One year on from the Interflora World Cup we caught up with finalist Elizabeth Newcombe to see how she was doing since her phenomenal 3rd place finish.
Lizzie Newcombe began her career in floristry at the age of 16, working her way through levels 2, 3, 4 & 5 at Merrist Wood College. Encouraged by her tutor she became a competitor in WorldSkills UK 2017 and received intensive training from experts in the floral industry in preparation for international competitions held in Budapest in 2018 and Russia in 2019.
During the 2019 competition, which received a lot of attention from the media, Lizzie found herself giving interviews including appearing on BBC Breakfast. She was awarded a Medallion of Excellence, achieving an incredible 5th place in the finals. Lizzie’s success continued when in 2019 at RHS Chelsea Flower Show where she won a gold medal and the title of RHS Young Chelsea Florist of the Year plus Best in Show.
Inspired by the performance training she received during her time at WorldSkills, Lizzie now studies performance psychology at the University of Winchester alongside running her florist shop, The Botanical Company in Bramley, Surrey and hopes to inspire and encourage the development of future competitors.
We asked Lizzie how the world cup affected her life over the past year:
It’s been a whirlwind but such an incredible year! Preparations for the World Cup were truly intense with pretty much 20-hour working days in the lead up to the World Cup itself. Since the World Cup, I’ve been busy with lots of demonstrations and working with students which I love!
When thinking back to the Interflora World Cup Lizzie told us her favourite memory:
I think it’s got to be the moment when Charlotte and I found out we were in the top 5. When I entered the Interflora World Cup, I was hoping for top 10, but in all honesty didn’t give the rankings much thought - I remember keeping my head down and focusing on giving each task everything I had rather than actually pushing for top 3 etc. When we found out the UK was in the top 5, it was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime moment… let alone the top 3! It still gives me goosebumps thinking about it.
When we asked how the past 12 month has been, Lizzie told us it has been a very busy time:
I’ve been pretty busy with lots of demonstrations in both the UK and abroad! Being one of the MainStage demonstrators at Singapore Garden Festival last month was an incredible experience! I also love being involved with training at colleges as I feel really passionately about encouraging students into the wonderful world of floristry and all the possibilities within the industry, and I’m super proud to be one of the master lecturers within the fantastic team at Moreton Morrell College (I actually did most of my World Cup practice runs at Moreton Morrell College, so it holds a really special place in my heart). I’ve also just re-branded my shop in Surrey into a Florist Studio & Flower School, which has been very exciting! I think I was expecting 2024 to be more of a ‘chilled out’ year after the Interflora World Cup… but it’s been quite the opposite.
Looking to the future Lizzie explained:
Last year was pretty much 12 months of solid preparations (and totally worth every second) but I’m taking a break from competing for the time being, and enjoying running my business alongside demonstrations and workshops. It’s also lovely to be able to enjoy more free-time this year with my family and friends.
Finally we asked if Lizzie had any tips or advice for any florists looking to enter the world of competition floristry for the first time, this was the excellent response:
I would say focus on enjoying the experience and remember to do what you do best… if you end up placing within the top 10, top 5 or even top 3 then it should be a bonus.
