Poltimore celebrates a successful South West in Bloom 2025 with gold awards for the village and businesses and the title ‘Best Bloom Village in the South West’
‘Passion of the community, a fabulous café, the best farm shop I’ve ever been to.’
Words used by the Britain in Bloom judge to describe the Poltimore entries.
Poltimore is once again celebrating horticultural excellence after receiving recognition at the prestigious South West in Bloom Awards 2025, part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom campaign – the largest horticultural initiative in Europe.
The awards ceremony, held at the English Riviera Centre in Torquay on Wednesday 8th October, brought together community groups, volunteers, and council teams from across the South West to honour their efforts in transforming public spaces and communities through planting, landscaping, conservation, and environmental projects.
The village won multiple awards, including the prestigious overall title in the village category, recognizing Poltimore as one of the very best horticultural, environmentally conscious, and positive communities in the South West.
Judging took place in early July, and after a long wait, the results were announced at the splendid event, with the awards presented by Lady Emma Kitchener-Fellowes and the Mayor of Torquay.
The dedication did not go unnoticed, as the RHS acknowledged the hard work and honoured Poltimore with the following accolades:
• Winner of the Mary Mortimer Trophy for the best in the South West village class
• Gold for the overall entry
• Outstanding 5 (Gold) for two ‘neighbourhood’ areas
• Gold for Branches Café
• Gold for Lathy’s Farm Shop
The group entered two local businesses into the competition:
Branches Café @ Poltimore House
Set in 13 acres, Poltimore House and Grounds is a beautiful, tranquil, and historic place to visit.
Branches Café is open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10:00 – 15:30. Entry to the lovely grounds is free during café opening hours.
Lathy’s Farm Shop
The farm shop is a vital resource for the community, open daily from dawn to dusk.
The family-run shop offers a wide range of products, including fresh eggs from the farm along with locally sourced items such as meats, dairy products, fresh vegetables, and garden plants.
The Bloom group wishes to thank all involved for such a fantastic result following year-long efforts, which included fundraising, litter clean-ups, planting of shrubs and bulbs, and the establishment of wildlife habitats. Of course, the village events such as the Advent Light Trail, Bingo, and Village Fete held in June were all highly enjoyable.
However, the work doesn’t stop, and bulb planting will shortly be taking place in anticipation of next year’s entry into the Champion of Champions category.
For more information :
https://www.facebook.com/poltimoreinbloom
https://www.instagram.com/poltimoreinbloom
