Wow, well if you read last month's letter from the founder, you might remember me saying that August is usually one of our quieter months in the year, well… August 2024 has made itself known, it’s been a whirlwind of happy, crazy, busy, exciting, tiredness all around! All of the team has had various holidays throughout the month too so we have been running on reduced hours, all whilst having a top-performing month. Hats off to the team for running around like mad with me always, even though it's pretty intense at times!
You might have seen over on socials this month that we have had the pleasure of working with some new local businesses. Firstly, we have been working with Elly Deakin from Simple Simon, an incredible interior design studio based in Bristol, on the brand new Pipp & Co cafe opening on College Green. They have designed a beautiful space, just check out the photos! We were brought in to green up the space and also for our ongoing weekly plant maintenance service, so you'll see us in Pipp & Co every week… I'll just have to try to resist the temptation of the delicious doughnuts - you need to go check this place out, the doughnuts are out of this world.
And then we have been working with a new office located on Park Row, adding a range of greenery across their large multi-office building with a range of challenging positions, from dark and gloomy windowsills in basements overlooking courtyards, to airy, light-filled rooms with skylights, with no respite from the sun. This business has opted for our weekly plant maintenance package, so you’ll likely see many updates as the plants grow and settle into their new home.
We have had a new member join the team this month and you might have seen her in the shop or over on socials - so next time you are in the shop, keep an eye out for a new friendly face! Jazz comes from a creative background, she’s been a part of an art department in a school, has run various arty workshops across the city and also has her own studio in Bristol where she paints wonderfully expressive abstract paintings, some even feature her favourite botanical muse - her fiddle leaf fig! Check her out her instagram.
So not to mention Christmas at the end of August, but I'm gonna mention Christmas. If you have been in the shop this month, you may have witnessed the chaos that has been reorganising the shop. We have been emptying the cupboards, thinking about where we need to store back stock, backup packaging, and reinventing our tiny barely 2m2 kitchen-cum-storeroom. Now we have space to store your plants and wonderful array of online orders whilst they are waiting to be packed up and sent to your homes.
Our sold plant area has had an upgrade, we have added new, larger shelving, and some grow lights - finally, it’s been on the wish list since we opened the shop. Our shelving may look familiar, it's been recycled from Poquitos. As you may have seen, we are no longer selling plants in their coffee shop; they are going in a different direction, but more on that at a later date.
Now what does this have to do with Christmas? Well, being organised - which isn't my strong point to be honest - not only makes the team's job easier, but also means we can get your orders out to you quicker. This also means we have freed up loads of space for some new brands, bringing in loads of beautifully-designed and UK-made products, just in time for gifting season. Keep an eye out for them arriving over the coming weeks.
In September me and Tom will be celebrating our first year wedding anniversary, how time flies when you are running a busy business and life is throwing you curveballs (see previous blog). And at the end of the month, we will be celebrating four years of Sprouts and three years of being in our wonderful shop in Kingsdown - we will be announcing how we’ll be celebrating, so keep an eye on socials for more info!
Thanks for continuing to support us,
Jessy
