The Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) North region members met mid-July at Moss & Moor in Ilkley, Yorkshire, for its Area Award presentations.
Destination Garden Centre of the Year, (DGC) was presented to Barton Grange, the Garden Centre (GC) award went to Fron Goch Garden Centre and Local Garden Centre (LGC) to Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield.
Peter Burks, GCA CEO said: “Our North Area Awards meeting was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event. It was brilliant to see so many members and their teams listening so keenly to what our inspector, Alyson Haywood, had to say and taking on board her feedback.
Warm welcome
“Well done to all those centres who won awards too. We’re indebted to the team at Moss & Moor for hosting us so brilliantly and providing such a warm welcome and to Alyson for visiting the centres and presenting her findings in such an engaging way too. It was great to see lots of notes being taken.”
Alyson made unannounced visits to member garden centres in the North area across a 12-week period.
She said: “It’s wonderful to see how well GCA member garden centres in this region have performed this year. Each centre should be very proud of its achievements. It’s also lovely to see members embracing the inspection process and using the feedback they receive in a positive way to drive their businesses even further forward.”
Below are the full results, including runners-up, where relevant, for the North region GCA area awards for the DGC, GC and LGC categories:
Garden Centre of the Year:
DCG
1. Barton Grange Garden Centre
2. Bents Garden and Home
3. Gordale Garden Centre
GC
1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Cowell’s Garden Centre
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Polmont
4.
LGC
1. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Daleside
The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre:
1. RHS Harlow Carr
2. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
The Paul Cooling Award for Environment and Sustainability:
1. Bents Garden and Home
2. Barton Grange Garden Centre
3. Fron Goch Garden Centre
Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service:
1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Barton Grange Garden Centre
3. Moss & Moor
Plantaria (Ruxley Rose):
DGC
1. Barton Grange Garden Centre
2. Bents Garden and Home
3. Gordale Garden Centre
GC
1. Cowell’s Garden Centre
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Polmont
3. Simpsons Garden Centre, Inveness
LGC
1. British Garden Centres, Harrogate
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Burnside
The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer:
DGC
1. Barton Grange Garden Centre
2. Gordale Garden Centre
3. Bents Garden and Home
GC
1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stokesley
2. Cowell’s Garden Centre
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Polmont
LGC
1. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Daleside
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
The Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant:
DGC
1. Bents Garden and Home
2. Gordale Garden Centre
3. Barton Grange Garden Centre
GC
1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Astbury
2. Klondyke Garden Centre,Wilmslow
3. Yorkshire Garden Centres, Tingley and Fron Goch Garden Centre
LGC
1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens, Klondyke Garden Centre, Holland Arms, Anglesey, Klondyke Garden Centre, Daleside and Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
Indoor Lifestyle Award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer:
DGC
1. Barton Grange Garden Centre
2. Bents Garden and Home
3. Hayes Garden Centre
GC
1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Polmont
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, High Legh
LGC
1. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
2. RHS Harlow Carr
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer:
DGC
1. Bents Garden and Home
2. Barton Grange Garden Centre
3. Hayes Garden Centre
GC
1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Houghton Hall, Klondyke Garden Centre, High Legh, and Klondyke Garden Centre, Polmont
3. Moss & Moor and Notcutts Woodford Park Garden Centre
LGC
1. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Daleside
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Burnside
Food Hall/Farm Shop Award
DGC
1. Barton Grange Garden Centre
2. Bents Garden and Home
3. Tong Garden Centre
GC
1. Bellis Brothers Farm Shop & Garden Centre
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Polmont
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Houghton Hall and Notcutts Rivendell
LGC
1. Dunbar Garden Centre
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Beverley
(Only two centres in this category)
The Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Innovation and Creativity:
1. Bents Garden and Home
2. Barton Grange Garden Centre
3. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
Ian Boardman Award for Best Indoor Plants Retailer
DGC
1. Bents Garden and Home
2. Barton Grange Garden Centre
3. Hayes Garden centre
GC
1. Cowell’s Garden Centre
2. Simpsons Garden Centre, Inverness
3. Fron Goch Garden Centre
LGC
1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Daleside
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Weaver Vale
3. RHS Harlow Carr
www.gca.org.uk
Pictured left to right: GCA CEO Peter Burks, GCA inspector Alyson Haywood with the Barton Grange team, GCA North Area co-chairman Justin Williams from Fron Goch Garden Centre and GCA North Area co-chairman Dan Lawton, general manager at host garden centre Moss & Moor, celebrating Barton Grange’s awards, which included Garden Centre of the Year (DGC).
Pictured left to right: The Fron Goch Garden Centre team, named Garden Centre of the Year (GC), among other awards, with GCA North Area co-chairman Dan Lawton, general manager at host garden centre Moss & Moor.
Far left: GCA CEO Peter Burks (far left), GCA inspector Alyson Haywood (second right) and GCA North Area co-chairman and Fron Goch managing director Justin Williams (second right).