GALLERY: Wake up and smell the flowers - new business caters for the finer things in life

Green-fingered caffeine fiends welcome Coffee and Flowers pop-up to Farringdon Road's Darkroom Espresso.

Since opening in 2015 Darkroom Espresso has opened its doors to The Harbour Project, On The Wall, – monthly art exhibitions – free music gigs, Darkroom Espresso Cycling Club, and now Coffee and Flowers. Adding to Swindon's growing population of pop-up businesses, Coffee and Flowers will be setting up shop weekly, from Friday to Sunday, at Darkroom Espresso.

Coffee and Flowers started as a delivery service where customers could buy online and have coffee and flowers delivered to their door. Starting on Valentine’s Day this year Coffee and Flowers Co-Founder, Sherylee Houssein, said the positive response encouraged the idea to develop into a pop-up store. She said: “I really like flowers and where my day job is so admin-based I felt that I wasn’t doing anything creative. I became really interested in learning about the different types and since have been putting on flower arranging classes in Darkroom. It can be quite therapeutic. “I like the idea because I always feel happy when there are flowers in the house and wanted to share that with people. What I love about flowers is that they change with the season – they’re always different and it means we can buy such a variety. “After Valentine’s Day, and then Mother’s Day, we had great feedback from customers saying how they liked the presentation and were really happy with how long the flowers lasted.” The prices of bouquets range from £9 to £35. Sherylee added: “They’re not as cheap as you can get in supermarkets but they last longer, and I think they’re more interesting and uniquely organised – no two are the same – and we think they appeal to a younger demographic. For events such as weddings and birthdays we can offer specific prices for that. In the near future plants will also be available.” Speaking of the collaboration, Co-Founder and Darkroom Espresso owner Will Davies said: “When Sherylee told me about the concept for the flower business, I thought coffee would be a nice compliment to that as a service. "It’s something I thought I could help with as I’ve done start-up businesses before, so I think I have a good mind-set for knowing how these things go wrong and fail. "It’s also great when you have a hobby that allows you to hang out – I really enjoy going to the flower market, and have been learning a lot." Sherylee added: “Will’s good at telling me when I’m spending too much money, so it’s great to have him on board in that respect too.” In two weeks time Coffee and Flowers will also be available at Nationwide Building Society. Customers can purchase Roundhill coffee - beans, or ground - as well as freshly cut flowers from Darkroom Espresso - 11 Faringdon Rd, Swindon SN1 5AR. For further information visit Coffee and Flowers Instagram or Facebook page.