Activities

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Below are listed some of the duties on the agenda of skills Mr Fink will be teaching on the four week course. An opportunity to learn at the highest level. Before you begin the course however, on the first day Mr Fink will take you on a tour of the mansion in which the school is held. The house was built in 1722 and it is a truly beautiful, magnificent environment in which to work on the duties of a Butler.

From that day onwards you will have full access of the house while you are being trained House Management. The daily running of a large household Butler and pantry duties. A Butler’s daily working routine, including the carving of meats, poultry, game and smoked salmon. Care of fine silver, jewellery, antique furniture and glassware.

How to:- organise large dinner parties, shooting and hunting weekends. Laying the Table. The serving of the finest wines ,food and the correct procedures for serving meals. This is where a practical approach is vital, and will be given. You will have many opportunities to practice your serving skills as everyday during the four weeks there will be people to try your skills on for lunch! Cellar control (A real cellar is provided!) and the laying of vintage wines and port. There will also be a wine tasting.

The care of fine cigars, making various cocktails, using a variety of spirits, temperatures for liqueurs and their different flavours. Valeting, Dressing room duties, (Bedrooms provided to practice your skills) how to lay out clothes, including evening wear, uniforms and day wear. How to pack a suitcase correctly. Care of Hunting ,Shooting clothes. The art of caring for all types of apparel and footwear professionally. Emphasis will always be on the formal way of carrying out these duties.

In addition to the practical aspect of the course various speakers will be visiting the class to give talks on specialist subjects

The well known gentleman, Hugo Morley-Fletcher will explain what is required of a Butler:- He who as an Antiques expert has been appearing on the Antiques Road Show for twenty five years was born and brought up in A Stately Home. In the days when such places were still fully staffed. As a child and a young man he spent time on both sides of the Green Baize Door and acquired a cosy insight into how it all worked.

The family Butler introduced him to the delights of polishing the shoes, cleaning silver and decantering wine, all skills made useful in later life. The Butler was also a useful and friendly source for cigarettes, alcoholic refreshments and other creature comforts. With the Head Gardener and Head Keeper the Butler formed part of a discreet but mighty triumvirate which unobtrusively kept the whole show going. Hugo Morley – Fletcher will recall his experiences in such a household and the lessons he has drawn from it, which may be even useful to you.

Mr Fink will instruct on the correct procedure to be followed at a Wedding and other functions and on how to announce meals in the house and how to introduce guests. He will also talk about titles and equivalent ranks and how to address them.

There will be a professional simplified cookery day, to show you how to cook a quick nutritious meal. This demonstration will be given by Sarah Preston a first class Prue Leith trained cook.

It will be arranged for Tom Clifton an Associate of the Butler-Valet school to attend the course to help you with your CV and to conduct mock interviews, to help you prepare for the job you require. This will be an advantage to you. Interviews are important and it is advisable to know the correct procedure.

You will be taken to other houses of interest including Blenheim Palace. Four week

courses will also include Windsor Castle

For more information either, e mail. or telephone to speak to Mr Fink direct.

Last Updated: March 9, 2013