The Royal Wedding: The greatest marketing show on Earth

I must confess to a twinge of envy for my old pal George Goring, owner of the eponymous hotel which became the Middleton family’s billet before the Royal Wedding. At a stroke, The Goring has become world famous and the most famous hotel in London. For years to come, this 5-star address will become the most desirable place to stay for visitors to the capital.

But watching the BBC’s television coverage along with two billion other people around the globe, what really struck me was that The Goring’s good fortune came gift-wrapped in a fabulous pageant which no other tourist destination could stage. As a marketing exercise, this was unique; a world-beating event. And with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games only a year away, London and Great Britain are now centre-stage and in the glow of the media’s spotlight. All this gilt-edged publicity might just transform our squeezed economy and hard-pressed tourism industry.

There was another element to this great wedding celebration that went beyond the pomp and ceremony of the day – the Horse Guards, the carriages, Prince William’s scarlet tunic and Kate’s lace-trimmed dress, the moving service at Westminster Abbey, the Battle of Britain fly-past and, of course, the two balcony kisses.

For me, what underpinned the priceless value of “Brand Britain” was the atmosphere of the occasion. The BBC succeeded in capturing the nation’s mood. The tone of voice – the vox pops – was a unified and happy expression of joy, hope and pride coming from the old, the young and their families. This was, very evidently, a family occasion with a gathering of a million people who behaved impeccably as the police led them gently down The Mall to the gates of Buckingham Palace. Contrast this with the images of violence and repression coming out of the Middle East.

The message is clear. When you visit Britain, not only will you discover the history and traditions of a great nation, you will also find its people welcoming and big-hearted, and a country which is civilized and safe.

Kit Chapman, proprietor of The Castle at Taunton and author of My Archipelago.

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Von Essen Hotels – A case of one man’s hubris

For many observers, the demise of Von Essen Hotels has come as no surprise. What is surprising is that it took so long.

The company began as the vision of its founding-owner, Andrew Davis, who sought to acquire Britain’s finest country house hotels – a goal he pursued with a rabid, almost messianic, ambition. In little more than a dozen years, his tally of properties came to twenty-eight. And the price he has had to pay for his hubris is an eye-watering debt burden of over £250 million. For a collection of small, highly individual hotels, you don’t have to be an accountant to realize that this is unsustainable.

Set aside the horror of the numbers, Mr. Davis’s grand ego-fest was misconceived from the start. Running a small, luxurious country house hotel as part of a group is not the same as operating, say, a Four Seasons hotel where systems dictate and there is a sophisticated infrastructure in place to support a big luxury brand.

What, in the first place, made these country house hotels so celebrated? It certainly wasn’t a need for systems, procedures or a sophisticated infrastructure! These beautiful properties won our hearts because they were run by highly individual owner-operators – dedicated men and women who inspired their places with personality and charm. Their heyday came in the 1970s and ’80s and people flocked to stay with them. Many were good friends, among them Francis Coulson and Brian Sack at Sharrow Bay in Cumbria and Kenneth Bell at Thornbury Castle.

These were the wonderful characters who made their hotels world famous and, ultimately, the properties became desirable jewels on Mr. Davis’s shopping list – among them, of course, Sharrow Bay and Thornbury Castle.

Sadly, the moment the original proprietors move on, the spirit and soul inside their unique hotels fade and the properties  become something else. But, deep down, these places – now group owned – still cry out for a “proprietor”, a personality who will bring the house alive. A good manager may be able to pull it off, but they are few and far between. And, besides, the manager has to submit to the dictum of “head office”. It is not the same as owning the hotel and running it your way.

Half a century ago, a small group of enterprising individuals bought their country houses, castles and manors. They turned them into fabulous small hotels with great dining rooms. They worked hard, enjoyed welcoming their visitors and made a good living. They were also perfectly content with just the one place, knowing that to have any more would dilute the attention they lavished on their guests and staff. That breed of dedicated innkeeper has all but disappeared.

Today the “group” rules – well, “private collection” if you are Von Essen. One beautiful gem of a hotel is not enough. But twenty-eight may just be too many.

Kit Chapman, proprietor of The Castle at Taunton and author of My Archipelago 

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So who’s a “sexy bastard”? Archers’ cad Brian Aldridge, of course!

Another busy week in the life of The Castle at Taunton. Now, I attempt to write this surrounded by grandchildren demanding my attention.

Daniel and Ollie (cousins aged four) are strutting around the house with buckets over their heads, chanting “I-am-a-robot!” Kitty, two and a half, screams in protest because she hasn’t got a bucket. And Benjamin, five weeks, ignores the fuss while he feeds at his mother’s breast. 

Meanwhile, in Taunton, new “improved formula” BRAZZ took its first tentative steps with Jamie Raftery’s new menu and, to my relief, it was received with warm approval… even from the most sceptical of regulars.

