We are proud to be celebrating another outstanding achievement after being named Best Garden Centre in the Midlands, Wales & the West at the Garden Centre Association (GCA) Area Awards, held on Wednesday 16th July.
Not only this, but we also enjoyed success across a wide range of individual categories, demonstrating excellence throughout the business. The centre was awarded first place for Customer Service, Plant Area, Garden Products, Indoor Living, Clothing, Barton Grange Trophy for Innovation, and achieved Joint First in Pots & Ornaments.
Further accolades included Second Place for Indoor Plants, Pets & Aquatics, Food Hall, and Joint Second for Catering, alongside Third Place in Environmental & Sustainability.
Adding to the celebrations, we have also progressed to the prestigious Ruxley Rose Plant Area Competition, recognising some of the finest plant areas in the UK.
These awards reflect the dedication, passion and expertise of the entire team, who work hard every day to create an inspiring shopping experience for customers across the garden centre, farm shop, restaurant and pet department.
During the awards, GCA Chief Executive Peter Burks praised the region for its "dedication, innovation and high standards" and thanked members for the "excellent work" being carried out across the Midlands, Wales & the West.
Inspector Alyson Haywood, who visited member garden centres during unannounced inspections over a 12-week period, highlighted the region's "warm, knowledgeable and friendly customer service" and commended centres for their welcoming atmosphere, strong plant quality and attractive displays.
Katie Eckley, Operations Director, said:
"We are absolutely delighted to have been named Best Garden Centre in the Midlands, Wales & the West. To receive recognition across so many different areas of the business is a real testament to the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm of our entire team.
We'd also like to say a huge thank you to our wonderful customers for their continued support. Their loyalty means everything to us, and we're proud to share this achievement with them."
The Garden Centre Association's annual inspections are among the most respected in the industry, assessing centres against a wide range of criteria including retail standards, customer service, plant quality, catering, environmental practices and innovation.
The Old Railway Line will now go on to represent the region in the national GCA awards later this year, while also competing in the prestigious Ruxley Rose Plant Area Competition. Wish us luck!