About Us
About The Good Florist Guide
The Good Florist Guide was born out of a need to distinguish between the florists who are worth your time and money and those who aren’t. Our member portfolio boasts the very best of the best that there are on offer.
There are hundreds of wonderful florist shops and businesses in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
There are also some seriously bad ones too. Never mind all the dodgy online operators that pop up every week and charge far more than they should for a less than wonderful buying experience.
How it Works
Our team seek out florists who put their full heart and personality into their work so that we can readily guarantee a wonderful shopping experience from each of them. Good Florist Guide members (GFGers) go the extra mile for their customers; they stock the freshest flowers, they keep ahead of the trends, they know what they’re talking about and, above all, they care.
To assure only the best are accredited, each verified GFG florist has either submitted an extensive portfolio or been personally recommended to us and are invited or visited to check they meet our high standards.
Only if they make the grade on all elements are they awarded with the Good Florist Guide roundel; something one of our members once described as being ‘the Michelin star for florists’. The certificate is re-issued every year to make sure GFG florists are consistently delivering astounding floristry for their customers.
About Caroline Marshall-Foster
Good Florist Guide is the brainchild of Caroline Marshall-Foster, the daughter of a florist and as editor of The Florist Magazine (the UK flower industry’s oldest trade magazine) considered a bit of an expert on the subject of sourcing the best flowers and plants!
Fed up of seeing her friends let down when they ordered flowers back in ’90s, she decided to share her little black book of favourite florists with them and suddenly the idea of creating something that everyone could use was born.
The result… an incredibly easy way for customers to pick up the phone and order flowers from a tried and tested florist, just like Caroline would do herself.
Good Florist Guide is part of Purple Spotted Media, a specialist communications company for the flower and plant industry. With a printing pedigree that goes back to 1949 when the first issue of The Florist rolled off the presses, the company now operates from a digital platform and works for some of the top names in the flower industry here and abroad. If you’re looking for a brilliant florist then you’ve come to the right site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anyone who runs a professional and legitimate business selling flowers can apply so we have all sorts of independent florists, ranging from large city centre florists to smaller out of town retailers as well as studio and events florists working out of workshops.
Size and style are not important, but all the businesses in the GFG work to the highest standards of floristry, creating designs which are fresh and innovative. Each florist will take the time to listen to what sort of flowers you really want and tailor make something to suit.
GFG is open to all florists trading as a commercial business but all applications are vetted and voted on before the GFG accreditation is given and no one can buy a membership. There are three ways a florist can become part of the GFG movement.
1. Submit a portfolio
This includes a personal statement as well as photographs of their work, their premises, references, testimonials and anything else they think is relevant. Once the application has been checked over for accuracy by GFG HQ, the application is put out to vote by current GFGers.
2. Nomination
Current GFGers, wholesalers and members of the public can nominate florists they believe should be in the GFG movement. A shorter form will need to be completed but again the nomination will be put out to vote amongst the existing GFG membership.
3. Personal invitation
With more than 40 years of industry knowledge, not to mention a little black book to die for, the team at GFG HQ know an awful lot of wonderful florists who deserve to be part of the movement. As such they receive a personal invitation from Caroline.
However, whichever way a person is chosen to be part of Good Florist Guide, no money changes hands until the final stage; as we say no one can buy their way in!
A florist shop operates from retail premises on a high street or parade. A studio florist can operate from a workshop, studio, industrial outlet or garden centre.
Both regularly do a wide range of wedding, funeral, events and contract work but not all studio florists are able to offer same day delivery so won’t show up if you put that as one of your search terms. Event Florists only do weddings, parties and corporate events.
Not until they’ve gone through the accreditation process and only if accepted will they pay a nominal annual fee to cover the running costs. Like it’s counterparts – Good Pub, Good Food, Good Hotel Guide – the Good Florist Guide is about quality and giving flower buyers a mark of trust. It isn’t designed to make big bucks although we do hope to contribute something to our chosen charity, the wonderful Teenage Cancer Trust.
Not at all. In fact you may well get more for your money because you will be dealing directly with the florist making your design rather than sending it through a third party who often deducts a commission.
Yes. If there is a florist on this list who either does an amazing job or doesn’t perform as well as you would expect then we would like to know. As before just send their details to hello@goodfloristguide.com
If you feel you are good enough to be included then we would love to hear from you. Simply apply via our website or email us at hello@goodfloristguide.com and we’ll be in touch.
Yes! If you know of a fantastic florist who isn’t on this list then we would love to hear about them. Simply email their details to hello@goodfloristguide.com and why you recommend they be invited to join.