If you have walked along Ballater’s Bridge Street recently, you might just have noticed a new scent in the air.
Those of fresh fruits, delicious cheeses and indulgent bakes have always wafted through the open door of Deeside Deli, but the addition of The Flower Room has added a floral hit into the mix.
Vicky Davidson bought the deli five years ago, keen to honour its loyal customer base but also keep it evolving.
Back in March, what had been nothing more than an idea for her and friend Jenna MacLugash became a reality.
“Vicky and I had known each other for a few years before that and had done a few floral projects together,” said Jenna.
“We talked about opening something quite a lot, but there was always something that stopped us whether that was Covid or just general life. We went to the wedding exhibition in January this year and, after speaking to some nice encouraging people, we decided to grab the bull by the horns and give it a shot.
“I left my job in housekeeping and Vicky was brave enough to take me on.”
A passion for personal
The pair both loved flowers and floristry, so bringing more of this passion into Deeside Deli felt like the right thing to do.
Jenna said: “Floristry has always been a hobby. I’ve done a lot of courses and taught myself, I have always enjoyed using it as a bit of an escape.
“Since I was little I’ve been going to a local flower show and my granny has always done floral art so it has always been part of my life. I love the outdoors, love nature, love flowers, so it’s a lovely and rewarding thing to work in.”
The Flower Room sells pre-made and bespoke bouquets, with Vicky and Jenna more than happy to add a personal touch wherever possible.
“I quite like doing funeral flowers because they are really personal,” said Vicky.
“I like doing anything people get enjoyment from, whatever it is, whether that’s going to someone’s house with a bouquet or watching them spot a public display.”
Jenna added: “We both like a bit of a challenge too, even if we might not admit it. We want to help as much as possible so we’ll give anything a go.”
Big plans for The Flower Room
As well as the bouquets, The Flower Room is branching out into weddings and events.
Their days are currently filled with meetings with brides and planning the year’s events calendar, that they have plenty of ideas for.
Jenna said: “We definitely want to get more events and weddings under our belts because there are lots of nice wild venues in the area we’d love to get in the loop.
“We’ve been doing local markets to help get our names out there more than to actually sell. We are hoping to do workshops on top of our annual Christmas wreaths ones, maybe hen dos or bouquet workshops. We’ve got lots of ideas for how we could get locals more engaged.”
One of Vicky’s highlights so far was being asked to create a flower arch for the coronation weekend.
“We created a public display in the village which was outside the Ballater station building,” she said.
“That was a really nice thing for us to do together and a lovely project for the village. We got nationwide coverage following that which was really nice, so we are getting more and more inquiries.”
Au naturale
Vicky and Jenna have a similar style when it comes to floristry, which is a good thing as it means they work together perfectly.
“We always go with seasonal colours and what is growing at the moment,” said Vicky.
“That’s what people want, if someone is buying a bouquet they will often ask for whatever is in season. We have a more wild and natural look, we both like that kind of style and I think people are drawn to that.”
Jenna added: “We use a mix of things that will last and things people could pick from their own gardens. There’s no point giving someone a bouquet that is going to be dead by the next day.”
The flowers are sourced from a company in Carlisle, but they are in talks with local growers they can work with as orders continue picking up.
Though they love experimenting with new things, there are a few flowers that seem to have become regulars in their work.
“The most popular flowers are probably peonies at the moment, roses are always popular too,” said Vicky.
“We love eucalyptus, it’s really adaptable and dries really well so it lasts a long time. Eryngium which is a sea holly, a bit like a thistle, is a staple in our bouquets.
“There’s a bigger range than ever available to us.”
To order a bouquet or book The Flower Room for an event or wedding, contact Vicky and Jenna at @the_flower_room_ballater on Facebook or Instagram, email at info@deesidedeli.co.uk or call 01339 755 741.
