The Florist of the Year grand finalists 2011
The Interflora Florist of the Year grand final will be held at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Tatton Park flower show on Saturday 23 July. The competitors will be required to create four unique designs, including a bridal work, cottage garden party hat and a Japanese-themed free expression piece.
There will also be a surprise item for the Woodland Trust dinner dance that will really test the florists’ skills. We’ll be bringing you all the results of the event after 23 July, so watch this space.
Here are the grand finalists in the competition this year.
Clare Allen, Skipps Florist
Clare has worked in Interflora shops all her life and is now the proprietor of Skipps Florist in Biggleswade. She’s already won various competitions and medals and believes that competing inspires her artistically without restriction on cost, materials or time.
Sarah Horne, Sarah Horne Flowers
Sarah is an international designer and owner of an award-winning shop. She’s been awarded three gold medals, as well as silver gilt and bronze medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. This year she also won Chelsea Florist of the Year. Sarah attributes her passion and enthusiasm to her late mum, Jenny, who established the business in Leamington Spa almost 30 years ago.
Jennifer Murphy, Flowers By Moira
Jenny joined her mum, Moira, at the family florists in Dunshaughlin. In her first major competition she was the Irish regional winner of the 2009 Florist of the Future. Jenny enjoys competing as it allows her to try different techniques and test her creative skills.
Rebecca Fletcher, Kane’s Florist
When Rebecca completed her Higher Diploma in floristry she was awarded the Brian Reeve’s Trophy for achieving the highest marks in the theory components. She aspires to complete her level five in the future, but for now is content to enjoy the experience of competing.
Helen Pannitt, Helen James flowers
Helen has worked in the industry for 26 years and started her own business in Harrogate nine years ago. Helen’s talent has already been showcased – she qualified for the final of the Florist of the Year competition in 2009. She believes that experience has prepared for the final this year.
Neil Whittaker, Design Element
Neil has travelled the world both demonstrating and teaching. He’s been featured in the Independent on Sunday, won numerous gold medals and represented the UK in the Interflora World Cup last year. In addition, he won the Croatia International Competition in May and achieved first place in the UK BFA Florist of the Year Competition.
Tracey Griffin, Sandra’s Florist
Tracey enjoys competing and achieved many accolades in 2010, including a silver gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year competition. She’s looking forward to the grand final and can’t wait to get started on her competition pieces.
David Gough, Plantation
David started his career at an early age, spending his school holidays working in market gardens. Since then David has been busy building a successful business and helping out while his wife competed. Now that his wife has retired from competitions, David thought he would have a go and is delighted to be competing in the grand final.
Caroline Nicholls, Wigmore Florist
Caroline left school at 17 and joined the family business in Gillingham. She took over the business in 1999 and has been running it ever since. She’s actively interested in apprentice schemes and currently employs two junior florists. Caroline decided to enter competitions to encourage her junior florists for next year.
Amy Curtis-Whitfield, The Sodbury Florist
After working at The Sodbury Florist for two and a half years, the owner retired and Amy saw this as a great opportunity to purchase the shop. Amy achieved third place in the final of the BFA Young Florist of the Year competition. She enjoys competing as it allows her to use techniques that she does not use in her everyday work.
Anita Davis, A. J. Guttridge
After 13 years at A. J. Guttridge Anita decided to travel the world. Afterwards she briefly ran her own business, but gave that up to spend time with her young daughter. She’s now returned to A. J. Guttridge as manageress. This is the first major competition she has entered and she is excited by the challenge and the opportunities it presents.
The Florist of the Future grand finalists 2011
This competition gives young florists the chance to showcase their talent and creativity –will take place on Sunday 24 July. Competing florists will have to create four pieces, one of which is a surprise and will be revealed to them on the day.
Alongside this surprise piece they will have to create a bridal design, a piece with a Japanese theme and a floral hat for The Cottage Garden Society garden party.
Here are the florists who will be competing in the Florist of the Future grand final.
Amy Richardson, Perry Florist
Amy started her floristry career in 2007 when she joined Barfield College. While studying she took part in different floristry events and competitions. She joined Perry Florist in 2008 and has since gained valuable experience. She entered the competition for inspiration and is eager to see everyone else’s interpretations of the design briefs.
Charlotte Baker, Hubbard’s Florist
Charlotte discovered her passion for flowers while working in her grandfather’s flower shop as a Saturday girl. Charlotte has competed in a number of competitions, achieving second place at the BFA Wedding Shop Window competition at Tatton Park. She enjoys the thrill of competing.
Karen Sherwin, George Preston High Class Florist
Karen works for the family business and her progression into being a florist was a natural one after giving up her job as a catering manager. This is her first competition and she is looking forward to getting the whole shop excited and involved with the buzz that comes from participating.
Clare Levitt, Dandelyons
Clare began her floristry career as a Saturday girl making bows and cleaning buckets. With the encouragement of her boss, Clare has competed at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Eurofleurs. She believes that competing and listening to judges’ feedback helps perfect your skills and recognise your mistakes so they can be improved on in the future.
Laura Dring, Greycourt Florists
While at college, Laura took part in many different competitions including UK Skills and was part of the winning group at the New Covent Garden Flower Market in 2009. She is looking forward to the final and will be counting on her family and colleagues’ support and encouragement.
Milly Davey, Going Dutch
Milly attended junior flower club from the age of six and after winning many awards she became a Saturday girl at Going Dutch in Nelson. This is Milly’s first major competition and she is both excited and a little nervous.
Samantha Kennedy, S. Kennedy Florist
Samantha’s background is in textiles so she loves to incorporate detail and design into her floristry work. She thinks that competing makes her a better florist, as she can learn so much from the judges’ feedback. One of the most exciting parts for Samantha is seeing how other florists interpret the themes.
June White, Bouquets
For 12 years June enjoyed driving a wholesale van, delivering and selling to local florists. After many years of doing this she looked at the florists and thought ‘I could do that’. June joined the local flower club and, after winning a few gold medals, competing became addictive.
Anneka Brown, Merrygardens
Anneka first discovered her passion for floristry at school when she completed her work experience in the local florist’s shop. The owner was so impressed that she offered Anneka a Saturday job. Since completing a floristry course at college, Anneka has been working at Merrygardens in Deal where she was encouraged to enter this competition.
Hannah Barlow, The Sodbury Florist
Hannah has competed in the regional heats of the Florist of the Future competition in previous years, but this is her first time in the final. Hannah believes her foundation degree in art has really helped her gain ideas and be creative in many aspects of floristry. She loves competing because it gives her the challenge to make something different and unusual.
Charlotte Cooke, Hilary’s Four Seasons Florists
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Charlotte joined the family floristry business. Recently she has enjoyed a successful couple of years by becoming UK Skills Gold Medallist in 2009 and competing in the Chelsea Young Florist of the Year in 2010 and 2011. Charlotte thrives on the freedom competing gives her as she can experiment with different techniques and styles.