GCA’s 2024 South East Region Award Winners Revealed

Teams at garden centres across the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) South East area are celebrating after scooping awards during a presentation evening yesterday at Haskins Garden Centre Snowhill (Thursday, July 11, 2024).

Garden Centre of the Year in the Destination Garden Centre (DGC) category was Ruxley Manor, the Garden Centre (GC) category award went to Ransoms Garden Centre and Local Garden Centre (LGC) to Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst.

Image : The team from Ruxley Manor Garden Centre celebrating their awards on the night, which included Garden Centre of the Year (DGC), with GCA CEO Peter Burks (far left), GCA Inspector, Alyson Haywood (second left).

GCA CEO, Peter Burks said: “Our South East area awards meeting was a great success and I’d like to thank everyone who came out for the evening. It was fantastic to see 118 attendees all actively engaged in the presentations and taking down lots of notes to share with the rest of their teams afterwards. 

“I’d like to congratulate all our very worthy winners and say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone at Haskins Snowhill for being such wonderful hosts and to our Inspector Alyson Haywood for visiting the centres and presenting her inspection findings in such an engaging way.”

Alyson made unannounced visits to 59 member garden centres in the South East area across a 12-week period. 

She said: “It was a pleasure to judge the South East region for the GCA inspections. After the great turnout at our pre-inspection meeting, I was excited to visit all the member centres.

“Although the ‘normal’ weather for the season did not make much of an appearance whilst I was on my travels in the South East, or indeed anywhere else in the country at the time, I’m pleased to say the staff at each garden centre were all very upbeat.

“The centres were looking good with some great examples of creativity and innovation and some super plant ranges too. I thoroughly enjoyed all my visits this year.”

Image : The team from Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst, which was named Local Garden Centre of the Year (LGC), and won several other awards too, along with its sister garden centre at Gravesend, with GCA CEO Peter Burks (back left) and GCA Inspector, Alyson Haywood (third from left front).

The full results, including runners up, where relevant, for the South East region GCA area awards are as follows for the DGC, GC and LGC categories:

Garden Centre of the Year:

DCG 

1. Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
2. Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill
3. Garsons Garden Centre,Titchfield

GC

1. Ransoms Garden Centre
2. Squires Garden Centre, Hersham
3. Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend

LGC

1. Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst
2. Coolings Wych Cross
3. Squires Garden Centre, Reigate 

The Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Innovation and Creativity:

1. Ransoms Garden Centre
2. Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
3. Squires Garden Centre, Woking

The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre:

• Squires Garden Centre, Hersham 

Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service:

1. Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst
2. Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
3. Squires Garden Centre, Milford 

The Paul Cooling Award for Environment and Sustainability:

1. Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
2. Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend
3. Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer:

DGC

1. Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill
2. Haskins Garden Centre, Ferndown
3. Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC 

1. Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend
2. Hillier Garden Centre, Newbury
3. Squires Garden Centre, Hersham

LGC 

1. Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst
2. Squires Garden Centre, Reigate
3. Coolings Wych Cross

The Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant:

DGC 

1. Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
2. Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill
3. Chessington Garden Centre

GC 

1. Ransoms Garden Centre
2. Hillier Garden Centre, Three Legged Cross
3. Hillier Garden Centre, Aldermaston

LGC 

1. Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth
2. Squires Garden Centre, Crawley
3. Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst

Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer:

DGC 

1. Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
2. Garsons Garden Centre, Esher
3. Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC 

1. Ransoms Garden Centre
2. Squires Garden Centre, Hersham
3. Hillier Garden Centre, Newbury

LGC 

1. Squires Garden Centre, Reigate
2. Squires Garden Centre, Crawley
3. Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst

Indoor Lifestyle Award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer:

DGC 

1. Garsons Garden Centre, Esher
2. Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
3. RHS Wisley

GC 

1. Squires Garden Centre, Woking
2. Squires Garden Centre, Wokingham
3. Ransoms Garden Centre

LGC

1. Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth
2. Squires Garden Centre, Reigate
3. Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst

Ian Boardman Award for Best Indoor Plants Retailer

DGC 

• Squires Garden Centre, Badshot Lea/Haskins Garden Centre Snowhill – JOINT WINNERS
• RHS Wisley/Newbridge Nurseries – JOINT WINNERS
• Ruxley Manor Garden Centre/ Stewarts Garden Centre, Christchurch – JOINT WINNERS

GC 

• Ransoms Garden Centre
• Coolings Nurseries 
• Squires Garden Centre, Hersham/Hilliers Garden Centre, Newbury – JOINT WINNERS

LGC

• Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth
• Coolings Garden Centre (Lifestyle)
• Squires Garden Centre, Reigate/Coolings Wych Cross/ Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst – JOINT WINNERS

Plantaria (Ruxley Rose):

DGC 

1. RHS Wisley
2. Newbridge Garden Centre – Blue Diamond
3. Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill

GC

1. Squires Garden Centre, Hersham
2. Squires Garden Centre, Woking
3. Coolings Nurseries

LGC 

1. Thompson’s Welling and Thompson’s Newchurch – JOINT WINNERS
2. Coolings Wych Cross
3. Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth

Food Hall/Farm Shop Award

DGC 

• Garsons Garden Centre, Esher
• Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
• Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC 

• Hillier Garden Centre, Aldermaston, Hillier Garden Centre, Newbury/Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend – JOINT WINNERS
• Squires Garden Centre, Frensham  
• Blackbrooks Garden Centre/Hillier Garden Centre, Weyhill – JOINT WINNERS

LGC

• Coolings Garden Centre (Lifestyle) – only centre in this category.

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.

Source :  Garden Centre Association

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