Local family firm Groves Nurseries, based in Bridport and Beaminster, has scooped the top prize in the national ‘Greatest Garden Centre Team Awards’.

The awards focus on the service given when visiting local garden centres, while judging was based on votes from the public plus a surprise visit from one of the judges.

Garden centres all over the UK entered in large numbers and Groves Nurseries came out on top. The award was presented by garden design guru Diarmuid Gavin to Charlie Groves and Becky Stork at a glittering ceremony at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.

Charlie Groves said: “We couldn’t believe it when our name was announced saying we had won the top award of the overall winner.

“We always try to go that extra mile to satisfy our customers’ needs. “It seems our customers appreciate this and repaid us by voting for us. “We are really lucky to live in West Dorset where customers show such great support for independent businesses like ours.

“What a great evening and what a wonderful way to reward the hard work our team have put in this year.”