Interflora World Cup 2023 Winner Announced

It was billed as the world’s biggest floristry competition, bringing together exceptional florists from around the globe to compete for the crown of champion but the Interflora World Cup 2023 was so much more. Passion, drama, creativity, and beautiful blooms, our three day flower extravaganza had it all.

You’ve spent three days competing in a knock out event to find the best of the best in the world of floristry. You’ve take on a series of creative challenges where you’ve fought off tough competition from 15 other nations and you’ve just tackled your hardest brief yet: creating an arrangement on the spot with just 45 minutes on the clock and a live audience of 600 in the room (plus many thousands more streaming around the world) Phew!

We can only imagine what was going through the minds of the five finalists from Norway, United Kingdom, Spain, Republic of Korea and Germany as they awaited their fate at the glittering Gala finale of the Interflora World Cup 2023.

And then the announcement came.

And title of Interflora World Cup 2023 champion went to Nicolaus Peters from Germany!

Speaking of his win a very stunned and humble Nicolaus said: “I can’t believe I’ve won. It’s still sinking in. It’s an incredible achievement and I’m so proud and overwhelmed.”

With designs like this, we can Nicolaus! Glückwunsch!

1. A rainforest canopy

“To really feel a forest canopy, we must use different senses and often the most useful one is the sense of imagination.” – Joan Maloof

The competitors had two hours to create a design that brought a forest canopy to Manchester. How does that sound as a challenge? The florists had chance to prep for this task but that didn't make it easy. Their final design had to be fully suspended, with at least two thirds made from fresh flower or plant material. The judges were scrutinising each concept, plus colour, composition and technique.

2. A bee-utiful tribute

‘The hum of the bees is the voice of the garden’ – Elizabeth Lawrence

A surprise task, this one was sprung on competitors at the last moment and challenged them to create a design that paid tribute to our favourite pollinator: the bee. A fitting choice for Manchester! In just 90 minutes they had to use at least 75% natural material to craft a masterpiece from a honeycomb structure. Boy did the designs set us all abuzz.

3. Watery wonders

“Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water set your soul free.” – Christy Ann Martine

With this quote as their inspiration the competitors had to design a table setting for two. They'd had a bit of prep time but were given just a critical 2 hours to bring their vision to life and wow the judges with their watery wonders.

4. A heavenly wedding

“Clouds are the imagination of the sky.” - Terri Guillemets

Abstract but magical, this task asked our competitors to imagine a wedding taking place way up in the sky, above the clouds. What flowers might we see? All about the power of invention, we just knew the creations were going to be spectacular.

5. Meadow melody

‘Deep in the meadow, under the willow, a bed of grass, a soft green pillow’ - Suzanne Collins.

Another surprise challenge, this one was all about capturing the essence of that rare but magical habitat: the meadow. Competitors had just 45 minutes to craft an exquisite hand-tied bouquet that captured the calm and wonder of such special places. True talent was on show as the florists transported us to tranquillity, despite the crowds and nerves.

6. The big one

The big one. And one final surprise task – to create a display celebrating Interflora’s 100 years of connecting people with nature. Crafted on stage using a ‘100’ stand, during the glam Gala finale, the pressure was on, but wow does pressure make diamonds!

Throughout the event the competitors’ incredible creations were evaluated by a team of 14 international judges and adjudicators managed by the International Florist Organisation, Florint. They were assessed on four key aspects of floristry design – idea, colour, composition and technique plus the judges also weighed up sustainability. We didn’t envy this panel of experts, there was some showstopping work and choosing designs must have been a seriously tough job.

To keep the flower power going we held a flower sale on the steps of Manchester Central with all the money going to Manchester charity St Ann’s Hospice. Other blooms were also collected by Confetti Club, an amazing organisation who create biodegradable confetti from preloved flowers and donate all their profits to charity.

Missed the competition? Follow us on social media (we’re in all the usual places) to catch the action and go behind the scenes of the world’s biggest floristry event.