Two of the borough ’s longest - serving flower sellers say they are shin with massive Mary Leontyne Price rise post - Brexit . John Atkins , who execute the cubicle in Pond Street , South remnant Green , and Harry Patel , who runs Harry ’s bloom in Fitzjohn ’s Avenue , Hampstead , utter about how leaving the EU has impact their businesses .
Both have incline carrel for more than 30 years and like the vast majority of monger in the UK , they order flowers from Holland . Since Brexit , novel “ flower passports ” have been introduced and there is special paperwork – and costs – for importers . It means pop stems are selling at “ unheard of ” Mary Leontyne Price – with tulips locomote for £ 10 a bunch .
Mr. Atkins suppose : “ I ’ve told them son in Holland when they have sensible prices to give me a call . They are state it ’s Brexit and the paperwork . But I ca n’t commove my client those kind of price , out of respect to them I wo n’t do it . “ The way it is now , tulips , for 10 stems – it would be a X a caboodle . unremarkably they ’re a fiver … £ 19.50 for lilies , £ 10 for rose wine . ”
Mr. Atkins say British traders bought from Holland because they had the good flowers but the long - bear signification infrastructure was being ruin by the new regulations post - Brexit . He enjoin the big chain supermarket could well absorb any extra cost of buying European peak , bestow : “ I voted Remain . For me personally , they screwed this up because of a muckle of stupefied opinions about matter .
Mr. Patel , who started sell flowers aged 13 , deal over the Fitzjohn ’s Avenue fountain game when there was a newsprint stand there . Now aged 58 and having hightail it the current stall for 35 year , he said : “ For me now it ’s 30 - 40 per centum more at least . The mass in Holland are telling me they ’ve never heard of tulip being so expensive . Ten Egyptian pound for a lot ? It ’s unheard of . “
It ’s backbreaking enough at the moment with the ULEZ [ Ultra Low Emission Zone ] and that there ’s no one really in the West End . Most of my business is adult male hail back from work or the shops and pick up flowers for their married woman . ”
On the emergence of using UK grown alternatives , he said big business had kill off the English flower grow diligence and what remained had been cornered by chain supermarkets . “ What happened was most of the body politic used by the English flower growers got purchase up by property developer , gradually they disappear – now this is happening in Holland too , ” sound out Mr. Patel .
Read the complete clause atwww.camdennewjournal.com .
