BENTS Garden & Home has been recognised as a top dining destination at this year’s national Garden Centre Association Awards with the Warrington-based centre taking first place in the coveted Catering Excellence category.
Bents offers a wide choice of dining destinations including The Fresh Approach Restaurant, Caffe nel Verde and Mediterranean style Tapas Bar, where all food is freshly prepared on the premises by an expert team of in house chefs and pâtissiers. This award recognises the entire catering operation which includes all dining colleagues and serves an average of 248,790 hot drinks and 94,740 sandwiches each year.
Managing Director Matthew Bent, said: “Food really is one of our favourite things and we are delighted with this award! It’s an area of the business my father started to focus on in the early 80s at a time when garden centre dining wasn’t even a thing. He was one of the first in the industry to introduce food and drink and at the time it was even mocked by some competitors, but is now an expected part of any garden centre.
“It’s something that has evolved over time and we continue to add to our customer experience with new additions such as our Airstream Trailers serving Bents style fish and chips and fresh pizzas. But despite our new additions we never waver on our commitment to quality and this award is a fantastic recognition of the hard work and dedication of all our catering colleagues.”
The GCA awards recognise the very best in the garden centre industry and the Catering Excellence Award was just one of several accolades that the family owned and run centre was presented with on the night, which also saw Bents awarded as a Garden Centre of Excellence, just one of only 10 in the UK.
Bents also took the award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer in the Destination Garden Centre category and accolades for Best Outdoor Living Retailer and Best Food Hall.
The GCA awards are based purely on quality standards which are measured by the strict annual audits held at all member garden centres throughout the year. Centres are judged not only on quality of products and departments, but also people, service and surroundings.
Matthew added: “The whole philosophy of our business is of family, and people feeling valued and part of something. These awards are a fantastic recognition of all our colleagues throughout the Centre, who work together to create something really special for our customers.”
