British growers are in the spotlight as the prime minister unveiled Downing Street's Christmas tree, sourced from a family-run farm on the England-Wales border.
A 19-foot Nordmann Fir from Evergreen Christmas Trees has been installed outside Number 10 in celebration of the craftsmanship of British growers.
The towering and decorated fir was lit up by Sir Keir Starmer at a switch-on celebration to herald the countdown to Christmas.
Evergreen Christmas Trees, a Welsh family-run business which has been growing since 1992, provided the Downing Street Christmas tree this year.
It was recently named Champion Christmas Tree Grower of the Year in an annual competition run by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA).
Stephen Reynolds from the family-run farm said supplying the tree that stands outside Number 10 'is a tremendous honour'.
"[It is] a wonderful opportunity to showcase the dedication, craftsmanship, and commitment of British Christmas tree growers," he added.
"Knowing our tree will be admired outside this iconic landmark by so many, we’ve taken great care in selecting the perfect tree for this special occasion.”
The Christmas tree was decorated by Jane and Rebecca Ingram of the Tree Barn, Watlington, Oxfordshire and Charlotte Gilbert of Wood Farm Christmas Trees, Solihull.
Russell Parkins, chair of BCTGA, said the body was 'delighted' to have British-grown Christmas trees on prominent display.
"We hope it serves as a reminder to the nation to source their real Christmas tree locally from one of our 300-plus members across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
“Congratulations to our champion growers, whose hard work on carefully managed plantations provides the perfect centrepieces for millions of families nationwide.”
