Flower Market Guide - New Covent Garden Market

n e w c o v e n t g a r d e n f l o w e r m a r k e t
the essential guide
to the UK’s premier Flower Market
plants flowers foliage sundries

This is your insider’s guide to New Covent Garden Flower Market - the biggest and best wholesale Flower Market in
the UK. New Covent Garden Flower Market offers:
the UK’s inspirational hub for
British cut flowers
and foliage
choice from nearly
20 companies
specialising in
sensational cut flowers
from all over the globe
the best place for plants with
six plant specialists
offering everything from
British seasonal
bedding plants to
mature Italian topiary
For more information about visiting New Covent Garden Flower Market and how to
buy here visit www.newcoventgardenmarket.com
2
the ultimate
one-stop shop
for all your floristry needs
flowers, foliage,
plants and sundries
under one massive roof
home to the UK’s
unrivalled experts
in seasonal British and world
foliages
the best, widest and most exciting range of
sundries and
event materials
this side of the Channel
decades of
industry knowledge
and expertise
to advise and support you
the chance to
see, touch and smell
before you buy
the Focus for Flowers
at the heart of London
exciting events to inspire and inform
professional florists featuring
floral demonstrations,
workshops, installations,
business briefings and
networking opportunities
register online for updates
Read on
to find
out more!

Eric: John Austin
Joe (r):
Derek Hardcastle
30+ traders,
flower schools
and florists
how to buy
door to door delivery
our customers
flower market events
flower wholesalers
foliage wholesalers
plant wholesalers
sundries wholesalers
on-site florists and landscapers
on-site flower schools
the Flower Market floor plan
location, location, location
contact us
contents
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28
3

how to buy
opening hours
The Flower Market is open from 3am to
11am Monday to Friday, and from 4am to
10am on Saturdays, with some traders
opening or closing earlier or later than these
core hours. Remember that mornings are
also the best time to catch your salesman
on the phone, fax or email. These midnight
wakers are not generally around
an annual
entry permit
will save you
money
in the afternoons.
how to get in
There is an entry charge of
£5 per vehicle payable at the
security gate (it’s free if you’re on
foot). If you visit the Market regularly, you
will find it cheaper to buy an annual entry
permit. For more info and to get your permit
please call CGMA on 020 7720 2211.
where to park
Once you’re inside the gates, parking
is free and there are plenty of spaces
around the outside of the Flower Market.
Please make sure you park inside the
marked bays to avoid blocking traffic.
quantity and pricing
This is a wholesale market, so sales are in
wraps, trays, boxes and not by the stem.
4
Prices are not marked up as
they fluctuate according to
supply and demand. If you are
comparing prices, consider the
quality, variety, stem length and number
of stems in a wrap. Ask the salesman for
his best price, and don’t forget that volume
commands better rates. Prices are quoted
excluding VAT. There is no minimum
purchase.
Ken: S R Allen
paying
Cash is still king in the Flower Market,
although many traders now accept credit
cards and some accept cheques. Payment
on account is for established clients only.
porters
If you need help getting your
purchases to your car, ask your
salesman. He will arrange for a
porter to assist you and will
advise on the tipping charge,
generally around £5.
delivery to your door
Most traders have their own vans delivering
into Central London every day. However,
Flower Market Delivered may be the
solution if you are based outside the M25.
To find out more go to pages 6 and 7.
it’s cold all year round!
To ensure that your flowers are kept
in perfect condition, the temperature
in the Flower Market is kept at 12OC, so
remember to wear warm clothes and
sensible footwear.
hot drinks and butties
two
on-site cafés
to choose
from
The essential fare of the Flower
Market Florist, hot drinks and
delicious hot butties are to be
found in the Village Café (across
the car park from door 7) and at Coffee
Break (beneath the Market clock).
personal shoppers
If you want to buy from a variety of traders,
but can't travel down to the Flower Market
in person, try contacting:
Paul Winyard at EJH Flowers
(T 020 7622 6376 www.ejhflowers.co.uk)
or Peter Green of Smith & Green
(T 020 7498 2289 www.smithandgreen.com).
These two Flower Market veterans know
the Market inside out, and use their
established relationships with traders to
buy materials in line with your commercial
and quality criteria. The products are then
carefully packaged and dispatched to
your door.

