FRUITY, floral, and as fresh and fine as they come.
Local shoppers have been treated to some of the best produce on offer, with two businesses - Jesmond Fruit Barn and Bella Floral Boutique - named finalists in the Sydney Markets Fresh Awards.
As the owner of the Morisset florist for more than a decade, Carmen Wells is used to seeing people celebrating - whether it's 100th birthdays or weddings - but now it's her raising a glass.
When the world went online during the past three years, Ms Wells took the chance to rearrange how things were done with the questions "where are we, and who are we?" blossoming in her mind.
"Slowly thinking more about being a brand than a business, and that's where we've turned the corner," Ms Wells said.
She revamped the shop's marketing and her storefront and has now found herself a finalist in three florist categories in the NSW and ACT-wide awards - service excellence, retail presentation, and merchandising and branding.
"To see our name in all three categories was really, really special," she said.
The ceremony next month will be like a Christmas in July party for her staff, Ms Wells said.
"I can tell them they are amazing until the cows come home ... but to get nominated, that's a morale boost that a boss can't give," she said.
"It's also a feather in the cap of a little florist in a little town ... you don't have to be in a big city."
Being a florist is a happy job - but can also be very intense - and yet it's something Ms Wells has come back to every day for 15 years.
"You do see people on the very best days ... then you do see families on the very worst days," she said.
Jesmond Fruit Barn is also a finalist in the awards, up for the retail presentation gong in the green grocer category.
Sydney Markets CEO Brad Latham said the awards were an opportunity to acknowledge achievements in the produce industry, with the finalists "leading the way in quality, innovation and customer service".
The Fresh Award winners will be announced on July 7.
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