THE GARDEN Centre Association (GCA) revealed its winners for Scotland and Northern Ireland at a presentation yesterday evening (Monday, September 22, 2014) at Garden Wise Plant & Garden Centre in Dumfries.
Garden Wise Plant & Garden Centre was named Best Garden Centre (GC) and Simpsons Garden Centre Best Destination Garden Centre (DGC) in Scotland. Creative Gardens Donaghadee scooped Best Garden Centre in Northern Ireland.
Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “We are delighted to have announced our winners for these two regions last night and would like to congratulate all our members who picked up awards. It is a reflection of all their hard work and dedication to excellence, and they should all be very proud of their achievements.
“In Scotland, the award for Best Customer Service went to Gouldings Garden Centre and in Northern Ireland to Creative Gardens Donaghadee. Best Garden Products Retailer in Scotland went to Garden Wise Plant & Garden Centre in the GC category and Simpsons Garden Centre in the DGC category. In Northern Ireland this title was awarded to Creative Gardens Donaghadee.
“The Best Environment and Community award went to Simpsons Garden Centre in Scotland and Creative Gardens Donaghadee in Northern Ireland.
“There were lots of other awards presented on the night by our inspector, Ian Boardman, who attended the ceremony, and it was an inspiring and motivational event for everyone involved.”
The full results for the Scotland and Northern Ireland GCA area awards are as follows for the GC and DGC categories:
Scotland
Best Garden Centre: Garden Wise Plant & Garden Centre (GC) and Simpsons Garden Centre (DGC)
Best Customer Service: Gouldings Garden Centre
Best Environment and Community: Simpsons Garden Centre
Best Creativity and Innovation: Simpsons Garden Centre
Most Improved: Brechin Castle Garden Centre Best Plant Area: Caulders Braidbar (GC) and Simpsons Garden Centre (DGC)
Best Restaurant: The Mains of Drum Garden Centre (GC) and Simpsons Garden Centre (DGC)
Garden Products Retailer: Garden Wise Plant & Garden Centre (GC) and Simpsons Garden Centre (DGC)
Best Indoor Lifestyle: Garden Wise Plant & Garden Centre (GC) and Raemoir Garden Centre (DGC)
Best Outdoor Living: The Mains of Drum Garden Centre (GC) and Simpsons Garden Centre (DGC).
Northern Ireland
Best Garden Centre: Creative Gardens Donaghadee
Best Customer Service: Creative Gardens Donaghadee
Best Environment and Community: Creative Gardens Donaghadee
Best Creativity and Innovation: Creative Gardens Donaghadee
Most Improved: Creative Gardens Donaghadee
Best Plant Area: Creative Gardens Donaghadee
Best Restaurant: Creative Gardens Donaghadee
Garden Products Retailer: Creative Gardens Donaghadee
Best Indoor Lifestyle: Creative Gardens Donaghadee
Best Outdoor Living: Creative Gardens Donaghadee.
The awards are decided by the results of the annual inspections, which take place at all GCA garden centres. Garden centres have no advance warning about when their inspection will take place and they do not have the option to turn away the inspector.
The Best Garden Centre and Best Destination Garden Centre awards went to the members that scored the highest overall mark in the area in their annual inspections.
The top scoring centres overall, nationally, in both the Destination Garden Centre and Garden Centre categories will be re-inspected before the titles of Garden Centre of the Year and Destination Garden Centre of the Year are announced at the GCA annual conference taking place in January 2015.
The GCA represents nearly 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 call 0118 930 8918 or visit www.gca.org.uk.
