Joan’s Florist: a rich six-decade history and bright future in Mossel Bay

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BUSINESS NEWS - When long-time Mossel Bay local and entrepreneur Dudley Wooldridge was in matric in the late 1970s, he had three jobs: two of these involved big retailers and the third was delivering flowers after hours for Joan’s Florist.

In the early 1960s, Joan Gerber expressed her passion for flowers and all things fabulous by opening the shop at its Marsh Street premises. The flower emporium changed hands when purchased by Lucretia van Rensburg, who added décor to the mix, with imports from Bali and other exotic outposts.

Fast forward to 2012, when Dudley grabbed hold of the reins – a business decision not least promoted by his extended history with Joan’s blooming flower business and the Southern Cape’s burgeoning tourism scene.

In his address during the 60-year celebrations at Joan’s Florist last Thursday, Dudley paid tribute to his management and staff, and shared some rosy future plans. Firstly, his acquisition of Flora Bay Protea farm, on the Ruiterbos road between Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn, has enhanced the scale of offerings.

Joan’s Florist specialises in proteas, pincushions and fynbos, and has been catering over the years for celebrations across the board – be it beautifying weddings or providing solace at funerals. Its contract with Avbob spans decades, and Joan’s is also the chosen supplier for the Shoprite Group in the area.

But possibly the most exciting development is its recent collaboration with Eight Bells Hotel. The historic Eight Bells has recently changed hands and with new enthusiastic owners at the helm, will now be offering exclusive wedding services in a joint venture with Joan’s.

Dudley calls it the "prettiest wedding venue in the Southern Cape" and is excited, along with his staff, about working with the Eight Bells team to ensure memorable weddings, as well as providing not only the flowers, but also catering and related services for all kinds of festive occasions.

Joan’s Florist is a Mossel Bay landmark and enterprise that local citizens can be particularly proud of. Not only does it service the Southern Cape market on many levels, but also exports flowers to the Netherlands and elsewhere abroad.

Dudley lauded his staff – under the helm of Suna van Greunen and florist Carol Lewis, who has served there for over four decades – for their contribution to making Joan’s Florist into the phenomenon it is today.

Great gratitude was also expressed to Zest Café manager Pauline Blignaut and her able staff for adding to the Joan’s Florist magic. Find them at 13 Marsh Street or call 044 690 3223 for additional information.