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GCA reveals East region summer award winners

Company: GCA
  • Garden Centre of the Year winners Poplars in the Garden Centre (GC) category
  • Garden Centre of the Year winners Perrywood Tiptree in the Destination Garden Centre (DGC) category

The Garden Centre Association (GCA) has announced the winners of its 2026 East region summer awards following a presentation at Scotsdale Garden Centre in Cambridgeshire.

Perrywood Tiptree won the Destination Garden Centre category, Poplars took the Garden Centre title, and Pennells, Sleaford was named Local Garden Centre of the Year.

GCA Chief Executive Peter Burks praised the high attendance at the awards event and thanked hosts Scotsdale Garden Centre for their hospitality, as well as inspectors Peter Walker and Mark Pitman for sharing practical feedback with members.

The inspectors assessed member garden centres during a 12-week programme of unannounced visits, evaluating standards across the region.

Both inspectors highlighted the quality of plants, merchandising, customer service and innovation, describing standards across the East as consistently high and focused on delivering an excellent customer experience.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

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

 

Garden Centre of the Year:

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Pennells, Lincoln
  3. Scotsdale Garden Centre

GC

  1. Poplars Garden Centre
  2. Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury
  3. Aylett Nurseries

LGC

  1. Pennells, Sleaford
  2. Bailey’s of Wistow
  3. Oakington Garden Centre, Cambridge

Plantaria (Ruxley Rose):

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Pennells, Lincoln
  3. Scotsdale Garden Centre

GC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury
  2. Poplars Garden Centre
  3. Aylett Nurseries

LGC

  1. Pennells, Sleaford
  2. Oakington Garden Centre
  3. British Garden Centres, Charlbury

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer:

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Scotsdale Garden Centre
  3. Pennells, Lincoln

GC

  1. Poplars Garden Centre
  2. Sunshine Garden Centre
  3. Aylett Nurseries

LGC

  1. Pennells, Sleaford
  2. British Garden Centres, Upminster
  3. Hertfordshire Garden Centre

The Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant:

DGC

  1. Scotsdale Garden Centre
  2. Pennells, Lincoln and Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree – JOINT RUNNERS UP
  3. Blue Diamond, Bicester

GC

  1. Thetford Garden Centre
  2. Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury
  3. Poplars Garden Centre and Meadow Croft Garden Centre – JOINT THIRD PLACE

LGC

  1. Pennells Garden Centre, Sleaford
  2. Rutland Nursery
  3. Oakington Garden Centre

Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service:

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Pennells, Lincoln
  3. Scotsdale Garden Centre

GC

  1. Bell Plantation
  2. Aylett Nurseries
  3. Thetford Garden Centre

LGC

  1. Pennells, Sleaford
  2. British Garden Centres, Charlbury
  3. British Garden Centres, Ongar

Clothing

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Blue Diamond, Bicester
  3. Brigg Garden Centre

GC

  1. Poplars Garden Centre
  2. Blue Diamond, Peterborough
  3. Meadow Croft Garden Centre

LGC

  1. British Garden Centres, Charlbury
  2. British Garden Centres, Horncastle
  3. British Garden Centres, Hitchen

The Paul Cooling Award for Environment and Sustainability:

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Pennells, Lincoln
  3. Scotsdale Garden Centre

GC

  1. Aylett Nurseries
  2. Meadow Croft Garden Centre
  3. Bell Plantation

LGC

  1. Hertfordshire Garden Centre
  2. Bailey’s of Wistow
  3. British Garden Centres, Harrow

Ian Boardman Award for Best Indoor Plants Retailer

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Brigg Garden Centre
  3. Blue Diamond, Great Amwell

GC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury
  2. Aylett Nurseries
  3. Meadow Croft Garden Centre

LGC

  1. Pennells, Sleaford
  2. Oakington Garden Centre, British Garden Centres, Charlbury and British Garden Centres, Harrow – JOINT RUNNERS UP
  3. Bailey’s of Wistow

The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre:

  1. Oakington Garden Centre
  2. Pennells, Sleaford
  3. Hertfordshire Garden Centre

Food Hall/Farm Shop Award

DGC

  1. Blue Diamond, Bicester
  2. Scotsdale Garden Centre
  3. Pennells, Lincoln

GC

  1. Blue Diamond, Coton Orchard Garden Centre
  2. Parkers
  3. Poplars Garden Centre and Thetford Garden Centre – JOINT THIRD PLACE

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

  1. Pennells, Sleaford

Garden Construction

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Pennells, Lincoln
  3. Brigg Garden Centre

GC

  1. Poplars Garden Centre
  2. Baytree Garden Centre
  3. Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury

LGC

  1. Bailey’s of Wistow and British Garden Centres, Charlbury – JOINT WINNERS
  2. Hertfordshire Garden Centre and British Garden Centres, Upminster – JOINT RUNNERS UP
  3. British Garden Centres, Horncastle, Harrow and Ongar – JOINT THIRD PLACE

Indoor Lifestyle Award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer:

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Blue Diamond, Great Amwell
  3. Blue Diamond, Bicester

GC

  1. Poplars Garden Centre
  2. Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury
  3. Sunshine Garden Centre and Thetford Garden Centre – JOINT THIRD PLACE

LGC

  1. Bailey’s of Wistow
  2. Rutland Nursery
  3. RHS Hyde Hall

Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer:

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Blue Diamond, Bicester
  3. Scotsdale Garden Centre

GC

  1. Aylett Nurseries, Poplars Garden Centre, Haddenham – JOINT WINNERS
  2. Thetford Garden Centre
  3. Bell Plantation, Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury, Webbs Millets Farm – JOINT THIRD PLACE

LGC

  1. Pennells, Sleaford
  2. British Garden Centres, Ongar
  3. Bailey’s of Wistow

Pots and Outdoor Ornamentation

DGC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Scotsdale Garden Cenyre
  3. Blue Diamond, Van Hage

GC

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury
  2. Sunshine Garden Centre
  3. Poplars Garden Centre

LGC

  1. Pennells Sleaford
  2. Bailey’s of Wistow
  3. Hertfordshire Garden Centre

The Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Innovation and Creativity

  1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree
  2. Poplars Garden Centre
  3. Thetford Garden Centre
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