The Old Railway Line Garden Centre in Powys, Wales, has been crowned the UK's best garden centre by the Garden Centre Association (GCA), marking the third time the family-run business has won the supreme award, previously claiming the title in 2018 and 2021.
GCA Awards and Inspection Process
The GCA, which represents over 200 garden centres across the UK, determines its accolades through unannounced inspections conducted throughout the year. Centres are evaluated on customer service, product quality, retail standards, staff expertise, and the overall visitor experience. The winners were announced at the GCA's annual conference held at Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire.
History and Expansion of The Old Railway Line
Founded by Mark and Christina Cleary, the business began in 1990 when they started selling home-grown bedding plants from a small greenhouse near the site's entrance. It has since expanded from a modest plant nursery into a sprawling garden centre featuring a farm shop, restaurant, homeware department, and outdoor living area. Visitors can explore indoor and outdoor plants, gardening products, gifts, seasonal displays, and furniture, while the farm shop showcases local Welsh food and drink. The centre also boasts a remarkably popular restaurant and coffee shop.
Awards and Recognition
In addition to the overall UK title, The Old Railway Line won Best Farm Shop and Best Garden Products Retailer, and was awarded Centre of Excellence status. The centre also achieved third place in the UK for Customer Service, Catering Excellence, and Indoor Lifestyle, and earned a spot in the UK's top 10 for Christmas Displays and the GCA Grow Award.
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."
"To be recognised across so many categories in one year honestly means the world to us."
Team and Commitment to Improvement
The garden centre praised its workforce, stating: "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."
