Chesterfield in Derbyshire is an old mining town with a deep sense of close-knit community at its heart, and this warmth is demonstrated amply by Sam Brailsford and her team at Fresh Ideas Florist, who have been a presence in the town for twenty-five years.
Forced to relocate in the summer of 2022, Sam was determined to stay not just in the same neighbourhood but on the same road where they had been firmly established since 1999. After a stressful few months of searching, they finally moved on December 23rd, managing to keep the shop open all the way through the process, despite it being one of the busiest times in the florists’ calendar.
‘The premises we moved to were bigger, over three floors. So, with the extra space we now can run the shop and hold lots of different classes to suit all kinds of people. And it’s not just floristry, you can learn Spanish, have drawing lessons, we’ve even done gin tasting, which was very successful!’
For Sam and her staff, it’s all about their customers though. ‘We rate ourselves on our customer service, and we like to give back to the incredible community here when we can. For example, Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield is a hub for the town, and if we have some lovely seasonal flowers in stock, we often donate little posies for the patients’ rooms. We are so lucky, surrounded daily by the beauty of flowers, it feels only right to spread that joy.
‘For me, floristry is all about the love of flowers. I know that times are hard, and flowers can be expensive, but I would rather follow my passion and work for nothing than work somewhere where I didn’t love what I do.’
