In the wake of the sky-rocketing interest in garden centre catering, Glee organisers have got in on the action and for the first time visitors to the September show will be able to take advantage of the newly launched Food and Catering Zone.
Last year there was a 10% increase in visitors to Glee expressing a primary interest in catering, tying in with figures released by the HTA earlier this year showing the number of garden centre catering customers was up by 51%.

The new area at the Glee 2012 show will be divided into two distinct zones that will provide expert advice on how to develop a catering offering within a garden centre as well as assist those with existing onsite facilities to further develop their potential. A live kitchen will offer hands-on demonstrations and there will also be a 'cook-off' competition.

A fully interactive seminar programme relating to commercial kitchens and catering including trends, design, installation and specification tips has also been developed. Other topics covered will be financing, expansion and menu as well as staffing considerations.

The new zone has been developed in partnership with commercial kitchen suppliers Vision Commercial Kitchens, who transformed more than 26 garden centres' catering services in 2010-2011.

Glee event director Nick Davison said: "Catering now plays a significant role in the garden retail sector, and is something that looks to set to continue its rise in popularity. Glee's own visitor figures are reflective of this growing trend... The Food and Catering Zone has been specifically developed in response to this growing demand.

"The area will not only arm retailers with the tools to maximise the profit boosting potential of catering, but will also offer them the chance to learn new skills and think about design differently."

Marketing manager for Vision Commercial Kitchen Siobhan Teader added: "We've seen a significant rise in the number of garden retail outlets adding a coffee shop or restaurant to their offering... We have no doubt that this new feature at Glee will be an essential part of the show's offering, and we're incredibly proud to be part of its development."

Glee takes place from September 17 - 19 at the NEC, Birmingham.