Ronnie: Bloomfield
See, touch and smell
flowers before you buy.
5

door to door delivery
If you can’t get to the Flower Market, let Flower Market Delivered
come to you!
Many florists make a weekly or monthly
pilgrimage to the Flower Market in search
of those inspirational materials that just
can’t be found at local wholesalers, such
as British-grown produce, more unusual,
eye-catching flowers, fascinating foliage
and inspirational sundries.
Visiting the Flower Market to see the
produce first hand is obviously the best
way to buy, but for those
who simply can’t visit
in person, the Flower
Market can come to
you with the new
Flower Market
Delivered service.
A number of key wholesalers
have linked up with a major courier to offer
next day deliveries of flowers and foliages to
addresses nationwide.
6
next day
deliveries
nationwide!
Wholesalers currently offering this
service are:
C Best: sundries
Bloomfield: flowers
R Cook & Sons Ltd: flowers
R French & Sons: flowers
Derek Hardcastle: flowers
D G Wholesale: flowers
Orchid House: cut & potted orchids
Goodchild: flowers
Porters Foliage: foliage
For up-to-the-minute listings visit:
www.newcoventgardenmarket.com
/flowers
This is how to use Flower Market Delivered:
➊ Pick your wholesaler from the list above
offering the Flower Market Delivered
service.
➋ Call, fax or email your wholesaler with
your order
➌ Ask your trader for their delivery charge
➍ Tell your wholesaler when you would
like to receive delivery ie by 9am, 10am,
12 noon or 4pm
➎ Your wholesaler will carefully pack your
flower boxes and arrange for the
courier to collect that morning
➏ The courier will deliver to your door the
next day at the time requested
➐ The cost of delivery will be added to
your invoice.
visit our
website to
find out
more

Let the Flower Market come to you!
7

our customers
New Covent Garden Flower Market is a mecca for florists, interior designers, decorators, stylists, landscapers,
garden designers, gardeners, major lifestyle magazines, event production companies and window dressers. Its
eclectic mix of flowers, foliage and plants from Britain and the wider world together with a staggering array of
floristry sundries and decorative materials makes for a one-stop shop unique in the UK. Here are just some of our
fabulous Flower Market florists.
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flower market events
Throughout the year, New Covent Garden Flower Market runs an exciting and wide-ranging programme of seasonal
events to inform and inspire our flower professionals.
Topics include the fascinating and
educational Foliage Masterclasses,
Summer Wedding Inspiration with its
profusion of British summer flowers, the
festive Christmas Preview and plenty
more besides.
The winning combination of floral
demonstrations, workshops and floral
design installations by the top names in UK
floristry, with relevant and insightful business
talks by leading industry experts, has
attracted thousands of florists to the Flower
Market over recent years. Packed with
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inspirational ideas, fascinating product
information and the chance to network with
colleagues and businesses in the industry,
they offer a great insight into the benefits of
the Flower Market, and are redefining New
Covent Garden Market from a purely
wholesale location to a Focus for Flowers.
Details on forthcoming events can be found
on our website at
www.newcoventgardenmarket.com
Flower Market Workshop
flower market college day
The next generation of Flower Market
Florists is given special access to the
workings of New Covent Garden Market in
our annual Flower Market College Day.
Hundreds of floristry students from
colleges across the UK descend on the
Flower Market every November, some
engaged on tours, challenges, talks and
workshops, whilst others embark on
real-time competition work, buying,
designing and creating a commercial brief
on a tight budget.
Karen Woolven Bryan: Porters Foliage Brian: Wild About

