Message from the Chairman: Furore Over a Fork—And the Fork in the Road for the Modern Butlers
by Steven Ferry
A number of media outlets had a few words to say about an ex-butler for the British royal family who recently claimed: “Ladies and gentlemen, remember we always use a knife and fork or chopsticks to eat rice! We do not use our hands or fingers.”
The lesser problem here being the definition of “we,” for certainly truer words were never spoken about the modern British royal family or those of occidental cultures, but what about earlier times, and what about the rest of the world?…
Butlers in the Media
by Steven Ferry
Other than the “rice and fork versus fingers” fracas (see Message from the Chairman), it has been a quiet month for butlers in the media.
So this might be a good time to report on an interesting interchange amongst butlers concerning a short video I shot in 2007, and which the Director of Training at The American Butler School unearthed and put on LinkedIn recently…
Letters to the Editor
“”Regarding the South African school and how displeased the students are with the behaviour there, it is a sad, sad thing when students spend their own money and someone just robs them of it. I myself am unhappy to see that such trainers can start training when basically they are unfit to take on such a task. Standards are so important and need to be kept up all the time. I’m just so disappointed with the standards and it is good that you have spent a lot of time and energy in trying to see that these so-called trainers know about it. Thank you for what you are doing…
The Wisdom of Butlers Past, Part 47: Serving at Table
by Steven Ferry
It seems that no checklists were in use, so things were often not done on time; nobody was drilled on their station/where to stand, or who would bring the sauce, etc., so again, things were not done or were done clumsily, the whole event being like some slapstick comedy as the wait staff fell over each other to see to requests by guests that should not have had to be made in the first place.
One word of advice was to lay only the silverware for that course, which is not what was done a century later, or indeed today, for formal dinners…
Let’s Talk Mixology, Part 66: Chocolate Creme Cocktail
by Amer A. Vargas
With Easter round the corner, why not have fun with some chocolaty concoction? On this occasion we take a look at, and a sip of, the Creme Egg Cocktail.
The recipe of this month is based on the suggestions of cocktail expert Simon Difford from the famous Difford’s Guide. And as I mentioned above, chocolate will be present in this cocktail, together with other ingredients that will delight the palates of those who enjoy sweet and sugary drinks…
My Butler Julius: Spring Cleaning
by My Butler Julius
For those of us living in the Northern hemisphere, it is the start of Spring, and for those of us in household service, this means one key thing: Deep cleaning and readying our principals’ property for the Summer, generally known as “spring cleaning.”
You may not be aware that this age-old tradition began in Persia (now Iran), signaling the beginning of the Persian New Year and is a custom still followed today. It is referred to as “shaking the house,’’ wherein everything in the dwelling is cleaned, from curtains to carpet…
Paying Attention to Details
Because one image can say more than a thousand words, click on “read more” to find out how good (or not so good) someone’s attention to detail can be, and be left speechless…
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Care of Leather Goods, Part 6: Leather Products to Avoid
by Steven Ferry
Avoid leather-care products made in China as they generally use inferior ingredients and harsh chemicals or smelly animal fats as opposed to natural butters or oils.
Avoid spray products, such as waterproofing sprays, which likewise use ingredients that are not necessarily good for leathers and which are too imprecise in application, hitting other areas than the intended leather. Suede spray products are an exception but must be used in very well-ventilated areas as they are toxic…
Creative Corner
featuring Kobi Gutman
In the continued quest to perfect his offerings to guests, Mr. Gutman presents a cheetah this month. This is what he says regarding this figure: “It is a single gift, as casting for multiple guests would be quite complex: The mold would need to be created in three sections and the resin then poured into the mold under the paw that is touching the ground—which is a very small hole for pouring a viscous liquid…
The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world. Contact us for all your training needs via email at enquiries@modernbutlers.com or via telephone: USA 1-813- 354-2734. We invite you to also visit our website www.modernbutlers.com for more information.
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