Sidbury hotelier becomes floristry judge

Chelsea show medallist selected for UK Floristry Judges Guild

FLORIST, tutor and hotelier, Sarah Hills-Ingyon, has become one of a select band of UK floristry judges.

Sarah, joint owner of Sid Valley Country Hotel, Sidbury, with husband Stephen, runs Sarah’s Designs floristry enterprise and finds time to tutor level five master diploma in Professional Floristry course at Bicton College.

A Chelsea Flower Show medal winner, Sarah has competed in high level floristry competitions for many years.

Now, after 18 months of training, she becomes a member of the national judging panel for UK Floristry Judges Guild, bringing the number up to 24.

The guild’s first judge’s training programme covered a range of lectures, practical assessments and shadow judging, culminating in practical, written and oral exams.

Sarah said: “After personally challenging myself throughout my floristry career as a competitor, it has been an honour to rise to the high standards that the Judges Guild set for this year’s trainee judges.

“Creating my Sarah’s Designs enterprise, along with a growing family and hotel business, has been exciting in itself; but returning to teaching two years ago at Bicton College, in order to direct the new level four and five qualifications, provided me with the incentive to apply to the Judges Guild for training.”

*For more information about part-time floristry courses at Bicton College visit www.bicton.ac.uk