The awards were presented to the member garden centres during a ceremony at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel near Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
- Published on
GCA Chief Executive, Peter Burks said: “The commitment and hard work our member garden centres put in each year just gets better and better. Through our annual inspections and awards, we know our members have some of the highest standards in our industry.
“They should all be proud of the example they set to others. I’d like to congratulate all our worthy winners this year for their dedication to ensuring the public receives an experience to remember when visiting them. I would also like to thank all our award sponsors in each category for supporting us this year, to Hozelock our sponsors for today’s conference and to our headline sponsors Evergreen Garden Care and Westland Horticulture and secondary main sponsor Smart Garden Products too.”
The full list of winners announced on Monday, January 29 were:
GCA GROW Training Award
- GCA GROW Training Award – Bosworths Garden Centre, Burton Latimer
Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Garden Centre)
- Winner: Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Garden Centre) – Thompson Plants and Garden Welling
- Second & third place winners: British Garden Centres, Arcadia; Klondyke Beverley Garden Centre
Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Creativity and Innovation
- Winner: Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Creativity and Innovation – Bents Garden & Home
- Second & third place winners: Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
Customer Service Award – Best Customer Service – sponsored by Worldpay
- Winner: The Old Railway Line Garden Centre
- Second & third place winners: Aylett Nurseries, Klondyke Mortonhall Garden Centre
Paul Cooling Environment and Sustainability Award sponsored by Wildlife World
- Winner: Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend
- Second & third place winners: The Old Railway Line Garden Centre, Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer
- Winners:The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Bents Garden and Home;The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Klondyke Garden Wise, Dumfries
- Second & third place winners: Destination Garden Centre Category: Barton Grange Garden Centre, Stewarts Garden Centre, Christchurch; Garden Centre Category: Klondyke Astbury Meadow Garden Centre, Tarporley Garden Centre, British Garden Centres
The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer sponsored by Merzario
- Winners: The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree; The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury
- Second & third place winners: Destination Garden Centre Category: Gordale Garden Centre, Bents Garden and Home; Garden Centre Category: Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe and RHS Bridgewater; Creative Gardens, Logwood
The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer – sponsored by Woodlodge
- Winners: The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Garsons Garden Centre, Esher; The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Canterbury Garden Centre
- Second & third place winners: Destination Garden Centre Category: Bents Garden and Home, Ruxley Manor Garden Centre and Hayes Garden World; Garden Centre Category: Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne, Klondyke Garforth Garden Centre, Stanway Garden Centre, Ramsgate Garden Centre – British Garden Centres, Squires Garden Centre, Frensham, Squires Garden Centre, Woking, Squires Garden Centre, Washington
NEW for 2024 – Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup
- Winners: Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre; Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup (Garden Centre Category) – Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth and Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe
- Second & third place winners: Destination Garden Centre Category: Webbs of Wychbold and Ransoms Garden Centre; Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree and Hayes Garden Centre; Garden Centre Category: Klondyke Garden Wise, Dumfries; Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne
NEW for 2024 – Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award
- Winners: Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Bellis Brothers Farm Shop & Garden Centre; Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award (Garden Centre Category) – Squires Garden Centre, Frensham
- Second & third place winners: Destination Garden Centre Category: Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, Klondyke Mortonhall Garden Centre; Garden Centre Category: Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe, Klondyke Beverley Garden Centre
Catering Award sponsored by Clifton Coffee Roasters
- Winners: Catering Award (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, Catering Award (Garden Centre Category) – Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth
- Second & third place winners: Destination Garden Centre Category: Bents Garden and Home and Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill, Polhill Garden Centre, Henry Street Garden Centre and Stewarts Garden Centre, Christchurch; Garden Centre Category: Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe and Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne, Klondyke Mayfield Garden Centre
Ruxley Rose Award for Best Overall Plantaria sponsored by Wyevale Nurseries
- Winners: Ruxley Rose (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre, Ruxley Rose (Garden Centre Category) – Squires Garden Centre, Hersham
- Second & third place winners: Destination Garden Centre Category: Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree, Aylett Nurseries; Garden Centre Category: Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury, Squires Garden Centre, Woking
Christmas Competition sponsored by Gisela Graham
- Winners: Christmas Competition (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Garsons Garden Centre, Esher; Christmas Competition (Garden Centre Category) – Castle Gardens, part of The Gardens Group
- Second & third place winners: Destination Garden Centre Category: Barton Grange Garden Centre, Gates Garden Centre; Garden Centre Category: Brimsmore Gardens, part of the Gardens Group, Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe
Westland Horticulture sponsored Rising Stars winner
- Haydon Walters – Thatcham Garden Centre (British Garden Centres).
The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability. For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.
