View From The Little Table: A Q&A With The Creatives
We all know about the little stars in front of the camera for our View From The Little Table campaign. But what about the creatives behind the scenes? We chatted to Ciara of Bloomin Nora, Dee of Dee's Basement and Flo from garner & grace about spring hosting, foodie fun and of course, how they started their own incredible businesses.
Introducing Ciara, the creative behind Bloomin Nora.
So, tell us about yourself and how you got into creating Bloomin' Nora.
Like so many others I found myself being made redundant in the first lockdown. After 23 years in the fashion industry, I decided it was a chance to fly solo and so Bloomin Nora was founded in Jan 2021.
Why did you decide on floristry?
I wanted to do something that would fit around family life. I needed flexibility, but I wanted to do something I was passionate about. My girls inspire me every day and I wanted them to be proud too.
Now, I love what I do, creating luxe pop-up parties is so much fun. Liaising with clients and creating something special for whatever their occasion may be is a fulfilling and joyful experience.
What are your top tips for spring hosting?
My top tip would be to create a little wow moment with a pop of colour! Tt’s all about beautiful colour combinations for a magical moment for your guests to remember, plus good food and, of course, great company.
When you’re not on set or working - what’s your go-to outfit?
I love playing with colour in my wardrobe too. My go to outfit is a good pair of jeans and colourful knitwear…..another love of mine!
Next up is Dee, a confectionary artist from East London.
Tell us a little bit about Dee's Basement.
I'm a confectionery artist and make a variety of desserts and sweet treats. All my products are made to order and are always unique to each customer or client. Every week is different depending on the orders I receive and consists of postal orders, brand/corporate orders and private orders such as wedding and celebration cakes.
How did you become interested in baking?
I've always loved food and grew up baking with my mum and watching cookery and baking shows. From a young age watching shows like Barefoot Contessa really intrigued me and made me want to explore the food world and as I got older I singled in on desserts and all things sweet.
What are your top food tips for spring hosting?
Keep it light. Nothing too heavy like a stew. You want the table filled family style with salads, seafoods and more and allow people to serve themselves to make the table very inclusive and encourage communication.
When you’re not on set or working - what’s your go-to outfit?
I love a good jumper dress or an oversized co-ord. Something super comfortable and stretchy that's casual but still looks great if I do need to pop out last minute.
Last but not least, Flo, the founder of garner & graze.
Tell us a little bit about garner & graze.
I started garner & graze in 2019 and was the first meat free grazing company in the UK. In the last couple of years, I've done all different kinds of grazing setups from at home baby showers, welcome back to the office brunches, curated hampers for some huge brands, as well as loads of different kinds of platters and grazing boxes. I now have a (very pink) studio in Leyton and there's a team of 3 of us.
How did you get interested in the food world?
I was a super picky eater as a kid up until my early 20s, whereas nowadays I'll eat any (except coriander). I only started getting interested in food after I began working in hospitality after uni. I taught myself how to cook and became really interested in how what we eat makes us feel and how important the raw ingredients are in the context of a finished meal. I've also always loved hosting, so garner & graze feels like such a natural progression, and I absolutely love it.
What are your top food tips for spring hosting?
I think simply to always keep it seasonal. Food tastes best when it's in season (which can be tricky in the winter in the UK) but come spring we start to see more local seasonal produce come through and it's such a delight. This also helps to keep a loose theme without being too much because it ties in with drinks and flowers too.
When you’re not on set or working - what’s your go-to outfit?
Leather trousers and a tank top. I pair it with black converse during the day and heels to feel dressy. Then I add lots of gold jewellery and a nice handbag.