“Chelsea in Bloom” Will Have Food Theme for 2024

By Jill Brooke

Here’s a tasty floral treat to look forward to!

While the RHS Chelsea Flower Show requires coveted tickets to attend – and gets sold out quickly – anyone could enjoy the tangential Chelsea in Bloom, which celebrates its 15th year. It is the bucket list experience I always recommend.

Over 80 stores, restaurants and hotels participate in creating London’s largest FREE flower festival right near the show that includes Sloane Street, Pavilion Road, Duke of York Square and King’s Road. It is organized by Cadogan in association with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

This year’s theme is “Floral Feasts.”

From Monday May 20th to Sunday May 26th, 2024, Chelsea in Bloom will blossom with extraordinary eye-popping creations from the best European floral artists, all inspired by culinary favorites seen at home as well as in film, literature and every day life.

We saw a peek at what these floral artists can do for the theme of British Icons in 2022 tied to Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee. Since the Queen does love her tea, check out these examples, which also won Flowerpowerdaily’s best in show prize. Plus a Shakespeare inspired installation. And in 2019 there was a fun ice cream installation.

As a publication for Sloane Street mused, “think Paddington Bear and his marmalade sandwiches; Alice bumbling through Wonderland to meet the Mad Hatter and his chums at that bonkers tea party; Charlie and his extraordinary adventure through Mr Wonka’s chocolate factory; the many biblical stories involving food, from the loaves and the fishes to the last supper; the great hedonistic feasts of European royal courts; the Bacchanalia of ancient Greece; and so much more.”

There is a “People’s Choice Award” as well to participate in aside from what the judges choose each year. The participating stores, hotels and restaurants spend oodles of money on these installations, which are not only a treat but help promote their brand. Some spend north of $25,000 just in flowers. Plus, the best floral artists are hired to create these themed floral extravaganzas including Larry Walshe, Olivia Von Halle, Rob Van Helden, Philip Corps, Ricky Paul etc. 

You can just stroll and take in the sites, have a drink, eat, smile. The floral installations are deliciously satisfying and not as caloric as an ice cream cone. 

Photo Credit: Flower Power Daily