Butler

What is the work like?

Butlers usually work for an individual or family requiring assistance in the running of their household.

Duties vary depending on an employer's needs, but may include:

• answering the telephone and door
• greeting and looking after guests
• making travel arrangements and booking hotels and restaurants
• organising parties
• catering for the family or for large dinner parties
• supervising household staff, including cooks, cleaners and gardeners
• light household duties
• overseeing security
• wardrobe management and clothing care
• overseeing the wine cellar and acting as toastmaster
• hiring and supervising outside contractors
• looking after household furniture and antiques.

Household butlers are likely to have a variety of roles, including valet, chauffeur, personal assistant or chef. They may also have household management duties, such as the administration of bills, inventories and recruiting staff. Some are referred to as house managers.

Butlers also work in the hospitality industry. Duties at a luxury hotel may include:

• ensuring that everything is in order prior to the guests' arrival, including maid service, flower arrangements and technical facilities
• reviewing the guest list to check special requirements
• greeting guests and providing information on hotel facilities
• offering refreshments
• helping to unpack luggage and assist with any laundry requests
• being on call for the guests
• liaising with other hotel departments to ensure that guests' requirements are met.

Hours and environment

The hours can be long, irregular and unpredictable, including early starts, late nights and weekend working, particularly for butlers in private households. They may be asked to work additional hours at very short notice and may be on call during the night. The hours in hotels may be more predictable, but are likely to be long.

Butlers may work in luxury hotels, private houses, stately homes or country estates. Some may also work on luxury yachts or on cruise ships. In some cases, butlers live in and have their own apartment or cottage on the premises.

The role is physically demanding, involving a lot of walking, standing and climbing stairs and sometimes ladders.

Some employers travel widely and expect their butlers to accompany them on trips overseas, which can involve long or short periods away from home.

Butlers are expected to dress formally most of the time.

A driving licence is usually required.

Salary and other benefits

These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary, depending on the employer and where people live.

• The starting salary for a butler may be around £15,000 a year.
• With experience, a butler may earn around £20,000 to £45,000 a year.
• A household manager or head butler working for a prestigious client may earn up to £70,000 a year.

Additional benefits may be included, such as a car or live-in accommodation.

Skills and personal qualities

A butler needs to be:

• totally discreet, trustworthy and loyal
• skilful at dealing with all kinds of people
• immaculately presented and well mannered
• a good organiser with excellent attention to detail
• calm, flexible and able to multitask
• able to anticipate a guest's or employer's needs
• someone who adheres to consistently high standards
• be able to cook
• polite and friendly, even after a long day.

Interests

A butler needs to be interested in:

• the art of fine dining and formal service
• social etiquette.

Getting in

Butlers are usually employed by wealthy families or VIPs, which might include successful business executives, embassy staff, celebrities and royalty.

An increasing number of organisations, including hotels and financial institutions, offer a butler service to their clients. There are also opportunities to work in contract catering and lifestyle management companies. Many jobs are overseas, particularly in the USA, the Middle East and the Far East.

This has been a growing profession. Although demand has fallen recently, professional, UK-trained butlers (both male and, increasingly, female) who are prepared to be flexible and assist with the family, organise the household and act as personal assistants will always be sought after.

Vacancies are advertised in magazines such as Discretion and on specialist recruitment websites. There are also a number of domestic staff agencies advertising posts.

Entry routes

It is rare for someone to become a butler without previous work experience. Employers look for candidates with experience and the necessary social skills and range of abilities to handle the demands of the role. Academic qualifications are not always required, although qualifications in general hospitality and catering may be useful.

A hospitality-related qualification may be relevant. There is a range of courses at all levels, including:

• Level 1 Certificate or Award in introduction to the hospitality industry
• Level 2 Award, Certificate or Diploma in hospitality
• NVQ Level 1 hospitality or Level 2 in multi-skilled hospitality services.

The Diploma in hospitality may be relevant for this type of work.

Traditionally, a butler started as a houseman, footman or under-butler with responsibility for tasks such as cleaning, maintenance, moving furniture and luggage. However, people with a hotel or catering background now often transfer into the role of butler. Some employers look for experience with food and drinks in a high-class establishment.

Private butler training schools in the UK and overseas run courses for people who wish to become butlers and may also help to find placements for their students. These courses can be very expensive.

Thames Valley University offers the International Professional Butlers' Diploma for which, again, a fee is payable. This one-year course has been developed with the royal household and covers:

• wines, spirits and cigar knowledge
• housekeeping procedures
• food service.

The second term is spent with a London employer, usually a luxury hotel, working as a student butler.

Language skills can be useful. A driving licence and a current passport may also be required.

Some employers may not recruit people with dependants (a partner or children).

Training

Training is on the job, with new entrants gradually taking on more responsibility as they gain experience.

It is possible to study for nationally recognised qualifications, including:

• City & Guilds (C&G) Level 2 Diploma for butlers
• NVQ Level 2 in food and drink service
• NVQ Level 3 in hospitality supervision and leadership skills.

Formal in-house training programmes are provided by some organisations, including the royal household and some of the large hotel chains.

Hotel butlers are fully trained in all aspects of food and drink service, as well as housekeeping or valet service.

Getting on

Experienced butlers may apply for positions as head butler in prestigious households. They can become household managers with responsibility for the smooth running of several establishments or large estates, including yachts and private jets.

Within hotels, staff can progress to managerial roles, possibly setting up new butler divisions and organising recruitment and training.

Further information

British Butlers Guild (BBG). Website: www.britishbutlerguild.com

The Guild of Professional English Butlers, PO Box 35, Hayling Island PO11 0ZN. 02392 637919. Website: www.guildofbutlers.com

Institute of Hospitality, Trinity Court, 34 West Street, Sutton SM1 1SH. 020 8661 4900. Website: www.instituteofhospitality.org

The International Guild of Professional Butlers. Website: www.butlersguild.com

Springboard UK Limited, 3 Denmark Street, London WC2H 8LP. 020 7497 8654. Website: www.springboarduk.net

Magazines/journals

Caterer and Hotelkeeper

Discretion

Hospitality Magazine - Institute of Hospitality

(Some may be priced)

April 2010

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