Edible flowers are making a comeback—here's how you can buy them and up your cocktail game

Waitrose is now selling edible flowers that are guaranteed to up your summer cocktail game and impress your guests.

Waitrose and Marks and Spencer are now stocking edible flowers that are the new way to add a little aesthetic flourish to your cooking. 

For £3.50 Waitrose sells a pot of colourful violas that you can use in your summer dishes. “A selection of beautiful violas to add colour to any salad, cake, dessert or drink. Flowers can be frozen in an ice cube tray ready to pop into your drink,” states the supermarket.

£3.50 at Waitrose

Waitrose Edible Flowers | £3.50

Waitrose sells tiny edible colourful violas. The brand suggests that these decorative flowers can be used in salads, cocktails, baked goods, and—very cleverly—ice cubes. Now even your ice can be beautiful.

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Although you may think that these flowers are only suitable for garnishing sweet treats, edible flowers have also been used to decorate salads and savoury food items. 

Edible flowers have a subtle taste and are neither sweet nor savoury. The garnish is mostly just aesthetic but the taste complements a variety of different items with its delicate flavour. 

Cheryl Blaize, Food Stylist, and Founder of Kake Kwerk http://kakekwerk.com said that edible flowers are having a comeback right now. "Since the boom of floral cakes around 2013 it looks as though in 2021 it may be making a comeback. Delicate classy whimsical floral creations seem to be all the rage and on-trend at the moment," she said.

She continued to say, "What was once reserved for five star à la cart restaurant salads, desserts and wedding cakes, is now making an appearance on birthday cakes, christening cakes even housewarming cakes."

Cheryl believes that the gentle flavour of edible flowers can enhance the overall flavour of various different dishes. "The delicate and subtle flavours of edible flowers can bring fresh summertime tones to both the palate and aesthetically," she said.

However, Cheryl also warned that not all flowers are edible—so please don't go foraging for decorative flowers in your garden! 

Cheryl said, "Not all flowers are edible and it’s always best to research which flowers are safe before serving them directly onto food. Some flowers can be poisonous and we also have to bear in mind pesticides and chemical fertilisers are frequently used on non-edible flowers. If using non-edible florals for aesthetic purposes, binding the ends with floral tape, cling film, picks or edible safety seal in my opinion is the best way to safely seal non-edible flowers."So it's probably best just to stick with the supermarket flowers! 

We can't wait to try this new trend and give our dishes a fresh floral vibe—summer cannot come any sooner!