BACKSTAGE AT THE STATELY HOME
Former home to the Earls of Bradford, 17th-century home Weston Park has 28 bedrooms complete with heirlooms, a butler, head gardener and head chef. So how does this grand stately home run today? I was invited downstairs to find out.
HEAD BUTLER, Graeme Currie
Graeme Currie has been at Weston Park for six years. Before Weston, he buttled for a family in Scotland and helped with the weddings that were held on their estate. As Weston is no longer a family home, I ask him how it differs from his previous post.
‘You’re not so subservient,’ he says. ‘We try to create a family feeling for the guests at Weston Park, but I don’t do any unpacking – unless I’m asked, of course.
‘At my previous post I would cook, do the washing or clean the bedrooms, and anything else I was asked to do. Here I have a team of staff to do that, a brigade of chefs and a housekeeping department.’
‘When I come into the house in the morning the first thing I do is open the windows. Each window has a shutter so, last thing at night we close them all and then open them up again in the morning.
‘You can go on a course to train to do this job, but working in hotels and restaurants gives you a good understanding of what customers want. I see my role as starting to put life into the house. It’s our job to make the house feel welcoming, alive. Then we get ready to greet the guests.
‘It’s down to me to be here from the beginning to the end with my team. It’s the same team for the duration. This consistency is good for the guest because if you tell me something it’s not going to get lost in translation. I’m the face; the contact. I look after the guests. ‘I’ve been lucky enough to meet a few famous people, but I also feel as if I’m married to the house. I guess the only downside to the job is the very long hours.
‘You have to be discreet, professional, friendly and approachable. If you’re going to have someone working in your house, you want them to be smart and presentable, too.
‘I’d love to work with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The future king – you can’t get much better than that, can you?’
HEAD CHEF, Guy Day
Planning a dinner party can be daunting, but cooking for a party of 120 is terrifying. For head chef Guy Day, however, it is just something he has had to get used to.
‘The more people you have, the more dietary requirements you have to deal with: vegetarian, vegan, someone who doesn’t like fish, someone who’s allergic to mushrooms.
I’d say I’m a good cook. I make a wonderful saucissons avec des pommes purées (sausage and mash). But I wonder what makes a great chef?
'A great chef pulls rabbits out of hats; they don’t use books but create their own ideas. My mother is a good cook but she’ll stand in the kitchen and look through recipe books for hours, whereas I’ll knock up the same thing in 10 minutes. It’s all about knowledge.'
‘Dedication is vital. And when you’re training, you have to be prepared to put yourself out, to work hard, and to be shouted at a little bit. Always aim high and go to the best places, especially when you’re a young chef.’
HEAD GARDENER, Martin Gee
Martin has been at Weston Park since 1969. In fact, he is the sixth generation of his family to work on the grounds. A good gardener needs patience, says Martin. ‘You need plenty of that. I enjoy everything about working here but what I enjoy most is doing the guided tours. It’s great because you get to meet a lot of interesting people. And that’s where you get your feedback from.’
Weston sits in 1,000 acres of gardens and parkland. And Martin looks after them with a team of just three. How does he manage it?
‘We’ve broken the grounds down into three areas,’ he says. ‘Someone will tackle one area, someone else will tackle another, and I drift between them all. The formal lawns have to be mown once a week, but they are edged – which I see as the most important aspect of the gardens – every two weeks. The edging is done with machines now, which makes life easier.
‘We have volunteers, too. They do the deadheading, watering, a bit of weeding and things like that. Without the volunteers, we couldn’t achieve everything. There’s a real shortage of gardeners at the moment. There’s a big push by the Royal Horticultural Society to encourage young people into the industry, and there are plenty of placements on offer. We even take placements for students working at local colleges.
‘It is a wonderful lifestyle. From the outside it looks like hard work, but there is great satisfaction in seeing the fruits of your labour.’
The hall was built by architect James Paine for Sir Mathew Lamb in 1760. Set in 543 acres of parkland, Brocket caters for weddings, golf days, and runs special events at Christmas.
01707-368700, www.brocket-hall.co.uk
Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire
Stay in one of the 11 selfcatering cottages on the grounds at this castle, which was once the home of Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr.
01242-604244, www.sudeleycastle.co.uk
Blair Estate, Ayrshire
The castle has a long history, dating back to 1105. Blair sits within 250 acres of gardens and woodlands and is only 20 minutes from Glasgow airport, making it the perfect place to mark a special occasion.
