Business blossoming a year after award win
STUART PIKE
FLORIST Rachel McClure’s arrangements are made from the heart - so it is no wonder Garlands caught the eye of the Hyndburn Business Awards judges.
The flower shop, on Union Road, Oswaldtwistle has blossomed after success at last year’s inaugural awards.
The 2017 awards have already had more nominations than last year and businesses can still be put forward for a trophy, closing date Tuesday, April 18.
Rachel and her husband Simon bought the business in 2003, but Garlands first opened in 1991.
Rachel, 44, said: “My parents nearly bought a florists when I was 12 but it would have meant we would have had to sell our house so they decided against it.
“After driving for a florists shop in Blackburn, I then went to Myerscough College for three years on a part-time course and took my floristry exams. Our first shop was on Fishergate in Preston in 1993, then we opened a shop in the Accrington Arcade in 1995.”
Last year customers nominated the business for the awards, and Rachel was amazed to win in the Retail category.
“When they announced we had won, I was so excited I was jumping up and down,” she said. “It was quite a shock for us.”
Rachel said their website has seen a big increase in visitors since. She said: “Oswaldtwistle has changed since the shop first opened in the 1990s when there were big factories, people got paid weekly and they would call in on their way home. Now a quarter of our business is through our website and we have customers from as far away as Australia, Dubai and Canada. The most unusual item we have been asked to make was for another local business Rosettes Direct who wanted artifi- cial laurel wreath collars for the Horse of the Year Show.”
She added: “To be a florist it helps to be arty, have an eye for design, know how to put different tex- tures and colours together and be able to think outside the box. You are serving customers at the highest and lowest points in their life, from weddings to funerals. My arrange- ments are from my heart.”
The company received a loan from Dave Fishwick’s Burnley Savings and Loans. Her business featured on his Channel 4 programme Bank of Dave and they have become firm friends. To nominate for the 2017 awards visit http:// www. hyndburnbusinessawards.co.uk/
The Accrington Town Hall ceremony is in June.