Blooming Bees applied for our Business Improvement Grant, which was funded by  the Scottish Government via the Discretionary Fund which supported businesses during Covid.

About the business

Blooming Bees was established at Wardmill Farm near Forfar in 2014 by Kelly Orr, growing fresh seasonal flowers for florists, flower clubs, weddings, events and DIY flower enthusiasts.

Valerie Orr joined in 2020 after moving to Scotland from Northern Ireland. There Valerie had established a successful flower farm and now after her move the flowery journey continues.

With a clan of mini flower farmers between them, they find two heads are better than one to keep supplying fresh, seasonal, beautiful blooms to the County of Angus and beyond.

Outcomes from the BIG Fund

“In 2022, we were delighted to be awarded a BIG Fund award from Angus Council. The funding has allowed us to develop a bespoke, innovative wholesale platform only available to trade customers.

This has allowed us to be more competitive with the traditional Dutch model, more efficient with our time and more user friendly for our clients.

In conjunction with this, we invested in a cold room allowing us to hold blooms, reduce waste and to cut and pack in a timely manner.

The new workroom layout and equipment have improved time and motion to create a slicker working environment. Improved workstations allow for wet and dry areas for us to turn out consistent products at top quality.

In summer 2022, our wholesale business expanded with flowers shipped weekly and collected from the farm by trade customers across Tayside, Scotland and England.

As our 2022 season flowers approach their end, we look forward to all of the new opportunities that lie ahead.”

– Kelly Orr, Blooming Bees