Sunnyfields is UK Young Grower of the Year 2017 and suppliers to the Grand National for 10 years

Local businessman Andrew Tumilty has won the award for UK Young Grower of the Year 2017 for their outstanding Hightown nursery - Sunnyfields. The UK Grower Awards are held annually to recognise and celebrate the very best of UK production horticulture. Run in association with Horticulture Week at the glamorous Grand Connaught Rooms in London, Andrew won the individual category title UK Young Grower of the Year 2017. Picking up his well deserved national award with his sister Anna in February.

A proud moment for Andrew and sister Anna picking up their National Award - UK Young Grower of the Year 2017

Andrew's success story is enthralling and starts when he was a young boy. Andrew Tumilty had a passion for plants, since an early age, he has been growing ornamental plants in his parents small greenhouse and producing baskets and bedding plants which he sold in a stall outside his parents’ house while still at school. This passion then led to his setting up Sunnyfields in 2002, still aged just 16, soon after to be joined in the business by his younger sister Anna.

Andrew said: "I approached a local farmer and was given an opportunity to rent a bare field in Hightown, Liverpool. I with my family dismantled a number of derelict disused glasshouses from Tarleton and then we rebuilt half an acre of wooden velo glass which we still use today. Within 12 months, I won Budding Young Grower at the Grower of the Year Awards, putting the prize money towards purchasing a new Priva heater.

Anna spent a year in College studying Organic Horticulture and together, they make a formidable team. Originally Sunnyfields was no more than a bare field and year on year, their customer base grew, supplying hanging baskets, pouches and bedding plants across the North West and developing Sunnyfields to become a thriving retailer offering quality, consistency and value to many independent retailers. Sunnyfields has grown into an 8 acre (3.2hectares) working nursery, with their own retail outlet on site giving members of the public a chance to buy for themselves the high quality beautiful flowers that they have now become renowned for.

In 2007, Sunnyfields began supplying hanging baskets for the biggest horse race in the world, the Aintree Grand National. They have sustained this contract for ten years now through sheer hard work and determination to be the best at what they do.

Sunnyfields 10th year supplying the Aintree Grand National with hanging baskets for the winners enclosure.

Sunnyfields has worked on a wide range of projects including growing large quantities of perennials in peat-reduced compost for the local Maghull in Bloom society. Then in October last year the company won a contract to renovate a large residential site, inspiring Andrew to diversify into a hardy nursery stock range.

Fourteen years on from starting Sunnyfields, it has grown from a bare field to an 8 acre working nursery. A growing business has meant calling on the services of his wife and parents. Andrew said: "My sister and I are young growers committed to being a part of the UK horticulture sector. We have grown Sunnyfields from my back garden into a thriving small nursery with exciting plans for future expansions."

If you pick up your free copy of the Formby Bubble newspaper, you can cut out the voucher for Sunnyfields to BUY ONE GET ONE FREE for Multi purpose Compost.

The voucher is in Thursday 30th March issue, still in the shops now.

Top photo: Everything to celebrate for Andrew and sister Anna, pictured with their award for UK Young Grower of the Year 2017