Pampas & Bloom - New home at historic Farsley mill for a blooming success story

Amelia Harker launched her own successful dried flowers business from home while still at university. The 21-year-old specialises in sourcing and selling pampas grass and dried flowers

The growth of Pampas & Bloom has led her to move into a state-of-the-art studio in the newly-refurbished Mending Rooms at the award-winning Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley.

This is the latest in a raft of new lettings at Sunny Bank, the iconic family-owned mill where Yorkshire Television’s Emmerdale and Heartbeat were filmed. The complex is now home to 75 companies with more than 350 employees on site.

Amelia, who is studying product and furniture design at Kingston University in London, decided to launch Pampas & Bloom during lockdown “because I had time on my hands as I

was studying on-line at home and because I saw a real opening for a dried flower business."

“Although I live in north Leeds, I am half Danish and - together with my sister Louisa - discovered the resurgence of popularity for pampas in Scandinavia when we visited Denmark

a couple of years ago. That ignited my passion and I saw how pampas and beautiful dried flowers could bring joy to everyday life.

“I started sourcing and selling bunches of natural hand-tied dried flowers online from home and soon, to my astonishment and delight, my bedroom was overflowing with flowers. My

parents were very understanding, their house had soon become overrun with bunches of dried flowers. My mum Susan is incredibly hands-on with the business,

“So we started looking for business premises in the Leeds area and Sunny Bank Mills fitted the bill perfectly. It is a stunning environment, a beautifully refurbished old mill, full of

creative businesses. My own studio in the historic Mending Rooms is absolutely gorgeous, light, airy and spacious, while our landlords the Gaunts have been incredibly helpful and

supportive.

Amelia added: “I couldn’t be happier. I am going to complete my degree remotely from September and carry on my business at the same time. There is a real synergy between my studies and Pampas and Bloom, so this dual role will sharpen my focus, rather than putting too much pressure on myself.

“There is no doubt that lockdown has helped me. Not only have I had to time to devote to my business, but there has also been a revival of interest in interior décor, as people have had to

spend much more time at home. And mine is a sustainable choice, so that ticks boxes as well.”

William Gaunt, co-managing director of Edwin Woodhouse, owners of Sunny Bank Mills, said “In particular, we want to encourage young, brave and ambitious entrepreneurs like Amelia, who has shown remarkable vision and courage, as a 21-year-old, to launch her business in the midst of a global pandemic. She deserves our support – and we look forward to helping her prosper.”

John Gaunt, co-managing director, added Pampas & Bloom was a worthy and exciting addition to the Sunny Bank Mills community.

"We now have beauticians, hair salons, cafes, restaurants, a yoga studio and a massage studio, all providing a variety of services for the many companies who are now based here.

“It is this attractive offer, which we work so hard to achieve, that makes Sunny Bank Mills not just a wonderful place to work but also a great place to visit and spend time at as well.

“At the same time, we have recently invested £2 million in the Weaver’s Yard project at Sunny Bank, which has opened up the centre of the mill, creating a magnificent performance

area and 95 new car parking spaces.”

For more on Pampas & Bloom visit: pampasandbloom.co.uk .

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