Hillier Garden Centres Supplier Showcase and Awards Celebrate Industry Achievements and Staff Excellence

The Hillier Garden Centre Awards took place on 19th February 2025, offering an opportunity to reflect on the past year’s successes and challenges within the horticultural industry, while also celebrating the outstanding contributions of suppliers and staff across various categories. The event highlighted the dedication, passion, and hard work of individuals and teams that make Hillier a renowned name in the horticultural industry. 

For the first time, the awards ceremony was moved from November to February, coinciding with the company’s inaugural Supplier Showcase at Newbury Racecourse. More than 70 suppliers attended the Supplier Showcase, presenting their latest product lines to the Hillier Garden Centre teams. Over 400 Hillier team members visited the event to prepare for the upcoming 2025 peak season, marking an important opportunity for professional development and collaboration. Brands represented included Bryant’s Nurseries Ltd, Woodlodge, Evergreen, Decco Ltd, Gardena, Smart Garden, Burgon & Ball, Westland Horticulture and many more! 

Chris Francis, Director of Retail and Wholesale, said: “It’s an exciting time to welcome these incredible suppliers to our first-ever Hillier Supplier Showcase. Bringing everyone together in one place is such a fantastic opportunity, and it’s equally rewarding to give our teams the chance to spend quality time with the suppliers, deepening their understanding of the products ahead of the peak season.” 

Welcoming guests to the awards evening, George Hillier, Chairman of Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centres, touched on the difficult weather that characterised 2024 saying: “I know we’re all here to celebrate another year in the gardening world, but let’s be honest - at times, it felt like the weather had other ideas. With relentless rain and floods, a spring with at least three false starts, and a wind that seemed determined to rearrange every outdoor display carefully set up, it felt like we got through the alphabet twice on named storms, it was tough! I think we’ve all earned a medal just for keeping the show on the road in the last year.” 

Hillier continued by praising the teams for their commitment and dedication noting how remarkable this achievement was in the face of such adverse conditions: “It’s interesting to see how people and businesses react in a dynamic and challenging situation, I’m extremely proud of how we have responded and adapted to meet the latest challenges whatever they are, that’s what makes us both different and successful. In an unpredictable weather pattern year, we saw the group consistently reviewing progress, and changing processes to ensure that we protected margins remaining profitable, it’s so easy to get that wrong, but we didn’t, we challenged ourselves and delivered a plan for success so that we can continue to invest in our people, our offer, and the centres, taking garden centre experiences to the next level.” 

Looking to the future, Hillier noted some major external factors that will continue to challenge garden centre retail and wider business in the UK, in particular around sustainability: “We are in a concerning time for our planet and its environment, we all see it, the changes to weather patterns. We see it as much as anyone because we are tuned in to what the weather conditions are telling us, and we know how important it is to our trade. I think we all know that horticulture is part of the solution. It is making a difference, putting people in touch with their gardens, and giving them a window to see how climate change is real. The mental health and wellbeing benefits of being at one with nature with hands in the earth is so significant. We must continue to inspire the creation of green living spaces for now and the future, as we have always done.” 

The 2025 Awards Winners List 

• Home and Leisure Supplier of the Year 2024- Bramble Foods Ltd 
• Home and Leisure Shop of the Year 2024 – Hillier Garden Centre Newbury 
• Garden Shop Supplier of the Year 2024 - Woodlodge Products 
• Garden Shop of the Year 2024 – Hillier Garden Centre Botley 
• Horticulture Supplier of the Year 2024 – Allensmore Nurseries 
• Plant Area of the Year 2024 – Hillier Garden Centre Banbury 
• Nursery Employee of the Year 2024 – Gill Dowling 
• Garden Centre Department Manager of the Year 2024 – Kevin Moss, Aldermaston 
• Garden Centre Employee of the Year 2024 – Lucy Cuckney, Banbury 
• Gardening Club Champions 2024 – Hillier Garden Centre Hemel Hempstead 
• Restaurant Supplier of the Year 2024 – Creed Foodservice 
• Restaurant of the Year 2024 – Hillier Garden Centre Horsham 
• Destination Restaurant of the Year 2024 – Hillier Garden Centre Eastbourne 
• Garden Centre of the Year 2024 - Hillier Garden Centre Horsham 
• Destination Garden Centre of the Year 2024 - Hillier Garden Centre Eastbourne 

Ends

Editors notes

“To inspire the creation of green living spaces for now and the future” Hillier is one of the leading names in the horticultural industry, with 160 years of growing and retail experience.

Founded in 1864 by Edwin Hillier, the company remains a family-run nursery with the fifth generation now actively involved in the family business as it continues to grow.

Not only is Hillier the largest producer of semi-mature trees in Europe and grower of over one million plants at its Hampshire nursery, but it also employs over 750 staff across its nursery, amenity trees and 22 garden centre divisions and is a flourishing multi-million pound company. It proudly holds the world record for the most consecutive gold medals awards at the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with 74 wins.

As one of the leading growers in the UK, Hillier is involved in many peat-free initiatives, including the RHS Peat-Free Fellowship, the largest peat-free collaborative research project globally. The company was amongst the first nurseries to become 100% peat-free across both its production nursery and retail garden centres, and all Hillier plants are grown in peat-free compost.

Recent successes for the company include the launch of its online shop, the substantial redevelopment of Hillier Garden Centre Newbury and the acquisition of the Rosebourne Garden Centre Group in November 2022, as well as sponsorship of BBC Gardeners’ World Live and BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, and the incredibly popular free ‘Hillier Gardening Club’ loyalty program which now has over half a million members.

Renowned for being a leading breeder of plants in the UK at its 100% peat-free nursery in Hampshire, each year Hillier introduces amazing new varieties. Many of these have become essentials in British gardens and the company continues with the tradition of innovation and the introduction of new garden plants in the present day.