Sir Gavin Williamson visited Winnie and Olive, an independent florists based in Kinver, to discuss support for British floriculture.
Sir Gavin recently visited Winnie and Olive, one the few shops in the country to sell exclusively British-grown flowers all year round, and spoke with Director Vanessa Sweeney about the importance of championing British floriculture.
In particular, he learned more about the challenges facing British growers, including increased fuel prices and competition from abroad. In 2022, 86% of cut flowers sold in the UK were imported from abroad, despite clear consumer demand for British-grown flowers and their smaller carbon footprint.
Sir Gavin said: “It was a delight to visit Winnie and Olive and I was inspired by their commitment to selling homegrown flowers. Our flower industry is facing particularly challenging times right now, so it is crucial that we continue to support farmers by buying British. I will continue to advocate for British floriculture in Parliament, and I strongly encourage my constituents to pay Winnie and Olive a visit.”
Vanessa added: “We wanted to talk to Sir Gavin about how Parliament can support flower farmers, incentivising homegrown blooms and increasing the supply of a product we know people want. British flowers carry a carbon footprint that is a tiny fraction of those flown from abroad. We have decided to dedicate our business to being 100% British-grown to show other high street flower shops it's possible. Anyone interested in talking to us about our mission can contact us, we're happy to share our journey.”
