After getting increasingly frustrated with post-Brexit red tape, a renowned Lancashire-based orchid expert has decided to stop selling hardy orchids.
That, combined with his age and a desire to do different things, including photographing orchids, has meant Jeff has called it quits on his online Laneside Hardy Orchids business. He formerly ran a nursery too but had closed that and had been working from home in Garstang.
He said: “There were two things really. I’m 77 now, which means moving around the country and standing at shows for days is pretty much a no-no.” Pre-Covid he said he had already begun to cut down on the number of shows he was attending. But the main issue was trying to get orchid imports registered to comply with new regulations following Brexit.
He said for a small business, and even with good advice from DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), an enormous amount of filling out forms was needed.
Read more at lancasterguardian.co.uk