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FLORIST FLOWERING YOUR WORLD – Brindilles
“With flowers, we enter a little bit into people’s lives.”
Welcome to our blog and our interviews with florists, about florists, for florists. Nadine, Florist in Cessieu: “With flowers, we enter a little bit into people’s lives.”
In Cessieu, in the Nord-Isère region, the flower shop Brindilles is a well-known address for locals. For 25 years, Nadine has been creating bouquets there that accompany life’s big and small moments. Passion, craftsmanship, and human connection.
Creation as a natural fit
For Nadine, choosing floristry was a natural choice. “What I love is creating, and flowers are a wonderful way to express myself. The mix of colors and textures is magnificent,” she says.
Drawn to flowers since childhood, she still remembers the shop windows that made her dream: “Even as a little girl, I would stop in front of florists. Flowers have always fascinated me.”
Over time, her passion has been matched by a solid professional reality: “It’s also a viable career,” she says.
But what touches her most are the bonds she forges with her clients: “We share a lot of our clients’ life stories; in a way, we become a part of their lives. After 25 years, we see the kids who used to arrive on their bikes… now they’re getting married, it’s really lovely.”
Customer feedback is a real source of motivation for her: “When people are happy, they send a photo of the bouquet. It’s very rewarding.”
The delightful surprises of everyday life
It’s difficult for Nadine to choose just one “best surprise” in her career: “There are so many little things.”
Located next to the town hall, her shop regularly sees newlyweds come in: “After the ceremony, some take the time to come and say hello. It’s a small gesture, but it’s appreciated.”
She also remembers a customer who came in by chance: “In the spring, a woman was diverted off the highway and ended up here. She bought a bouquet from me. Two weeks later, she came back and said, ‘I’ve put you in my diary; from now on, I’ll come every two weeks to buy a bouquet from you.’ And she does!”
Wedding couples who call on the morning of their wedding to thank her, regular customers who return week after week… All these signs of trust fuel her passion for her work.
A deliberate craftsmanship, far from standardized
Nadine champions a deeply artisanal approach to her work. “I value the artisanal aspect, the creative process, the human element, the interaction,” she explains.
“I try to provide quality so that there’s a return on investment. I want people to feel the difference between what they buy in a shop and what they find in a supermarket.”
Her work is entirely focused on custom arrangements and freshness, with a strong emphasis on the flowers she chooses.
A concrete commitment to the environment
Like many florists, Nadine faces a stark reality: the amount of plant waste she generates. However, she implements simple and concrete measures to limit the environmental impact of her business. “We sort our packaging and plant waste. In the village, there’s no longer regular garbage collection, so we have to sort everything and take it all to the container,” she explains.
She found a specific solution for flowers with the local council: “They don’t accept flowers in the food compost, so I take them to the cemetery with the other garden waste. It’s true that there’s a lot of plant waste in our line of work, but we try to do our best.”
Local roots rather than a race for growth
When asked about growth, Nadine smiles: “Just staying afloat is already good!” she jokes.
She continues, more seriously: “I’ve done more than I’m going to do, so I’m not really focused on growth. It’s a very demanding job that I run on my own; I don’t really have time to think about expansion.”
Her plan for the future of Brindilles remains clear: “As I said, to maintain. I’m very rooted here.”
A rootedness that reflects her attachment to the village, her loyal customers, and the relationships of trust she has built over the years.
Hukra: quality, freshness, and a relationship of trust
To offer her customers long-lasting flowers, Nadine knows she needs to be able to rely on a dependable wholesaler. She chose to work with Hukra, appreciating both the quality of their products and their service.
“The quality and freshness of the flowers really make the difference,” she says. She gestures to the flowers displayed in the shop: “Look at the ones I have here. Some of the lilies aren’t even fully open yet.”
Beyond the product itself, the human connection is also important: “Having the same contact with the same person every week is so important. Whenever we need something, she’s always there to help. We leave a quick message, and she replies very quickly; it’s excellent.”
