Karen Sherwin Crowned Interflora Florist of the Future
Karen Sherwin of George Preston Florists in Newry, County Down, has clinched the top prize in the prestigious Interflora Florist of the Future 2011 competition, representing Northern Ireland in the grand final held on Sunday 24th July at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show. Karen fended off tough opposition from ten other florists from across the UK,impressing the judges with her originality and innovation. She was joint first in the cottage garden party hat creation and second in both the bridal design and free expression Japanese piece.
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Commenting on her win, Karen said: “I’m shocked and delighted to have come first! It’s been a wonderful experience, and we’ve certainly been pushed to the limits. I still can’t quite believe how well my designs came together on the day. I’m particularly chuffed with my bridal piece as it’s one of the areas of floristry I’m most interested in.“This competition has been a superb experience, and credit should go to everyone for the exceptional workmanship on show this year. My friends and family have given me so much support, and that’s really made all the hard work worthwhile.”
Judge Susan Wills-Pope commented: “Karen and the other florists have created some absolutely beautiful pieces, and the standard has been extremely high. We’ve been very impressed by the level of technical ability and imagination that all the competitors have shown, particularly since they’ve only been in the industry for less than four years.” For the first time since 2004, the Interflora Florist of the Future competition grand finals took place in front of a live audience at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show in Knutsford, Cheshire.
Visitors were able to watch the finalists go up against the clock to construct their items, with many commenting on the ‘buzz’ surrounding the competitions. Helen Quinn, Interflora’s Commercial Director, who presented the prizes to the competitors, said: “Interflora is the UK and Ireland’s most recognised and trusted flower delivery service. Our network of over 1,800 expert florists in the UK and Ireland are highly skilled, creating inspirational designs day in day out. “This competition was established eleven years ago to represent newcomers to the industry, and to celebrate and nurture amazing new talent. I’ve been extremely impressed by the dedication of all our competitors, and they should be very proud of their achievements.”
To view footage from the event, visit Interflora’s Blog at http://blog.interflora.co.uk
About the competition:
The eleven finalists spent the last two years competing in tough regional heats to reach this stage of the competition.
Overall Florist of the Future 2011 Positions:
• 1st Place: Karen Sherwin - George Preston, Newry, Northern Ireland
• 2nd Place: Milly Davey - Going Dutch, Nelson, near Burnley, Lancashire
• 3rd Place: Charlotte Cooke - Hilary’s Four Seasons, Abergavenny, Wales
Overall Florist of the Future 2011 Schedule Positions:
Rose inspired bridal design:
• 1st Place: Milly Davey - Going Dutch, Nelson, near Burnley, Lancashire
• 2nd Place: Karen Sherwin - George Preston, Newry, Northern Ireland
• 3rd Place: Anneka Brown - Merrygardens, Deal, Kent
Japanese themed free expression piece:
• 1st Place: Samantha Kennedy - S. Kennedy Florist, Largs, Scotland
• 2nd Place: Karen Sherwin - George Preston, Newry, Northern Ireland
• 3rd Place: Charlotte Baker - Hubbard’s Florist, Coventry
Cottage garden party hat
• Joint 1st Place: Anneka Brown – Merrygardens, Deal, Kent
• Joint 1st Place: Karen Sherwin - George Preston, Newry, Northern Ireland
• 3rd Place: Charlotte Cooke - Hilary’s Four Seasons, Abergavenny, Wales
Surprise item for the Woodland Trust
• 1st Place: Charlotte Cooke - Hilary’s Four Seasons, Abergavenny, Wales
• 2nd Place: Milly Davey - Going Dutch, Nelson, near Burnley, Lancashire
• 3rd Place: Anneka Brown – Merrygardens, Deal, Kent
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