A WINCHESTER man has been awarded in recognition of his career contribution to the UK horticultural industry. 

Mike Mann won the Carlo Naef Trophy which was gifted to the Springfields Horticultural Society to mark the 90th birthday of their chairman Carlo Naef.

Each year, the trophy is awarded by the trustees of the society in acknowledgement of the work carried out by the recipient for the UK flower and flower bulb industry.

David Norton, chief executive of Springfields Horticultural Society, said: “Following his time at the Royal Agricultural College, Mike pursued a career in conventional agriculture until joining Winchester Growers in 1986 where he was first introduced to daffodils as a commercial crop.

“Mike became a director in 1990 and Winchester Growers grew to a significant size operating from sites in Hampshire and Cornwall. In 1995 Mike was part of the team carrying out an MBO and relocated to Cornwall taking the role of production director. In 1997 a third operating site at Pinchbeck was acquired and he took overall responsibility for growing operations there as well.

“Over the next 12 years or so Winchester Growers became the largest grower packer of bulb based plants and outdoor flowers in the UK supplying all the main supermarkets and exporting to Europe and the USA with a portfolio of over 800 hectares of daffodils (principally in Cornwall), over five hectares of protected flowers (principally tulips and lilies) and a further 50 hectares of outdoor flowers in the Spalding area.

Hampshire Chronicle: Mike Mann

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“In 2011, he took a step back but formed a Horticultural Consultancy as well as taking on the running of the National Dahlia Collection which he continued with until 2019.

“Over this 25 year period Mike served for 11 years initially with HDC as a member of the Protected Crops Panel and then with AHDB as chair of the Bulbs and Outdoor Flowers Panel which led to a period of six years on the main board of AHDB Horticulture.

"He also served on the BOPP (British Ornamental Plant Producers) committee for many years, was part of the team setting up the Cut Flower Centre at Kirton and represented the Cut Flower Industry on the influential RHS committee promoting horticulture as a major element of health and wellbeing. He also served for many years on the RHS dahlia trials panel.

“In the latter part of his time with Winchester and then whilst holding the National Dahlia Collection Mike got involved with the RHS Flower Shows and won some 18 gold medals including eight at Chelsea.”

Mr Norton added: “Mike retired formally in 2019 but continues to retain connections within the horticultural industry and is still working at the major RHS and other regional flower shows as a part of more than one gold medal winning teams.”

The award was presented by Adrian Jansen, chairman of Springfields Horticultural Society at the society’s spring flower show and daffodil competition. 

Mr Mann said “This is a very exclusive group and I am truly humbled that my industry colleague’s have invited me to join it. The horticultural industry has provided me with both a fulfilling and rewarding life and I would always urge young people to consider it as a very worthwhile and interesting career choice.”