Euphoric Flowers
An exciting programme of events
to inform and inspire.
Louise Roffey
Jayne Copperwaite
College Day College Day
Hayford & Rhodes
Claire Cowling
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flower wholesalers
There are currently nearly 20 traders
of cut flowers at New Covent Garden
Flower Market.
Some source from just a couple
of key Dutch exporters, but
many more manage extensive
networks of suppliers in Britain
and overseas. You can see the
value of this strategy in the sheer
range and quality on offer on their stands.
There you will find varieties you never
realised existed in shades to suit any scheme.
Traders can track down unusual orders, such
as peonies in November from New Zealand,
for the client who will not take ‘out of season’
as an answer!
➊ Pick the flower wholesaler to suit
your business.
➋ Look at their specialism:
Is it British?
Is it premium quality or short
stemmed and cheaper?
Is it variety or a core, classic range?
12
Donates traders who also source from British
growers. All traders source internationally.
flowers
from all four
corners of the
globe
Alagar
Bobby Armitt
Dennis Edwards
Andy Noble
Richie Edwards
t 020 7498 0170
f 020 7498 0171
e alagar@hotmail.co.uk
Allen, S Robert
Paul Stevens
Ken Seal
John Cane
Trevor Clackett
t 020 7720 9432
f 020 7627 8029
e srallenltd1@aol.com
Austin, John
David Donovan
Lee Ward
t 020 7720 6835
f 020 7627 3645
The B&D Flower
Company Ltd
Robert Palmer
t 020 7498 2289
f 020 7720 5388
e elvislives25@hotmail.co.uk
B & P Flowers
Barry Johnson
t 020 7627 3285
f 020 7738 8585
Bloomfield
John Hardcastle
m 07552 124424
f 020 7720 5550
e bloomfieldflowers
@hotmail.co.uk
e jhardc6482@aol.com
Boomerang Flowers
Jeff Edwards
t 020 7498 3578
m 07875 654 253
f 020 7498 3578
e sales@
boomerangflowers.co.uk
w boomerangflowers.co.uk
Cook & Sons, R
Robert Cook
t 020 7622 7372
f 020 7627 3171
D G Wholesale Flowers
David Gibbs
t 020 7738 8070
f 01920 461503
e d.g_wholesaleflowers
@hotmail.co.uk

Deanos Flowers
Colin & Dean Porter
t 020 7720 0343
m 07737 357071 (Dean)
f 020 7720 0343
e dean@deanosflowers.co.uk
w deanosflowers.co.uk
E Four
Bradley Howe
Michael Burgess
Terry Collins
t 020 7627 5222
f 020 7622 8261
e sales@efoursales.co.uk
w efoursales.co.uk
French & Sons, R G
Darren French
t 020 7622 6212
m 07752 473379
f 020 8467 7452
Goodchild, A
George Stokes
t 020 7720 7474
f 020 7498 3916
e a.goodchild.ltd
@btconnect.com
Hardcastle Ltd, Derek
Bob Hardcastle
t 020 7720 2049
m 07971 463594
f 020 7720 2049
e info@
derekhardcastleltd.co.uk
w derekhardcastleltd.co.uk
Hart Flowers, J H
Jonathan Hart
t 020 7720 8202
f 020 7978 1453
e jonnhart@yahoo.co.uk
Morris, Miles
Bernie Elliott
t 020 7720 3599
f 020 8311 0723
e bern.julieelliott@hotmail.co.uk
Pratley
Mick Waite
t 020 7720 3914
f 020 7720 7644
Smith & Green
Peter Green
t 020 7498 2289
f 020 7720 5388
e info@smithandgreen.com
w smithandgreen.com
Zest Flowers
Graeme Diplock
t 020 7498 7574
f 01634 201107
Nearly 20 traders offering cut
flowers from around the globe!
13

