Zest’s investment pays off at GLEE

A brilliant show all round was Zest’s verdict on Glee. It showcased new products for the 2022 season winning accolades in both the Glee Awards and the Grow Your Own Awards which were announced at the show.  

Zest also featured its award-winning range from Glee 2020 including the much-praised Easy Build concept and unveiled a programme of investment in new product development and robust, sustainable product supply. 

Among several new products, the Folding Garden Bar, the Tall Vertical Herb Stand, and the Small Space Cold Frame were all finalists in the Glee New Product Awards with the Tall Vertical Herb Stand, winning the Growing Containers category. 

Award-winning products 

The Tall Vertical Herb Stand maximises growing space on a small footprint and gives easy access to five separate troughs. The new Small Space Cold Frame, which will fit onto Zest’s best-selling Raised Herb Planter to create an easily accessible cold frame, will also work as a standalone product.

Ideally suited to the massive trend for outdoor entertaining, the Zest Folding Garden Bar comes ready built for ultimate ease and enjoyment.  Multipurpose, it can also be used as a potting table and folds away easily for storage in winter. 

In The Great British Growing Awards held by Grow Your Own Magazine – The Marford Hexagonal Planter Set won in the Best Growing Container Product category and the Vertical Herb Stand won the Space Saving Garden Gear category. 

Whilst at Glee, Zest presented Greenfingers with a giant cheque for over £8,000 raising money from sales of the Tiverton Planter by donating £2.50 from every planter sold.  

With life outdoors more important than ever before and online sales an ever-growing part of the garden sector, Zest has continued to focus on making decorative garden structures, outdoor seating, dining and GYO ever easier for the consumer.  

From the Folding Bar to the Easy Build concept, launched at Glee 2020, it is all about making assembly simple and intuitive, by designing ease into the product from the start. Fewer components that are more easily put together, meaning quicker, less time to assemble even for the less experienced, less confident consumer also makes Zest products easier to sell.

Convenient and easy products are ideal for stockists and are also available for home delivery and come with animated assembly videos on YouTube.  

Product Development 

The company also saw great trade enthusiasm for its £400,000-plus investment in product development facilities and personnel.

Zest has appointed Neil Sholes into a new role as Head of Product Design and Innovation and has built an ‘Innovation Centre’ at its headquarters. Neil’s remit for Zest is to spearhead a dedicated team researching and designing new products and driving sustainability.

The Innovation Centre is a state-of-the-art product design and development suite including research and concept development, the latest CAD design technology, a prototyping build area, a production studio, and a marketing zone.

Meanwhile, Zest has also recruited an initial four staff in the UK and Eastern Europe with further appointments planned as it ramps up its commitment to sustainable product supply.   

Our Timber 

With the Zest range made from natural slow-grown sustainable FSC® (C114990) timber and crafted for comfort and style using DFMA (Design For Manufacture and Assembly) principles, the company is zealous in its pursuit of the ‘green’ agenda.

Using expertly selected timber from responsibly managed forests, the company is committed to re-planting and nurturing woodland habitat, both for the health of the planet, and to appreciate fully its use of this natural material. 

Sustainability & Environment 

This year, Zest is collaborating with its main Polish manufacturing partners on a re-planting scheme, while in Wales, it is looking to collaborate in a joint project, promoting, and demonstrating the sustainable management of wooded habitats.

Zest is also working with suppliers to reduce packaging as well as re-manufacturing non-standard pallets into new ‘tree saver’ pallets, maximizing lifecycle. Zest is promoting Factory Direct delivery for bulk loads to minimise road mileage and packaging.

Managing director, Steve Morgan commented,  

“Being outdoors, feeling close to nature and enjoying our outside spaces has become more important than ever; and our current products are massively in demand.

“Customer satisfaction and innovation are both key to Zest and we are investing in design ideas and sustainable product supply to ensure we remain ahead of the game.”