Florist makes flowers for funerals based on everything from Peppa Pig to a replica tank

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 19/07/2018


From Peppa Pig to a giant teacup, Central England Co-operative today publishes new research that shows how people are coming up with creative ideas to help honour loved ones with unique floral tributes.

Based on the feedback of expert florists from our 10 Floral shops, Central England Co-op has found that traditional funeral floral arrangements such as ‘Mum’ and ‘Dad’ are now being replaced following a rise in demand for out of the ordinary flowers, bespoke to the person who has passed away.

Data collected has revealed that florists are being inundated with a wide range of requests to personalise funeral flowers to ensure they truly reflect the person they are for.

Examples from the past 12 months include:

  • A lifesize version of a family dog laying on a bed of grass
  • A replica of Peppa Pig
  • A 2ft high teacup and saucer
  • A floral version of a camera for a photographer
  • A 3ft replica of a bottle of tomato sauce
  • A replica of a church and its grounds
  • A wreath made completely out of vegetables
  • Teddy bears, guitars, frogs, dancing shoes, a horses head, a tank and a caravan were among the other creations put together by the Central England Co-op Floral team

This demand for bespoke floral tributes comes at a time when people are having a greater say on planning and personalising their own unique funeral.

This shift towards personalisation has also coincided with a notable rise in people opting to buy pre-paid funeral plans to ensure that funeral costs do not fall on their family, or to fill out a free funeral wishes form to ensure they get the tailored send-off that they want.

Gail Simmonds, one of the many talented florists that works for Central England Co-op, shed light on how some of these amazing creations come to life.

She said: “We pride ourselves on always trying to accommodate what people want – no matter what it is.

“People often come in with a set idea or photo and then it is up to me and my team to see if we can make that happen.

“Aside from normal funeral arrangements, we get asked to do a wide variety of things, ranging from a dog in a kennel to a three foot bottle of tomato ketchup.

“We love these challenges as it means we are able to indulge our creative side and come up with solutions.

“Some of the most recent creations that spring to mind include a caravan, a replica of the three-wheeled cars from Only Fools and Horses and even a frying pan.

“We really enjoy what we do and love to be able to come up with something wonderful to help honour the life of a loved one.”

Central England Co-op has florists in Burton, Chesterfield, Derby, Droitwich, Great Barr, Kettering, Kingstanding, Leicester, Stafford and Birmingham.

As well as providing tributes to loved ones, they also specialise in weddings, christenings, birthdays and a wide variety of other special occasions.

People can find out more about our Floral offering by visiting www.centralengland.coop/florists

 

Notes to editors

 

About Central England Co-operative

 

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. 

 

It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with the Society’s principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, travel shops, and property investment.

 

Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2018.

 

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

 

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

 

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

 

Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140

 

Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop