SWINDON florists have been busy making up bouquets for romantics despite a raging red rose price war between discount supermarkets Lidl and Aldi.

Arrangements working out at as little as 25p a stem hit the shelves in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.

Laura Jane’s in Rodbourne Road found many regular clients were staying loyal, although she said cheaper flowers from the supermarkets and the internet were having an impact on orders, and friends in the business were reporting the same.

“You can’t compete with the supermarkets,” said Laura. “But our flowers are nothing like theirs.”

Independent retailers like her choose top graded flowers with long stems to ensure longer life, she said. She was also preparing for a few last-minute orders from people who had ordered flowers on the internet trusting to luck that they would get what they had ordered.

Laura said the business picked up extra sales when customers found they were disappointed with their internet purchases.

Margarita Kurova, who owns All About Flowers in the Pembroke Centre, admitted she had been concerned supermarket advertising on TV was going to hit her trade.

She said: “At first I thought it wasn’t so busy, but now it’s getting busier. Some leave it until the last minute.”

But not everyone was opting to buy red roses for their loved one.

Margarita reckoned around 40 per cent of her orders were for mixed arrangements.

Prices for arrangements of a dozen red roses from independent shops in Swindon range from just under £49 to £64, with prices for Valentine bouquets not changing.

The town’s favourite restaurants are also busy, with some of the top eateries booked up for the special day well in advance.

At the Weighbridge Brewhouse in Penzance Drive there are no tables left for lunch and the evening has been booked solid for a month.

“We’re as full as we can possibly be,” said manager Kaileigh Windle.

At the Bolingbroke Arms in Hook, where the kitchen staff devised a special romantic menu a month ago, all tables have been booked out for the last two weeks. Some diners were ultra-organised.

“The earliest we had someone asking for Valentine’s is between Christmas and New Year,” said Louise Radford, who works front of house.

Normally the Pear Tree Hotel at Purton does a special menu for the evening, but this year it is hosting a conference. Even so all tables for two are booked.

Manager Alix Young said: “We’re full and have been for a couple of weeks. The moment New Year finishes we get the first calls.”

For those who haven’t managed to book a table yet, there are some Swindon eateries offering Valentine’s treats.

Carluccios at the Outlet Village has an amore-themed set menu featuring antipasti for two, Chiquito in Drakes Way, is offering two cocktails and sweet and saucy sharing churros and Fabios is marking La Festa Degli Innamorati with dishes like Minestra Del Amore.