foliage wholesalers
This is not just foliage.
This is Flower Market foliage!
Foliage is arguably one of the
greatest strengths of the
Flower Market. What the two
foliage specialists on Foliage
Row - GB Foliage and Porters
Foliage - offer is a complete
revelation.
Banish any thought of foliage as ‘fillers’, for
here foliage means a lot more. The changing
seasons are reflected most dramatically on
Foliage Row, as the fresh colours of spring
give way to the rich greens of summer and
then to the rich reds and browns of autumn.
Foliage Row is the place to go for seasonal
foliage from Britain and mainland Europe -
from flowering shrubs and trees in leaf,
blossom or berry. Porters’ stand also offers
spectacular, fascinating foliages from South
America, Australasia and parts of Africa, all
kept in peak condition in four different
climatic zones.
A must-see for any self-respecting florist!
14
Donates traders who also source from British
growers. All traders source internationally.
Greenery
is the
new Black!
G B Foliage
David Gorton
t 020 7720 1843
f 020 7498 1612
Porters Foliage
Barry & Bryan Porter
t 020 7720 3015
f 020 7627 1206
e sales@portersfoliage.com
w portersfoliage.com
Foliage Row

Spectacular, fascinating foliages from all over the world.
Barry: Porters Foliage
15

plant wholesalers
Today, the Flower Market boasts six
plant specialists, catering for your
every conceivable live plant need.
From British-grown orchids and seasonal
bedding plants to houseplants, plants for
office contracts, retail sales, interior
landscaping and events, seasonal window
boxes and garden planters, the Flower
Market’s plant wholesalers have the green
answer.
Flower Market traders offer a comprehensive
range of plants from British, Dutch, Danish
and Italian nurseries in
feel free to
ask the traders
for plant care
information
and seasonal
availability
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pot sizes from 1L
seasonal lines to 50L
mature specimens.
As a rule, you buy
seasonal potted plants
by the tray and larger
specimens individually.
Donates traders who also source from British
growers. All traders source internationally.
Arnott & Mason
Ian Roberts
Dave Weir
t 020 7720 7651
f 020 7627 4204
e sales@potplant.co.uk
Evergreen Exterior
Services
Steve Doe
Eric Connick
Paul Cockerel
t 020 7720 6490
f 020 8770 9222
e admin@evergreenext.co.uk
w evergreenext.co.uk
Mills, L
Bill Cheverall
Bobby Cooley
t 020 7720 2413
f 01322 865526
e sales@lmills.co.uk
w lmills.co.uk
Orchid House
Ron Yap
m 07957 136433
f 020 8363 1160
e chiachinm@hotmail.com
Pratley
Mick Waite
t 020 7720 3914
f 020 7720 7644
Quality Plants Exterior
Ornamentals Ltd
Craig Broadley
David & Dean Knight
t 020 7978 1188
f 020 7978 1199
e sales@qualityplants.co.uk
w qualityplants.co.uk

Six specialist plant wholesalers.
17

sundries wholesalers
The Flower Market is a treasure
trove for any designer, stylist, florist,
event decorator or flower arranger.
With no fewer than four traders specialising in
essential floral sundries - Donovans, Pollard,
Something Special and Whittingtons - there
is not a design of floral foam, florists’ wire,
ribbon, basket, scissor, pin or wrap that you
will not find here.
This is the place for floristry glue, plastic trays
and bowls, floristry books and magazines,
tape and watering cans, beads, bouquet
holders, floral bracelets - the list
is endless!
Over 20,000
product lines
all under
one roof
18
And then, towering over
a corner of the Flower
Market, is the stand of
C Best. With 20 000
product lines stocked in
volume, they offer the best
range of decorative materials
this side of the Channel, a price match
guarantee and nationwide delivery.
Best, C
Grant Mitchell
t 020 7720 2306
f 01689 868062
e sales@cbest.co.uk
w cbest.co.uk
Donovan Supplies
Luke Olney
t 020 7720 5417
Pollard, E
Steve Pollard
t 020 7720 6465
Something Special
Paul Mitchell
t 020 7720 3466
e paul.mitchell74
@btinternet.com
Whittingtons Ltd
Brian Perkins
t 020 7720 9121
f 020 7720 9121
e whittingtonsgroup
@tiscali.co.uk

