If private service has main hubs in the world then London is certainly in the top 3, if not occupying the top spot. The world of bespoke service in London is seemingly a meeting of many people from elsewhere on the planet as recent history shows. Today London plays host …

Two of the most common reactions that I have had over the years to my having worked, and having a continuing love of wine,  are to have people recoil slightly as if I am going to burst into flame and an almost total indifference flavoured with a conceit that says …

People who now consider themselves to be well-versed in wine and who are somewhat deprecating of the novice’s wine choice would do well to remember the past. Through the gloom of yesteryear will be spied a bottle of Mateus Rosé, Liebfraumilch, Jacob’s Creek or Piat d’Or lurking on a mental …

A new job is always a challenge no matter how many times the experience has been repeated and it is even more of a challenge when you are given a place in someone else’s home. The particularity of private service is that you will be given a place in the …

The principal has just been served his breakfast and attention now turns to the first main task of the day. Grabbing a large bag of feed in the stable many buckets are filled and likewise with the water buckets which are then distributed to the animals. Moving to the animals’ …

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far….sorry about that! Anyway a long time ago the butler rather than being at the top of the domestic pile was to be found in the nether regions of many a great house; down in the cellar to be precise. The butler began …

Diploma; yep. Operational; yep. Enthusiastic; yep. Agencies inundating you with mouth-watering offers; no. Agencies offering you interviews; no. Agencies telling you that you may need three languages and 5 years experience; probably. The task facing newly-qualified private service professionals can be daunting as they find themselves in the unenviable position …

In the past number of years a need to have properly trained butlers has led to the creation of butler schools in many countries. A school that has been consistently regarded among the best is The International Butler School (TIBA) in Valkenburg near Maastricht in the Netherlands. TIBA was founded …

A recent film “Minions” has caused me to reflect on a difficult aspect of a butler’s life, namely that of securing employment. The yellow creatures are driven by the need to serve a master and will not allow anything to deter them in their quest. And so it is with …

The days of a butler being duty bound to one household, perhaps with some exceptions, are long gone. Modern times call for modern butlers and he or she is to be found in many places. First and foremost the butler performs the classic role of man-servant, possessed of an ice-cool …