GCA Reveals 2025 South East Region Summer Award Winners

GARDEN centre teams from across the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) South East region are celebrating today after scooping awards during a presentation evening yesterday at Coolings Nurseries in Kent (Tuesday, July 8, 2025).

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

GCA CEO, Peter Burks said: “We had a very jolly evening at our first summer awards session of the year. I’d like to thank everyone who came along. It was brilliant to welcome around 110 attendees to the event and to see them making lots of notes to share with their colleagues.

“I’d like to congratulate all our very fantastic winners and say a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone at Coolings Nurseries for being such accommodating hosts and to our Inspector Alyson Haywood for being part of the team who visited the centres and for presenting their inspection findings in such an illuminating way.”

Alyson was one of the team of inspectors who made unannounced visits to member garden centres in the South East area across a 12-week period through spring and early summer.

She said: “It was a pleasure once again to judge the South East region as part of the GCA inspections. We’ve had some great weather for the season and the sun shone while I travelled around the South East, which was an extra bonus after the exceptionally wet weather during the same period last year when I was judging.

“This time, all the centres were looking good in the glorious sunshine. I also saw some great examples of ingenuity and originality and some lovely plant ranges too.”

Image: The team from Coolings Nurseries, which was named Garden Centre of the Year (GC) and won the overall Customer Service award too, with GCA Area Chair, James Evans, Ruxley Manor Garden Centre’s Director (back centre), GCA CEO Peter Burks and GCA Inspector, Alyson Haywood (both far back right). 

The main winners for the South East region GCA area awards are as follows for the DGC, GC and LGC categories:

Garden Centre of the Year:

DCG- Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC - Coolings Nurseries

LGC - Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst 

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer:

DGC - Ruxley Manor Garden Centre 

GC - Squires Garden Centre, Milford

LGC - Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst

The Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant:

DGC - Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC - Henry Street Garden Centre

LGC - Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst

Food Hall/Farm Shop Award

DGC - Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC - Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield

LGC - No centre in this category

Indoor Lifestyle Award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer:

DGC - Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC - Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield

LGC - Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth

Ian Boardman Award for Best Indoor Plants Retailer

DGC - Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC – THREE JOINT WINNERS 

• Squires Garden Centre, Milford
• Ransoms Garden Centre
• Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend

LGC - Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth


Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer:

DGC - Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC - Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield

LGC - Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst

The Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Innovation and Creativity:

DGC - Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC - Haskins Garden Centre, Forest Lodge

LGC - Thompson’s Welling
 

Plantaria (Ruxley Rose):

DGC - Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

GC - Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend

LGC - Thompson’s Welling

The Paul Cooling Award for Environment and Sustainability:

Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill

Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service:

Coolings Nurseries

The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre:

Thompson’s Canterbury

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.

Image : The team from Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst, which was named Local Garden Centre of the Year (LGC) and won several other awards along with its sister garden centre at Gravesend, with GCA Area Chair, James Evans, Ruxley Manor Garden Centre’s Director (far left), GCA Inspector, Alyson Haywood (second from left) and GCA CEO Peter Burks (far right).

Source : Garden Centre Association

Main 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, GCA Inspector, Alyson Haywood (both back right). 

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