28 Feb 2025
Amore Ristorante e Pizzeria on Ingram Street, Glasgow was announced winner of The Robertson Silver Spade award at this year’s ‘Let Glasgow Flourish’ awards, held today at Trades Hall. The restaurant received the accolade for their magnificent floral displays, which focus on the red, white and green of the Italian flag. Owner, Eufemio Perella; Romano (his son and General Manager) and Jordan Tam (Restaurant Manager) are pictured outside the restaurant with the Silver Spade.
Commenting on the win, Romano Perella, General Manager, Amore Ristorante e Pizzeria, said: “We're delighted to have won The Robertson Silver Spade Award at the Let Glasgow Flourish Awards. We want to make the exterior of the restaurant colourful and entice dinners from both home and abroad to try our wonderful restaurant. Our floral displays brighten up Ingram Street and we’re happy to play a part in making Glasgow a flourishing and welcoming place for local, national and international visitors."
Other winners include a number of hospitality businesses across the city. The DRG Group won gold, silver and bronze awards for their floral displays in their city centre venues including - Barolo, Amarone and The Citizen. Last year’s winners, Meze Meze, won a gold award along with Mharsanta, La Vita, The Corinthian Club and The Merchant Chippie. Silver award winners included Ardnamurchan, Sloans, The Islay Inn and The Ubiquitous Chip.
Local office premises, including Woolgar Hunter, The Robertson Trust and HF Group were also awarded silver for their floral displays.
Places of worship across the city were commended for enhancing their outdoor areas, including King’s Park Church; Struthers Memorial Church; Baitul Rahman Mosque and Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib.
Commenting on the awards, Stephen Docherty, Deacon of The Incorporation of Gardeners, said: "We’re thrilled to present this year’s Let Glasgow Flourish Awards, now in their 42nd year. Congratulations to Amore Ristorante e Pizzeria for winning The Robertson Silver Spade and to all the businesses who were awarded bronze, silver and gold awards today. This year is the 850th anniversary of the city and never has there been a more important time for it to look its best. We’re delighted that so many of our businesses play their part in enhancing their outdoor areas and entrances with beautiful planting and floral displays.”
Competition judges (who are all volunteers associated with The Incorporation of Gardeners) explored businesses throughout Glasgow during the first two weeks in August 2024, while the flowers were in full bloom, and awarded points for each display they found, culminating in a list of finalists. The overall prize is The Robertson Silver Spade, which the winner keeps for one year. Bronze and silver winners received certificates and gold winners received certificates and trophies.
The awards ceremony was attended by representatives from the Incorporation and the wider Trades House crafts and associated organisations, along with representatives of 75 local businesses and organisations which won awards. Awards were presented by Jacqueline McLaren, Lord Provost of Glasgow.
The awards were launched in 1983 by The Incorporation of Gardeners of Glasgow and the Robertson Silver Spade was first awarded in 1992. Prizes are given at three different levels and presented to commercial or other organisations within the city which create and maintain an arboreal or floral display of a high standard which enhances the local area. The awards are available for projects from simple hanging baskets and window box displays to larger impressive and ambitious plantings. This year’s judging was across the city and took in the city centre, east end, west end, south side and Merchant City areas.
The Incorporation of Gardeners of Glasgow was founded around 1605 as a trade guild to protect the gardening and horticulture trade in the city. It now operates solely as a charity, giving significant grants each year to not-for-profit gardening projects in the city, recently including support for projects at The Everywhere Garden at The Royal Hospital for Children and The Children's Wood in the North Kelvinside area. The Incorporation also provides study bursaries to gardening and horticultural students.
The full list of awards winners are as follows:
‘LET GLASGOW FLOURISH’ AWARD WINNERS 2024 (AWARDED FEBRUARY 2025)
BRONZE
Barolo
BCC Limited
Café Andaluz
Caffe Parma
Cairns Bar
Chaophraya
Gloriosa
Grumpy Barista
Hanoi Bike Shop
Hillhead Tennis Club
Hugs & Mugs
Malaga Tapas
Malones
Murphy’s Bar
Oran Mor
St Ninian’s Church
Rumbling Tum
Sandyford Henderson Memorial Church
St Ninian’s Church
Struthers Memorial Church
Shawlands Trinity Church
The Chrystal Bell
The Drum and Monkey
The Ivy
The McMillan
The Piper Bottle Shop
The Sir John Moore
The State Bar
The Waterloo
Wee Paree
WestGate Property
Zhima
SILVER
aBode Hotel
Amarone
Ardnamurchan
Argyll Hotel
Atlantic Brasserie
Brel
Browns
Baitul Rahman Mosque
Dawncrest Limited
Dram
Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib
HF Group
Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel
Kintyre House
Kothel
Malmaison Hotel
Manuka
Radisson Red
Roots, Fruits and Flowers
Salt & Vinegar
Sloans
The Baby Grand
The Bothy
The Butchershop
The Counting House
The Crystal Palace
The Hengler’s Circus
The Horseshoe Bar
The Islay Inn
The Maltman
The Piper Bar
The Robertson Trust
The Steps Bar
The Regent Bar
The Three Judges
The Ubiquitous Chip
Woolgar Hunter
GOLD
La Vita
Merchant Chippie
Meze Meze
Mharsanta
The Citizen
The Corinthian Club
Gamba
THE ROBERTSON SILVER SPADE
Amore Ristorante e Pizzeria
