All the winners from the 2021 GIMA Awards

GIMA director, Vicky Nuttall at the 2021 GIMA Awards. Image: Steve Burden Photography

A total of 17 award winners were named on the night

Retail

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18 November 2021

The winners of the 40^th GIMA Awards have been announced. The awards, which took pace in Newport, South Wales last week, saw the garden retail industry come together after a two year hiatus to celebrate everything from product development to marketing campaigns and point of sale.

The big award of the night – the GIMA Sword of Excellence – was awarded to the team at Elho for its Green Basics Veggie Wall 80cm. This all-in-one system, with frame and netting included, offers urban gardeners an instant growing solution and drew praise from the judges for its ease of use and ‘plug and play’ capabilities. The judges said the product is “perfect for new gardeners with smaller outdoor space; and made from recycled plastics. It really ticks all the boxes.”

The 2021 GCA Supplier of the Year Award was hotly contested, but it was Meadow View Stone who walked away with the coveted title. The judges offered some key reasons why Meadow View deserved the accolade, saying it offered “Some of best communication and supply in some of the hardest times, keeping me informed and the full range supplied on time”, and offered “Consistent service throughout a challenging year. Very impressive support and supply.”

This year, the Gardenex Export Achievement Award was awarded to Wildlife World. The judges’ comments included: “A worthy winner of this year’s Export Achievement Award, showing great initiative and success. When developing a new sales channel in the USA, Wildlife World remarketed its bird care products for the American market, created vibrant and eye-catching instore displays and is now successfully trading with over 50 Wild Birds Unlimited stores, achieving a significant increase in sales in the USA.”

Sustainability –the newest addition to the GIMA Awards – was also a hard-fought category, with Phoenox Textiles, Hygeia, Primeur and West Country Soil Improvement all enjoying finalist status. However, it was Dalefoot Compost who the judges selected as 2021 winner, describing it as, “a company that has sustainability and the environment at the very heart of what it does. As well as delivering a great peat-free product, its peatland restoration work makes Dalefoot a worthy winner of this inaugural Sustainability Award.”

Below are the GIMA 2021 Product Award winners and shortlisted products:

Garden Care

Finalists: Evergreen Garden Care – Miracle-Gro Peat Free, SBM Life Science Ltd – Provanto® Smart Bug Killer, Sipcam Home & Garden – Ecofective Plant Disease Defence RTU and Refill, REMIN (Scotland) Ltd – 10kg bag REMIN volcanic rock dust

Winner: Richard Jackson Garden – Plantsmith houseplant care product range

Growing, Planting Equipment and Sundries

Finalists: GARDENA – AquaBloom, Woodlodge – Honey & Wild Plant Support Collection, Capi Europe – Rain Barrel Row NL – olive green

Winner: Elho – Green Basics Veggie Wall 80cm

Garden Tools, Machinery and Implements

Finalists: GARDENA – Leaf Collector, Burgon & Ball – Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball garden tool additions, Westland Horticulture – The Capability Trowel

Winner: Stihl – STIHL HSA 26

Outdoor Leisure

Finalists: Zest 4 Leisure – Burghley Arbour, Zest 4 Leisure – Chepstow Arbour, Tramontina – Beer Barrel Grill

Winner: Fallen Fruits – MGO Firebowl

Plants, Seeds and Bulbs

Finalists: Farplants Ltd – Skimmia Perosa, DLF Seeds Ltd – Tuffgrass (Johnsons Lawn Seed), Mr Fothergill’s Seeds – Johnsons Seeds Microgreens Range

Winner: Mr Fothergill’s Seeds – RHS Flower Mixes

Garden Landscaping

Finalists: Vitavia Greenhouses – Janssens Urban Greenhouse, Deco-Pak – Glasglo, Woodlodge – Honey & Wild Songbird Garden Arch

Winner: Onduline Building Products Ltd – ONDULINE EASYLINE DIY roof sheets

Garden Clothing & Gifts

Finalists: Smart Garden Products – Bees Collection, Burgon & Ball – RHS Gifts for Gardeners ‘British Meadow’ gardening gift collection, Woodlodge – Honey & Wild Bee Spiral Mobile

Winner: Richard Jackson Garden – Plantsmith Gift Boxes

Pet Care, Aquatics and Wild Bird Care Products

Finalists: Smart Garden – Wild Wings Feeding Station, Capi Europe – Design Butterfly Hotel, Westland Horticulture – Peckish Natural Balance Bird Food Range

Winner: Wildlife World – Artisan Bird Nesters

Garden Lighting, Water Features & Ornamentation

Finalist: Smart Garden Products – Mega SpiraLight, The Solar Centre – Salcombe Solar Wall Light, Smart Garden Products – Forli Flaming Lantern

Winner: The Solar Centre – Kingsbridge Solar Wall Light

Decorative Pots & Planters

Finalist: Woodlodge – Bee Wall Teapot, Burgon & Ball – Burgon & Ball Malibu indoor plant pots, Woodlodge – Kensington Redstone range

Winner: Woodlodge – Bee Kind Honeycomb and Bumbee Pots

Below are the GIMA 2021 Marketing Award winners and shortlisted companies:

Best Point of Sale Material

Finalists: Elho – Sustainability Vertical Banner, Elho – Green Basics 200L Rainbarrel POS, Westland Horticulture – Westland Specialist Feeds & Compost DQP

Winner: Wildlife World – Cotswold Granaries FSDU

Best Sustainable Consumer Product Packaging

Finalists: Sipcam Home & Garden – Ecofective Refills and Recycled Bottles, Westland Horticulture – Natural Balance range, Vitax Ltd – Vitax Organic Feeds, Hozelock – Superhoze Packaging

Winner: Wildlife World – Cotswold Granaries Wild Animal Food

Best Marketing Communication & Social Media Award

Finalists: Stihl – TV ad and supporting campaign, Westland Horticulture – Peckish Digital Bird Food Campaign, Westland Horticulture – Specialist Feeds Digital Campaign

Winner: Evergreen Garden Care – Miracle-Gro Mental Health Awareness Campaign

“I would like to be the first to extend my congratulations to all of the winners and to all those that joined us to welcome the return of the GIMA Awards,” said GIMA director, Vicky Nuttall. “It’s been so good to be back and, even more so, to see that the industry has continued to grow and develop, even when faced with incredible adversity. The entries to this year’s awards were of the highest calibre and demonstrate the perseverance and enthusiasm that continues to make garden retail one of the most exciting sectors to be part of.

“Our thanks also extend to our judges for lending us their expert eye and skilled opinion, as well as all of our sponsors; without whom the awards would be not be possible.”

This year, the GIMA Awards winners were selected by a panel of industry experts, made up of Alexa Blackmore, The Gardens Group; Andy Bunker, Alton Garden Centre; Matthew Bent, Bents Garden & Home; Trevor Pfeiffer, Garden Trade News; Victoria Redshaw, Scarlet Opus; Phillippa Stubbs, British Garden Centres; and Stuart Whalley, Rosebourne.

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