Kate Thomas Owner of Funky Flowers Level 3, 4 and 5 in Floristry at Merrist Wood College, Surrey
Over the past decade, bulk-bought, cheaply sold supermarket flowers have been forcing local florists to change their approach or go bust. When Kate Thomas decided to end a successful career in catering and open a floristry business, she knew that she had to carve her own niche to differentiate her work from the cut price flowers for sale in the high street. ‘I used to arrange the church flowers with my mum, so floristry’s always been something I’ve done,’ says Kate, who now creates individual floral designs and runs floristry workshops. ‘It wasn’t until I had the chance to change career in 1999 that I thought I could make a living out of it.’ As a result of her experience in the catering industry, where she completed several City & Guilds qualifications, Kate felt she needed vocational qualifications to help her build her business. Kate gained her Level 3 and 4 in Floristry and a Masters Diploma in Professional Floristry at Merrist Wood College. ‘The qualifications have not only
given me the skills to develop my business,’ says Kate, ‘they’ve helped me realise my ability. I can say, “I am a master florist.” That feels good.’