STAFF at Fermoy's Garden Centre are celebrating after winning Garden Retailer of the Year for the second year running.

David Noble, store manager, said: "It's a great recognition for our hard-working staff who deserve the accolade due to all their commitment and hard work over the year."

The privately owned garden centre and farm shop near Ipplepen has had a successful year scooping national awards for its innovative marketing and work with gardening with school children.

The café was also a finalist in the Café of the Year award and won a nationwide cookery competition for its lemon meringue cupcakes.

Sarah Dumont, development manager, said: "We worked really hard in 2011 to offer lots of children the chance to see how satisfying it is to grow their own vegetables and over the year we have encouraged more than 900 children to give it a go.

"These children are our customers of the future and we all need to give our children and grandchildren the opportunity to get their hands in the soil and enjoy watching crops grow."