Small-scale cut flower growers have now been formally recognised by the government

The UK trade body that represents more than 1,000 small-scale cut flower growers, has been awarded dedicated Standard Industrial Classification codes.

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Tulip flowers in bottles
The Standard Industrial Classification codes for the trade body comes just in time for British Flowers Week.
(Image credit: Clive Nichols for Country Life)

Flowers from the Farm, the UK trade body that represents more than 1,000 small-scale cut flower and foliage growers, has been awarded dedicated Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes — the economic identifiers that allow a sector to be formally recognised in the eyes of government, funders and policymakers.

The move comes just in time for British Flowers Week (June 15–21) and is particularly pertinent during the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer, as eight out of 10 members of Flowers from the Farm are women.

The award was secured following pressure on the Treasury for recognition for a sector worth £33.6 million a year by Sarah Dyke MP, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson, who commented: ‘Securing dedicated SIC codes means that [flower growers’] contributions can finally be measured, supported and championed. These are businesses that not only create jobs and drive local growth, but also enhance biodiversity and support more sustainable land use.’

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In theory, this change will result in fresher, longer-lasting flowers for consumers.

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Flowers from the Farm recently exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Georgie Newbery, the chair of Flowers from the Farm, said: 'Getting this SIC code means that not only can we prove how much flower growers are putting into the British economy but that we're in a position to be acknowledged and encouraged by government, because we finally exist.

'The most important thing is that we can now look at the biodiversity net gain protocol, which will give us protection. The SIC code also allows us to lobby for more, and if we can lobby for more, then it will be much, much clearer for consumers that the flowers that they are buying are British-grown.'

In theory, this will result in fresher, longer-lasting flowers for consumers, making eco-friendly choices more viable and a greater variety of flowers available. Because of this, services like LORE, by The Real Flower Company, a new monthly subscription that deals in cut flowers, will benefit massively from these changes.

This feature originally appeared in the June 3, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Julie Harding
Julie Harding
News and Property Editor

Julie Harding is Country Life’s News and Property Editor. She is a former editor of Your Horse, Country Smallholding and Eventing, a sister title to Horse & Hound, which she ran for 11 years. Julie has a master’s degree in English and she grew up on a working Somerset dairy farm and in a Grade II*-listed farmhouse, both of which imbued her with a love of farming, the countryside and historic buildings. She returned to her Somerset roots 18 years ago after a stint in the ‘big smoke’ (ie, the south east) and she now keeps a raft of animals, which her long-suffering (and heroic) husband, Andrew, and four children, help to look after to varying degrees.