Neil Whittaker has enjoyed stellar success over the past few years and is now firmly regarded as one of the best florists in the UK, which is a mantle that florists in Liverpool, florists in Newcastle and their counterparts around the country are aiming to achieve on an on-going basis.
It was a 2010 to remember for Whittaker as he hit the headlines after winning the British Florist Association’s Florist of the Year competition. Fast forward 12 months and he is back in the limelight once more for his recent achievements at the RHS Tatton Flower Show.
Having previously been crowned the best of the best by the British Florist Association, Whittaker followed that up with another prestigious award, this time coming out top of the pile in the Interflora Florist of the Year 2011 competition.
Knowing a thing or two about how best to be creative with flowers Manchester florist Whittaker continues to grow in stature in the industry and he created plenty of positive attention at Tatton Park.
The portfolio of work that Whittaker entered at Tatton Park included a Japanese-themed free expression piece, a cottage garden party hat and something for the Woodland Trust dinner dance.
Whittaker was gunning for glory in four separate categories and to great credit walked away with first place in three of the four groups.
Despite stiff competition from rival florists from throughout the UK, Whittaker kept his cool to walk away with the much-coveted title of Interflora Florist of the Year 2011.
“I’m ecstatic!” he grinned. “All my hard work has paid off, and I’ve proved to the judges I have the skills, techniques and flair to turn my ideas into wonderful floral creations.
“I’m particularly proud of my Japanese free expression piece, as it’s so intricate and took a lot of time and practice. Competitions always offer a great opportunity to learn, and I’ve certainly picked up a lot here this weekend from all the other finalists.”
So what does it take be an award-winning florist? Whittaker gave a little insight into the nuts and bolts of it back in 2009 after being named the iaugural Chelsea Florist of the Year award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
“To be a competitive florist it takes a lot of hard work and commitment,” he said in the Manchester Evening News.
“You have to know what type of flowers you can use and make sure your technical ability is at its highest point so the judges can’t take points off.”