A treasure trove for designers.
19

on-site florists and landscapers
Pretty much all the top names in
floristry and landscaping use New
Covent Garden Flower Market, but
some have even chosen to base
themselves here.
From workshop spaces either on the
perimeter of the main Flower Market building
or in converted railway arches on-site, these
companies supply London with weekly
contract flowers, event floral decoration,
bouquets, wedding flowers and landscaping
services.
For a list of some of the talented florists who
buy at the Flower Market, but are located
elsewhere, please visit our website:
www.newcoventgardenmarket.com/
flowers
20
Where top
designers
choose to
buy
Alexander Collier
m 07957 327374
Carter Cherrill
t 020 7225 3725
e info@cartercherrill.co.uk
w cartercherrill.co.uk
Collier & Company
m 07821 689341
e mark@collierandco.com
w collierandco.com
Elizabeth Marsh
t 020 7386 7223
e liz@elizabethmarsh.co.uk
w elizabethmarsh.co.uk
Esprit Décor
t 020 7924 4319
e admin@nicholarose.com
w nicholarose.com
Julian Cheeseman
t 020 7924 6985
Linda Cottee Flowers
m 07803 007906
e linda@lindacotteeflowers.com
w lindacotteeflowers.com
NB: Flowers!!
t 020 3202 0005
e neil@nbflowers.co.uk
w nbflowers.co.uk
Nidal Floral Design
m 07831 361725
e amal@nidalfloraldesign.com
Office Flowers
m 07957 688550
e info@officeflowers.co.uk
w officeflowers.co.uk
Pinstripes & Peonies
m 07739 808695
e ruari@pinstripesandpeonies.com
w pinstripesandpeonies.com
Plant Displays Plus
t 01784 888000
e ataylor@plantdisplaysplus.com
w plantdisplaysplus.com
Sells First Impressions
t 020 7720 9070/9146
e jenty.whitbread@
sellsfirstimpressions.co.uk
w sellsfirstimpressions.co.uk
Sophie Hanna Flowers
t 020 7720 0841
e shanna@dircon.co.uk
w sophiehannaflowers.com
Stems UK
t 020 7622 3300
e sales@stemsuk.com
w stemsuk.com
Stormy
t 020 7627 5640
e info@stormyltd.com
w stormyltd.co.uk
The Garden Party
t 020 7498 8989
e enquiries@
thegardenparty.co.uk
w thegardenparty.co.uk

Linda Cottee
Sophie Hanna
Contract flowers for events,
bouquets, landscaping & weddings.
Jenty: Sells First Impressions
Stormy
21

0n-site flower schools
London has the largest
concentration of Flower Schools
and floristry colleges in the country,
most of which work closely with
New Covent Garden Flower Market.
Two of London’s top florists -
Judith Blacklock and Ercole
Moroni - have located their
eponymous Flower Schools within
the Flower Market itself. Here,
students are at the heart of London’s
flower industry with access to an
unbeatable range of produce to aid their
creative and commercial learning.
Judith and Ercole, with their very differing
teaching and design styles, offer a range of
courses from beginner to more advanced
levels. Judith also offers private tours of the
Flower Market.
22
Learn
floristry with
the best!
Judith Blacklock
t 020 7235 6235
e school@judithblacklock.com
w judithblacklock.com
Ercole Moroni
m 07958 291819
e info@ercolemoroni.com
w ercolemoroni.com