At our latest literary lunch, Charles Collingwood enthralled and amused us with his stories of life as Brian Aldridge on The Archers. The matrons of Middle England adore him for being their favourite “sexy bastard”!

On Thursday, Henry Blofeld – Blowers, “my dear old thing”– checked in to record two hours of video chat with me. Digital footage which will be edited into 3/5 minute cameos and posted on our website and YouTube.

Next week, we stage our Royal Wedding Gastronomic Evening, then Easter followed by the Royal Wedding itself, and a weekend of mainly Schubert with Emma Johnson “and friends”.

And finally into May. The AV referendum on the 5th (VOTE NO!) and an evening in the company of Lord Dannatt on the 13th.

Must go! Daniel and Ollie have brought me a kitchen bowl. They want me to put it on my head!

Kit Chapman, proprietor of The Castle at Taunton and author of My Archipelago

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BRAZZ@The Castle launches. See Jamie Raftery’s New Menu

Monday, 11th April has crept up on us less by stealth, more in a blaze of spring sunshine.

This is the day we go live with BRAZZ @The Castle. And to check out Chef Jamie Raftery’s new menu, with a selection of images of his dishes, just click here   http://www.the-castle-hotel.com/brazz_menu.php.

And that’s not all we are changing. The new wine list features a selection of some 250 bins with an easy-to-navigate layout to lead you to wines which will delight both your pocket and your palate. We are offering 22 wines by the glass and you will find our line-up of 32 bottles in the £18 to £25 bracket terrific value for money (12 offered at under £20) . All tasted and approved by me personally!

We have also livened up the service to make a visit to BRAZZ even more enjoyable. Meet Graham and meet Bernadette, new faces joining that great stalwart Geoff on the management team. All three there to greet you and show you a good time. See the staff glide between the tables in their smart new uniforms – grey pinstripe bib-aprons over white shirts and blue ties. Paper napkins have been replaced by linen. Colourful new cushions have been scattered on the banquettes. And, to reassure you, our prices stay where they are! 

We all welcome you to BRAZZ @The Castle …. very soon!

Kit Chapman, proprietor of The Castle at Taunton and author of My Archipelago

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Thessaloniki – Vibrant City of my Mother

Louise and I spent this week in Thessaloniki, aka Salonica, Greece’s second city. This was my mother’s birthplace and scene of my parents’ famous romance after my father, a dashing Indian army officer, landed in Macedonia at the end of the war. They celebrated their engagement here in 1946 and I still have vivid memories of summer holidays spent with my grandparents in the early ’50s.

Thessaloniki, so-named after Alexander the Great’s sister, is very different today to the place I remember in my childhood. Then, the city was a wreck – torn apart first by Nazi occupation when some 50,000 Jews were shipped off to the concentration camps, then by civil strife provoked by a communist-inspired opposition to an uncertain new government. My father was part of the British force charged with the task of bringing peace and stability to the region. I tell the drama of those years in my latest book, My Archipelago, the story about my family published in the UK last autumn.

Today Salonica is a modern metropolis with a vibrant cultural, intellectual and commercial life. It’s 70,000-strong student population is the biggest in the Balkans. And the seafront, stretching from Aristotelos Square to the Lefkos Pirgos (White Tower) is packed with bright young things sipping iced coffees in the open-air cafes and bars. Greece may have its debt crisis, but the pulse of this city still races with extraordinary energy.

Over the past decade, a rash of smart boutique hotels has overtaken the established 5-star landmarks which are now looking tired and stuffy. We stayed at the 49-bedroomed Daios overlooking the bay (our second visit) and, in my judgement, it’s the best in Salonica – far more agreeable than the two “Palace” hotels, the Macedonia and the Electra who lost their shine a long time ago.

The Daios is a striking glass and steel structure with interiors beautifully decked out in wood, granite and marble. On gin-clear mornings, you step onto your bedroom balcony to stare in wonder at the the snow-capped peaks of Mount Olympos, home of Zeus and the ancient gods, far across the sea on the horizon.

The hotel’s bar-brasserie-cafe is excellent too. Italian eating seems to be the thing in Salonica these days. Poor old Moussaka has been struck from all self-respecting menus and replaced by delicious salads and perfectly composed risottos. Another new boutique hotel which has followed this trend is the Excelsior at 23, Mitropoleos Street, in the heart of the city, where we enjoyed our finest lunch of the week. Not surprising, perhaps. The young Greek chef here spent six years in New York under the tutelage of Daniel Boulud.

Salonica deserves a much higher place on the itineraries of visitors to Greece and its islands. Its museums, theatres and opera house match everything Athens has to offer, and it is the starting point for the beautiful (and less tourist-trodden) resorts of Halkidiki.

In the early evening, take a stroll along the bayside promenade, joining families with their pushchairs, groups of friends and the crazy riders in their yellow-fringed cycle lane. Walk at least as far as the sculpture of the “flying umbrellas” and enjoy the moment.

Kit Chapman, proprietor of The Castle at Taunton and author of My Archipelago

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