When a florist friend asked Allan to help out one Mother’s Day, he was hesitant at first, as you might be if you had been running a pub and restaurant for the last fourteen years. But always ready to lend a hand he agreed and found, to his surprise, that he rather liked it. So much so in fact that he changed careers, giving up being a publican and retraining as a florist.
Allan is dyslexic, so was initially worried that this might be a problem when it came to studying, but his tutors recognised his ability and passion and were encouraging from the start, giving him the confidence to grow and develop. The career change paid off when, in 2018, he qualified for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Florist of the Year Competition and won a bronze medal. This achievement was only just topped in 2022 when he won Floristry Tutor of the Year at the BFA awards.
‘I love teaching, not just City and Guilds, but especially classes for people with learning difficulties. Being dyslexic myself I feel it’s important to show people that if you’ve got the talent, it will show itself regardless. It’s a similar situation with the older people I teach, many of them are bamboozled by computers and the modern world, so to be able to connect with flowers is wonderful. Watching their enthusiasm is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching.’
‘Floristry is not just a job, it’s a passion and an exciting career that can take you anywhere in the world. You can be making a hand-tied in your shop one day and be flown out to create a wedding abroad the next. There’s nothing quite like it.’
