Rob Davies

We’re delighted to announce that our next new tenant to open up a shop is ‘florist with a difference’ Basil & Pip.

Basil & Pip will be focusing mainly on flowers and events. With a fifteen-year career in hospitality and events behind her, owner Gemma Murray knows the demands from that sector usually go beyond just flowers. She is also keen to help customers with the ‘act of giving’. Keeping to the brand’s ethos of using natural and homemade products, Gemma will be stocking a range of candles, soaps and self-care treatments as well as books on flower arranging and self-care plus cards for all occasions.

She became a florist just over five years ago in London and fell in love with Norfolk on her first ever visit in 2019, when she was commissioned to do the flowers for a wedding in North Norfolk. Having returned to Norfolk for several more visits she decided to up sticks and move here with her 7-year-old son.

Gemma, said, “Whenever I’ve visited Norwich, it’s always had such a lovely, buzzing atmosphere with an abundance of visual creativity and history. It offers so much in the way of originality and I’ve found the people of Norfolk really do support Norfolk-based businesses that use Norfolk-grown produce, which is amazing in these days of mass consumption and big, dominating brands.

“We want to focus largely on sustainability, so this means having a zero tolerance to plastic – particularly single use plastic – using natural, biodegradable products and reusable or recyclable packaging. We also make sure we provide our customers with the information on how to dispose of the packaging correctly. With so many local growers of seasonal flowers and foliage, as well as textile suppliers, on our doorstep, we will strive to use local sources for our products wherever possible, which in turn should help other independent businesses.”