01294-833100, www.blairestate.com
HEAD BUTLER, Graeme Currie
Graeme Currie has been at Weston Park for six years. Before Weston, he buttled for a family in Scotland and helped with the weddings that were held on their estate. As Weston is no longer a family home, I ask him how it differs from his previous post.
‘You’re not so subservient,’ he says. ‘We try to create a family feeling for the guests at Weston Park, but I don’t do any unpacking – unless I’m asked, of course.
‘At my previous post I would cook, do the washing or clean the bedrooms, and anything else I was asked to do. Here I have a team of staff to do that, a brigade of chefs and a housekeeping department.’
‘When I come into the house in the morning the first thing I do is open the windows. Each window has a shutter so, last thing at night we close them all and then open them up again in the morning.
‘You can go on a course to train to do this job, but working in hotels and restaurants gives you a good understanding of what customers want. I see my role as starting to put life into the house. It’s our job to make the house feel welcoming, alive. Then we get ready to greet the guests.
‘It’s down to me to be here from the beginning to the end with my team. It’s the same team for the duration. This consistency is good for the guest because if you tell me something it’s not going to get lost in translation. I’m the face; the contact. I look after the guests. ‘I’ve been lucky enough to meet a few famous people, but I also feel as if I’m married to the house. I guess the only downside to the job is the very long hours.
‘You have to be discreet, professional, friendly and approachable. If you’re going to have someone working in your house, you want them to be smart and presentable, too.
‘I’d love to work with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The future king – you can’t get much better than that, can you?’
HEAD CHEF, Guy Day
Planning a dinner party can be daunting, but cooking for a party of 120 is terrifying. For head chef Guy Day, however, it is just something he has had to get used to.
‘The more people you have, the more dietary requirements you have to deal with: vegetarian, vegan, someone who doesn’t like fish, someone who’s allergic to mushrooms.
I’d say I’m a good cook. I make a wonderful saucissons avec des pommes purées (sausage and mash). But I wonder what makes a great chef?
'A great chef pulls rabbits out of hats; they don’t use books but create their own ideas. My mother is a good cook but she’ll stand in the kitchen and look through recipe books for hours, whereas I’ll knock up the same thing in 10 minutes. It’s all about knowledge.'
‘Dedication is vital. And when you’re training, you have to be prepared to put yourself out, to work hard, and to be shouted at a little bit. Always aim high and go to the best places, especially when you’re a young chef.’
HEAD GARDENER, Martin Gee
Martin has been at Weston Park since 1969. In fact, he is the sixth generation of his family to work on the grounds. A good gardener needs patience, says Martin. ‘You need plenty of that. I enjoy everything about working here but what I enjoy most is doing the guided tours. It’s great because you get to meet a lot of interesting people. And that’s where you get your feedback from.’
Weston sits in 1,000 acres of gardens and parkland. And Martin looks after them with a team of just three. How does he manage it?
‘We’ve broken the grounds down into three areas,’ he says. ‘Someone will tackle one area, someone else will tackle another, and I drift between them all. The formal lawns have to be mown once a week, but they are edged – which I see as the most important aspect of the gardens – every two weeks. The edging is done with machines now, which makes life easier.
‘We have volunteers, too. They do the deadheading, watering, a bit of weeding and things like that. Without the volunteers, we couldn’t achieve everything. There’s a real shortage of gardeners at the moment. There’s a big push by the Royal Horticultural Society to encourage young people into the industry, and there are plenty of placements on offer. We even take placements for students working at local colleges.
‘It is a wonderful lifestyle. From the outside it looks like hard work, but there is great satisfaction in seeing the fruits of your labour.’
More stately homes to stay in
Brocket Hall, HertfordshireThe hall was built by architect James Paine for Sir Mathew Lamb in 1760. Set in 543 acres of parkland, Brocket caters for weddings, golf days, and runs special events at Christmas.
01707-368700, www.brocket-hall.co.uk
Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire
Stay in one of the 11 selfcatering cottages on the grounds at this castle, which was once the home of Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr.
01242-604244, www.sudeleycastle.co.uk
Blair Estate, Ayrshire
The castle has a long history, dating back to 1105. Blair sits within 250 acres of gardens and woodlands and is only 20 minutes from Glasgow airport, making it the perfect place to mark a special occasion.
01294-833100, www.blairestate.com