Garden centre is named UK's best

A WARRINGTON garden centre has been named as the UK’s best garden centre following an extensive audit by the industry watchdog.
Bents Garden and Home at Glazebury scored an impressive 89.47 per cent – a figure which topped more than 160 other garden centres across the county.
The announcement comes just two months after Bents scooped six of the inaugural Best in the North West Garden Centre awards and tops off what has been a hugely successful year for the family run garden centre.
The Garden Centre Association, which comprises more than 160 of the best garden centres in the country, presented Bents with the titles of: Best Services and Facilities; Lifestyle; Best Plant Area; Best Restaurant; Best Display Idea and the overall title of Best Garden Centre in the North West at an award ceremony last November.
It has now awarded Bents with the prestigious title of Best Garden Centre in the UK at this year’s annual conference.
Bents were also presented with national awards for Best Plant Area, Best Outdoor Living Department and Best Restaurant for the Centre’s Fresh Approach Restaurant.
Managing director Matthew Bent said: “When we were last presented with this prestigious accolade in 2006 our winning score was 87 per cent, a figure we had already surpassed with our initial audit so we were quietly confident, but you can never be sure until the announcement is made!
“The GCA title is the one all garden centres want and we are delighted to be acknowledged as the Best in the UK.
“It is a credit to all of our colleagues who work extremely hard to ensure our standards remain as high as possible throughout all areas of the centre. We would like to say a big thank you to each and every one of them and are looking forward to another exciting year ahead.”
Bents has also been re-accredited as a GCA Garden Centre of Excellence – one of only 15 throughout the UK.