It all started with a phone call, a ladder and a wheelbarrow full of flowers.
Lets start at the beginning…
As soon as I could walk and talk, I would potter around ‘My Uncle Brian’s” Riverside Nurseries in Hendon. However, when it came time for me to pick my own path in life, I initially moved away from flowers and chose to pursue dreams of travel and cookery.
The funny thing is life never turns out how you plan it and I actually only got as far as the Isle of Wight after landing the enviable position of Head Chef at The Bugle Inn at Brading.
After a successful stint in the pub game, I returned to the mainland and began a landscaping and cold-water fish business (Well, if I could cook them, then I could sell them!) within the familiar setting of Riverside. It was there that I received a phone call from The Old Wheatsheaf in Enfield, London, who wanted advice on how to transform the pub’s kerb-side appeal.
So, with my green-fingered heritage and deep understanding of the pub trade, I loaded my barrow with baskets and blooms and Chelsea Direct was born.
Fast forward 30 (something) years and we now have our own nursery nestled in Bedfordshire countryside where I work with an amazing team and some wonderful clients that I can happily call my friends.