Petals at the Pub: How We're Addressing Male Loneliness & Mental Health Through Flowers

At Interflora, our purpose is simple: to make beautiful things happen. Usually for us, that means delivering a hand-crafted bouquet to someone’s door. But sometimes, making something beautiful can just mean creating space; space to connect, to talk, and to feel less alone.

In 2026, we launched Petals at the Pub – a men-only floristry workshop designed to bring men together in real life for creativity, conversation and connection. It’s part of our wider commitment to supporting men’s mental health and driving meaningful awareness across the UK.

Our recent research on male loneliness and mental health revealed:

• 42% of men want more regular, quality time with friends
• 17% wish they could open up more but don’t know how
• 28% say their conversations rarely go beyond shared interests

Behind those statistics are real men who want connection, but aren’t always sure how (or where) to begin. Petals at the Pub is our way of helping men to find that space to connect, helping them take that first step in opening up.

Flowers might not be the obvious starting point for men’s wellbeing, but that’s exactly why they work. There are also plenty of mental health benefits to flower arranging, including:

• Mindfulness
• Reduced stress
• A shared focus
• Create natural openings for conversation
• Reduced feelings of loneliness

When you’re concentrating on building a hand-tied bouquet, there’s less pressure to “perform” emotionally. You’re side by side. You’re doing something together. And that can open up just enough space for meaningful conversations to naturally begin.

Inside the First Workshops:

Our very first Petals at the Pub took place in London, and what a night it was. We welcomed journalists from The Metro, The Times, and Hello!, alongside influencers from the men’s wellbeing community. The atmosphere was warm, open and quietly expectant.

Led by the brilliant Jamie from Flowers by Jamie Christopher, each 90-minute flower arranging workshop guided guests through creating a seasonal hand-tied arrangement. There was lots of laughter, plenty of furrowed brows, and the steady rhythm of snipping stems.

Over the campaign so far, we’ve brought more than 60 men together in person, and sparked countless conversations among many more about coming together in support of men’s health and happiness.

At our second workshop, 15 men from the general public joined us. Many arrived solo. It started quietly, but as the evening unfolded and the floristry took shape, so did new friendships. By the end of the night, men who had walked in alone were swapping contact details and making plans to meet again.

And that’s exactly what can happen when you create the right environment. Emotional walls come down, and meaningful connections bloom.

That “side-by-side” dynamic is exactly what a floristry workshop offers. You might have your eyes on the creation coming to life in front of you, while connections are building with the person beside you. A lot of the time, you might not even notice it’s happening.

When asked what advice they’d give to someone feeling lonely, their answers were simple, practical and hopeful.

Kieran encouraged saying yes to opportunities:

“Say ‘Yes’ more than you say ‘No’. Get out the house, go speak to people. Not every conversation has to be deep. Talking about something good that happened that week might be enough.”

Kelsey shared a reminder that loneliness is more universal than we realise:

“The thing I’ve always remembered is ‘we’re all alone in this together’. That quote always stays with me. If I’m feeling lonely, there’s a good chance someone else is too. If we both have a conversation, we start bridging that gap.”

And Mervyn offered something beautifully gentle:

“Be a little bit brave. It’s a lot as a man sometimes to go from zero to sixty. But if you can go from zero to five and then from five to ten, you know, you’ll find that actually it comes quite naturally to you. Then it becomes normal.”

He also described what made the evening special:

“It was nice to do something slow that required patience and thought. There was this softness and delicacy around the flowers. It was just lovely to create something so beautiful.”

Those reflections capture exactly what Petals at the Pub set out to do: create a space where men can connect without pressure, and where creativity softens the edges of difficult conversations.

The Power Of Floristry For Men’s Wellbeing

A flower arranging workshop may look simple on the surface, but it creates something powerful:

• A shared focus
• A calm, mindful activity
• A welcoming environment
• Permission for men to talk, or just be themselves

Creative experiences encourage presence and patience. They reduce stress. They build confidence. And when shared, they create a sense of belonging.

For men who say their conversations rarely move beyond shared interests, floristry becomes that shared interest and a stepping stone toward something deeper.

We didn’t set out to turn every single attendee into a professional florist. Petals at the Pub is about giving men tools, spaces and opportunities to connect.

What’s Next: Growing the Petals at the Pub Movement

Petals at the Pub is just the beginning.

With more than 1,500 men eager to attend, we’re exploring how we can expand the initiative and continue delivering on our promise to bring people together in real life.

Look out for updates on future workshops. In the meantime, if you or someone you know needs support, help is available:

• Samaritans – [116 123](tel:116 123) (free, 24/7)
• CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) – [0800 58 58 58](tel:0800 58 58 58)
• NHS 111 – For urgent mental health support

Because no matter how tough things get, connection should never be out of reach.

Loneliness thrives in silence. Community grows in conversation. And sometimes, that conversation begins with something as simple as a handful of flowers.