Judith Blacklock Workshop
First class tuition from high-profile florists.
23

the flower market floor plan
The main trading floor in the Flower Market is vast, and home to over thirty traders. We have created this floor plan
to help you find your way around with ease.
The bold, coloured areas on the plan
correspond with the colour of the painted
structural columns and the large banners
suspended from the ceiling
in the Flower Market itself.
Locate
a trader
easily
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You can’t miss them.
Tony Foufas: Coffee Break
If you know the name of the wholesaler you
are looking for, look them up on the key and
then use their colour reference to spot them
on the floor plan.
cafés
There are two cafés serving the Flower
Market. The Village Café is located across
the car park from Door 7, and serves hot
drinks and fantastic cooked and cold
breakfasts.
Coffee Break is right at the heart of the
Flower Market, under the Flower Market
Clock in the Blue Zone. It offers hot and
cold drinks alongside a selection of
sandwiches and light refreshments.

Wholesaler listing:
Alagar N10-13
Allen, S R N1
Arnott & Mason D1-4
Austin, John M5-11
B&D Flower Co Q7
B&P Flowers N3
Best, C F1-2, G1-5
Bloomfield E1-2
Boomerang Flowers B3
Cook & Sons, R N6
D G Wholesale Q19a-b
Deanos Flowers C1a-b
Donovan Supplies B2
E Four Q5
Evergreen H1-7, J1-3, K4-9
French & Sons, R Q15
G B Foliage P43-47
Goodchild, A N2
Hardcastle, Derek M2-4
Hart Flowers, J H E3a
Mills, Lionel N12a
Morris, Miles N7
Orchid House Q21
Pollard, E P90-94
Porters Foliage P22-31, D2
Pratley N8-9a
Quality Plants C2b-3
Smith & Green P56-63
Something Special A1-3a, B1
Whittingtons P95-110, L5, M1
Zest Flowers Q10-17
25

location, location, location
getting to the market by car
There are separate entrances for the Fruit
& Vegetable Market and the Flower Market, both
of which can be accessed from Nine Elms Lane.
Please note that the Flower Market entrance
closes at 1pm (10am on Fridays) and is not
open on Sundays. For Sat Nav, use the postcode
SW8 5BH and this will take you to the Main
Entrance.
Please note that there is no right turn into the
Flower Market if you are coming from Battersea.
Instead, use the Main Entrance to New Covent
Garden Market, and follow signs to the Flower
Market.
26
by rail
Vauxhall Rail Station and Vauxhall Underground
(Victoria Line) are only a few hundred yards from
the Market.
by bus
Bus routes 156 and 344 (24 hour service) run
past the Main Entrance and the Flower Market
Entrance on the Nine Elms Lane (A3205) and
routes 77, 87 and N87 run along Wandsworth
Road (A3036).
opening hours
The Flower Market is open from 3am to 11am
on Monday to Friday, and from 4am to 10am on
Saturday, with some traders opening or closing
earlier or later than these core hours.
New Covent
Garden Market
London
SW8 5BH
Remember that mornings are also the best time
to catch your salesman on the phone, fax or
email. These midnight wakers are not generally
around in the afternoons.
how to get in
There is an entry charge of £5 per vehicle payable
at the security gate (it’s free if you’re on foot).
If you visit the Market regularly you will find it
cheaper to buy an annual entry permit. For more
info and to get your permit please call CGMA on
020 7720 2211.
where to park
Once you’re inside the gates parking is free and
there are plenty of spaces around the outside of
the Flower Market. Please make sure you park
inside the marked bays to avoid blocking traffic.

we’re here to help
If you need more help and advice on working with
the Flower Market, call the Florist Buddy Team on
020 7501 3495 or email info@cgma.co.uk
and why not join us online?
We’d love to stay in touch with you through our
regular Flower Market News e-bulletins, features
and invitations to Flower Market events.
To sign up, simply register online at
www.newcoventgardenmarket.com
Covent Garden Market Authority • Covent House • New Covent Garden Market • London SW8 5NX
tel: 020 7720 2211 fax: 020 7622 5307 email: info@cgma.co.uk web: www.newcoventgardenmarket.com
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