Welsh garden centre is voted the best in Britain

Nation.Cymru staff

A garden centre in Wales has scooped the title of the best garden centre in Britain.

The prestigious honour was awarded by the Garden Centre Association (GCA), with the winners unveiled at the organisation’s annual conference at Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire.

The GCA represents over 200 garden centres across the UK. Its awards are determined by surprise inspections conducted throughout the year, with centres judged on customer service, product quality, retail standards, staff knowledge and the overall visitor experience.

This year’s top accolade went to The Old Railway Line Garden Centre in Powys.

The independent, family-owned business first launched in 1990, developed from a small plant nursery into one of the most acclaimed garden centres in Britain.

It all started when founders Mark and Christina Cleary began selling home-grown bedding plants from a modest greenhouse near the site’s entrance, reports the Express.

The enterprise has thrived over the decades and now features an extensive garden centre, farm shop, restaurant, homeware section and outdoor living space.

Visitors can explore indoor and outdoor plants, gardening supplies, gifts, seasonal displays and furniture, while the farm shop showcases local Welsh food and drink. The centre also hosts an extremely popular restaurant and coffee shop.

Beyond securing the title of the UK’s best garden centre, The Old Railway Line also claimed Best Farm Shop and Best Garden Products Retailer. It was additionally recognised with Centre of Excellence status.

The Old Railway Line said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to share some incredible news. We’ve been crowned Best Garden Centre in the UK at this year’s Garden Centre Association Awards!”

“It was a fantastic evening celebrating the very best garden centres from across the country, and we’re still buzzing from the results.”

Alongside winning the overall UK accolade, the centre also achieved third place in the UK for Customer Service, third for Catering Excellence and third for Indoor Lifestyle.

It also earned a spot in the UK’s top 10 for Christmas Displays and the GCA Grow Award.

The Old Railway Line added “To be recognised across so many categories in one year honestly means the world to us.”

The garden centre also praised its workforce, saying: “For us, these awards are really about our people. Every member of the team plays a part in creating the experience our customers enjoy.

“From the plants and products we carefully select, to the food in our farm shop and the friendly faces you meet when you visit.”

Garden Retail Director Liam Cleary added: “Being awarded Centre of Excellence once again also shows how important it is to us to keep improving. We’re never satisfied with ‘good enough’.

“We’re always looking for ways to do things better, offer more, and make every visit to the Old Railway Line Garden Centre a great one.”

The Old Railway Line has previously clinched the overall UK title on two occasions, in both 2018 and 2021.