A SOMERSET garden centre has recently been presented with industry awards for being the best gardening retailer and offering the highest service and facilities in the region.
Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre at Taunton has been declared top ‘Destination Garden Centre Gardening Retailer’ and best ‘Destination Garden Centre Service and Facilities’ in Wales and West by the Garden Centre Association (GCA). 
Norma Moore, General Manager at the garden centre, which is located at Monkton Heathfield, explained: “We’re absolutely delighted to have won these awards. We’re very proud of our garden centre and the services and facilities we offer to the community and all our visitors.
“Accolades like these are a testament to the hard work of our dedicated team of highly skilled and knowledgeable individuals.
“We have also received a GCA Highly Commended Award, which is given after an inspection by a GCA judge where percentages or scores out of a hundred are allocated for various key areas of the business including customer service.”
In order to receive a Highly Commended Award, the garden centre must score 80% or higher.
The GCA represents more than 150 garden centres across the country. Every member of the GCA is subject to an in-depth annual inspection by independent experts and those scoring highest in key categories are honoured at the annual GCA awards.
For more information about Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre, which is located just off the A38 at Monkton Heathfield between Bridgwater and Taunton, please call 01823 412381.
Photograph caption one: With their award for Destination Garden Centre Service and Facilities in Wales and West are (from left to right) Pet and Reptile Centre Manager, Liz Woodward, Plant Advisor, Catherine Johnstone, General Manager, Norma Moore (front), Seasonal Plant Supervisor, Jane Earthy and Shop Manager, Steve Searle from Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre.
Photograph caption two: (From left to right, back row) Shop and Till Supervisor, Christine Edwards, the GCA Chairman for the Wales and West Area, Michael Burks, Shop Manager, Steve Searle and Plant Supervisor, John Osment with General Manager, Norma Moore (front) and Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre’s Destination Garden Centre Gardening Retailer award.