About Us
Starlings of Swaffham is a family run business with close ties to the Norfolk community, with a true passion for what we do and local links are at the core of everything we create here in our Swaffham flower & fruit shop.
Family run business since 1960
The late Basil Starling founded the business after being demobbed from the Second World War, in the early 1950s. His first vegetable box delivery round was in Castle Acre, West Acre and South Acre - local villages around Swaffham that we still deliver to most days. Word soon got around about Basil’s fantastic fresh fruit and veg boxes, and as demand rose he opened his first shop in Swaffham town centre, opposite the shop that we occupy today and have since 1972.
Along with fresh produce, Starlings of Swaffham also sold beautiful flowers too, and Basil’s wife Dorothy brought her artistic passion to the team. Starlings soon became known not only for their fruit & vegetables, but also high quality seasonal flowers and beautiful bouquets.
Their daughter Kim grew up Swaffham, loving being involved in the busy shop. Kim trained as a chef and worked in the restaurant trade before returning to run the business in 1997. She has been the driving force behind the company, helping grow Starlings and bloom online with flower & fruit hamper deliveries in Norfolk and nationwide. As Kim says, being the second generation in the family firm has many wonderful benefits, even if we do have the odd ‘discussion‘ on the best way forward!
A local business in the heart of Norfolk
Much of the success of Starlings of Swaffham and our sister company Luxury Fruit Baskets is due to the fantastic suppliers we have. With over 70 years in the business, we source the finest flowers, fruit and produce from local growers and trusted suppliers. Our contacts across Norfolk and the UK supply us daily with beautifully fresh produce, ensuring we work with only the very best quality produce.
Starlings Florist Highlights
We have on several occasions had the enormous privilege of creating floral gifts for RAF Marham in honour of HRH Queen Elisabeth’s visit to Norfolk. We have a video below of the last time she came to the air base and the stunning flowers Dorothy and the team created – have a watch and spot some Starling blooms!
Kim and the Starlings team are also proud to be a part of the local community and support charities wherever possible. We loved one of the fundraisers we held at our Swaffham shop in aid of Prostate Cancer UK and have a fun short video of the day - from cupcakes to firemen, we thank all our customers and local businesses who got involved.
Another memorable event, recently Starlings were delighted to design a stunning sunflower arrangement for Rosie Van Cutsem who was exhibiting her quintessentially British clothing brand Troy, at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Our wonderfully talented florist Sue Humphreys designed this piece of work.