The words ‘organic’ and ‘ethical’ are beginning to sound a little gimmicky in today’s culture as more and more businesses adopt these terms as a selling point. But for the founders of Bella & Fifi Flowers in Bristol, organic and ethical produce isn’t just a marketing strategy – it’s the very driving force of the business.

“Looking around, we felt that a lot of flower shops were stuck in a bit of a rut and not really giving people enough choice to buy locally grown flowers,” explains Bella. “People are really disconnected with their environment and that seems such a shame…there really is no reason not to buy local and seasonal flowers; they’re beautiful. Besides, there’s something not quite right about flying flowers half way around the world.”
Bella and Fifi decided to start selling flowers after both realized they were in need of a career change from the voluntary sector. Both are self-taught florists with art degrees, and they believe that this unconventional route into floristry makes their bouquets stand out. Their flowers are sourced from local suppliers such as Jo’s Organic Blooms in nearby Frampton Cottrell and allotments in St Werburghs, a mile from where the business is based. All growers are expected to look after their workers and use environmentally friendly techniques. Bella explains that this appeals to their customers, many of whom had stopped buying flowers because of the conditions many workers are subjected to in flower farms overseas.

In the winter, the company sells flowers from Fairtrade-certified farms, along with berries, attractive foliage and winter flowers. “It’s just the same as eating more seasonally, which there is a growing trend towards. When it comes to flowers, I think we need to learn to appreciate the seasons more and be creative about what’s available.”

If you’re wandering through Bristol, you might come across Bella & Fifi’s beautiful ‘Bee’ van, filled with blousy bouquets of seasonal flowers and manned by two very stylish and passionate sellers. Enthusiasm is already catching on for the Bella & Fifi vision, and Bella and Fifi are hoping to start selling a greater range of seasonal flowers in a wider range of locations. “Think of us as an ice cream van for flowers. Maybe we will get a chime and turn up in different streets at different times. We want to work as innovatively and as creatively as possible. Flowers make us and other people happy and so we’re very lucky to be able to work with nature every day.”

Visit Bella & Fifi’s website