Our North region summer 2026 award winners

Our North region summer 2026 award winners

Our North region members met yesterday afternoon and evening at RHS Bridgewater in Greater Manchester for their Area Award presentations (Wednesday, July 15, 2026).

Destination Garden Centre of the Year, (DGC) was presented to Bents Garden and Home, the Garden Centre (GC) award went to Fron Goch Garden Centre and Local Garden Centre (LGC) to Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens.

Peter Burks, GCA CEO said: “It was fantastic to bring our North members together for such a positive and well-supported Area Awards Meeting at RHS Bridgewater. The afternoon and evening gave everyone a valuable opportunity to hear directly from our Inspectors Phil McCann and Mark Pitman, whose feedback was listened to with real interest and enthusiasm.

Expertise & engaging presentations

“Congratulations to all our award winners and to every centre recognised on the night. We’re very grateful to the team at RHS Bridgewater for hosting us so warmly and to Phil and Mark for their time, expertise and engaging presentations. It was especially encouraging to see members making notes and taking away ideas to help their businesses continue to develop and flourish.”

Phil and Mark made unannounced visits to member garden centres in the North area across a 12-week period.

Phil said: “It is excellent to see GCA member garden centres across the North performing so strongly this year. Every centre recognised should feel extremely proud of what it has achieved. It was also encouraging to see members engaging so positively with the inspection process and using the feedback received at previous meetings to help drive their businesses forward.”

Mark joined the GCA team earlier this year and has just completed his first season of inspections.

Consistently high standards

He said: “Visiting the garden centres in the North region for the first time in my new role has been a real privilege and I’ve been hugely impressed by the consistently high standards achieved across the area. From customer service and visual merchandising to the quality and breadth of products on offer, the centres are delivering excellent experiences for customers and should be very proud of their achievements.”

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

Garden Centre of the Year:

DGC

1. Bents Garden & Home
2. Gordale Garden Centre
3. Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre

GC

1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall
3. Moss & Moor

LGC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
3. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield

Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer:

DGC

1. Bents Garden & Home
2. Gordale Garden Centre and Simpsons Garden Centre – JOINT RUNNERS UP
3. Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre

GC

1. British Garden Centres Heighley Gate and Moss & Moor – JOINT WINNERS
2. Fron Goch Garden Centre and Klondyke Garden Centre, Houghton Hall – JOINT RUNNERS UP
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, High Legh

LGC

1. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
2. British Garden Centres, Harrogate
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens

Indoor Lifestyle Award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer:

DGC

1. Bents Garden & Home
2. Simpsons Garden Centre
3. Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre

GC

1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Simpsons Happy Plant and Moss & Moor – JOINT RUNNERS UP
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall

LGC

1. RHS Bridgewater
2. RHS Harlow Carr
3. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield

Garden Construction

DGC

1. Bents Garden & Home
2. Gordale Garden Centre
3. Simpsons Garden Centre

GC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Garforth
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Gardenwise

LGC

1. Klondyke Garden Centres, Burnside, Stringers and Weaver Vale and British Garden Centres, Harrogate – JOINT WINNERS
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Woodmansey

Food Hall/Farm Shop Award

DGC

1. Bents Garden & Home and Simpsons Garden Centre – JOINT WINNERS
2. Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre
3. Yorkshire Garden Centres, Tong

GC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Houghton Hall
2. Plantsplus
3. Bellis Brothers Farm Shop & Garden Centre and Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall – JOINT THIRD PLACE

LGC – please note, there is only one garden centre in this category

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Woodmansey

The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre:

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Woodmansey
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Houghton Hall

Ian Boardman Award for Best Indoor Plants Retailer

DGC

1. Bents Garden & Home
2. Simpsons Garden Centre
3. Gordale Garden Centre

GC

1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Cowell’s Garden Centre
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall

LGC

1. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield and Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers – JOINT WINNERS
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Weaver Vale
3. RHS Harlow Carr

The Paul Cooling Award for Environment and Sustainability:

DGC

1. Bents Garden & Home
2. Gordale Garden Centre
3. Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre

GC

1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Klondyle Garden Centre, Gardenwise
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall

LGC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Woodmansey
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens

Clothing

DGC

1. Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre
2. Bents Garden & Home
3. Gordale Garden Centre

GC

1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. British Garden Centres, Heighley Gate and Moss & Moor – JOINT RUNNERS UP
3. Yorkshire Garden Centres, Tingley

LGC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens
2. British Garden Centres, Bolton
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Burnside

Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service:

DGC

1. Bents Garden & Home
2. Gordale Garden Centre
3. Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre

GC

1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, North Allerton

LGC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Woodmansey
2. British Garden Centres, Harrogate
3. RHS Bridgewater

The Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant:

DGC

1. Bents Garden & Home
2. Simpsons Garden Centre
3. Gordale Garden Centre

GC

1. Fron Goch Garden Centre
2. Hillmount Garden Centre
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Polmont

LGC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Burnside
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Holland Arms
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer:

DGC

1. Gordale Garden Centre
2. Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre
3. Bents Garden & Home

GC

1. Cowell’s Garden Centre
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stokesley
3. Moss & Moor

LGC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens
2. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Woodmansey

Plantaria (Ruxley Rose):

DGC

1. Simpsons Garden Centre
2. Bents Garden & Home
3. Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre

GC

1. Cowell’s Garden Centre
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Polmont

LGC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens
2. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Livingston

Pots and Outdoor Ornamentation

1. Gordale Garden Centre
2. Bents Garden & Home and Blue Diamond, Barton Grange Garden Centre – JOINT SECOND
3. British Garden Centres, Hayes

GC

1. Cowell’s Garden Centre
2. Fron Goch Garden Centre
3. Moss & Moor

LGC

1. Klondyke Garden Centre, Stringers
2. Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
3. British Garden Centres, Harrogate and Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens – JOINT THIRD PLACE

The Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Innovation and Creativity:

1. Bents Garden & Home
2. Simpsons Garden Centre
3. Klondyke Garden Centre, Mortonhall