It's jingle bells all the way to the Christmas Cabin!

Christmas offers a very special opportunity for families to enjoy time together and create wonderful memories, so when Tong Garden Centre asked if we could bring to life their ‘Christmas Cabin’ concept, we were more than happy to help.

Tong Garden Centre is one of the largest independent garden centres in Yorkshire, located on a 17-acre site on the edge of Bradford in West Yorkshire. It has an outdoor plant area and shopping departments filled with garden furniture, gifts, home accessories and leading brands spread across 110,000 square feet of retail space. Also on-site is a coffee shop, restaurant, children’s outdoor playground and a newly refurbished food hall.

We talked to Tong’s marketing manager Jo Dales about how the business is catering for the increasingly important annual festive season.

Feeling festive

Tong Garden Centre occupies a place in the hearts of many locals who fondly recall their own childhood visits to the site in years gone by. The business was resurrected in 2015 by new owners who have restored its reputation with their drive and determination to build a popular destination for people of all ages from toddlers to great-grandparents.

“Christmas is a hugely nostalgic time for Tong and our visitors,” said Jo, “Many who came here as kids themselves are now bringing their own children and grandchildren and really appreciate what a magical experience it is for youngsters.”

This is all down to the enormous effort the Tong team put into creating a truly festive feel at the centre, so much so that they have won awards for two years running for the quality of their displays. The Garden Centre Association (GCA) has judged Tong to have the best Christmas displays in the North East of England, with judging based on the range, merchandising, marketing, presentation and displays of festive lines including trees, decorations, tableware, candles, giftware and food.

Jo said: “It’s a great result and well deserved. Christmas here is a massive team effort and every department within the centre has contributed to its success. This year our Christmas offering includes a new Christmas Cabin, a giant snow globe, Santa’s Grotto, weekly tasting events in the Food Hall and extended opening hours.”

Christmas cabin

The Tong team really wanted to make this year’s seasonal extravaganza even more exciting and came up with the idea of creating an innovative outdoor cabin, adjoining Santa’s Grotto. “The plan was to create a defined family zone with its own festive look and feel that would appeal as a visitor destination and provide a really authentic Christmas log cabin environment,” said Jo. “From a commercial perspective it also helps to keep the indoor garden centre space free and avoids bottlenecks that can arise, which is not something we or our customers would want.”

They drew on Village Farm’s experience of building bespoke marquees to plan a spacious structure featuring wooden panelling to match the log cabin theme, with room for catering vans, seating and a stage, as well as all the entertainment elements. Part of the marquee includes windows, allowing visitors to view Grass Hoppers – the garden centre’s children’s outdoor adventure playground.

Jo said: “Village Farm are so easy to work with, they’re co-operative and efficient, and really productive. We’d certainly recommend them to any other business looking for a bespoke marquee solution. I’m certain we’ll be working together again in 2018.”

Focus on the customer experience

What really wows the Christmas Cabin’s visitors are its fun festive features. Rudy the wise-cracking reindeer is billed as the newest and loudest member of team Tong who likes to impress his audience with jokes and a seasonal singalong, and he also makes for a great selfie. A supersize snow globe creates an instant winter wonderland for those who wish to step inside (it can accommodate up to six people at a time), and this along with a set of giant baubles provide entertaining photo opportunities for young and old alike.

Jo said: “It’s free to enter the Christmas Cabin and it costs £10 to visit Santa’s Grotto, which involves a lovely half-hour where children encounter a host of real-life characters who weave a magical story leading up to their meeting with Mr Claus himself.”

The cabin and grotto’s launch weekend in November attracted hundreds of visitors. “We’re delighted with the footfall so far, it’s proved a hugely successful attraction,” added Jo. “It’s been really well received and we’ve had lots of positive feedback. It’s wonderful to be able to give something back to our community and delight people at this special time of year.”

Tong Garden Centre has extended its opening hours in the lead-up to Christmas, plus the Christmas Cabin and Santa’s Grotto will be open every day up until and including Christmas Eve. For more information about opening times, visit www.tonggardencentre.co.uk

If you would like a free, no obligation chat about your needs, please contact Village Farm Marquees by emailing info@villagefarmmarquees.co.uk or calling us on (01262) 468160.