Message from the Chairman
by Steven Ferry
So we come to another leap year, one that you could celebrate perhaps with the Leap Year cocktail Mr. Vargas covers in his column this month. Anyone into the significance of numbers might be impressed with 20:20 pm on the 20th of February, 2020. Such moments do not come around very often and I will be sure to enjoy that Leap Year drink at that particular time, at my own birthday bash. Would that I were celebrating my 20th, but alas, that particular moment has passed 🙂 …
Butlers in the Media
by Steven Ferry
An interview with the Chairman done a while back finally surfaces. Apart from the usual pronunciamentos by a certain ex-butler with an inflated sense of self-importance and a diminished sense of the niceties of butling, the past month in the media was marked by more abuse of the word “butler:”
- Teddy Bear butler…
Letters to the Editor
“The show is more about the fantasy version of MI6 that is known to most Americans—James Bond, etc.—than the reality. If you don’t mind my asking, what was your experience with intelligence analysis? Not a big deal, just would be a nice detail for the story–you’re a real-life Alfred!” Ed: I’ll take that as a compliment. I agree on your analysis about the fantasy version of MI6. To answer your question, I analyzed a stream of information for a client in order to identify trouble spots, or conversely, good spots…
The Wisdom of Butlers Past, Part 33: Decanting
by Steven Ferry
Decanting has been a time-honored tradition for butlers, so no manual could be considered complete without covering the proper technique. Butlers two centuries ago poured the wine gently through a strainer with cambrick in it to catch crust and bits of cork from entering the decanter. Cambrick? A misspelling of Cambric, an area of France producing fine and dense cloth made of linen initially, later cotton.The advice on opening a bottle would not impress any butler, sommelier, or employer today: Place the bottle on the floor…
The Butlers Speak: Working with Family Offices
by Steven Ferry
75% of those surveyed have had to work with Family Offices. The successful approach, obviously, is collaboration and working to bring them up to speed on the delicate balances existing in private service, where these are missing in the Family Office personnel—and that does appear to be an issue that will result in conflict if not addressed. With the complexities of life today and the greatly expanded list of duties that butlers/household managers have, it would be impossible for them to manage everything as in the old days…
Let’s Talk Mixology, Part 52: Leap Year
by Amer A. Vargas
As the New Year progresses, we arrive at a longer-than-usual February. Yes, 2020 is a leap year, which rewards us with an additional day this month for fun and cocktails! Did you know that there actually is a cocktail named Leap Year? It was created by barman Harry Craddock on the 29th of February 1928 for the Leap Year celebrations at the Savoy Hotel in London where he worked, and was recorded for the first time in the 1930s cocktail compilation, The Savoy Cocktail Book. To prepare it you will need…
Consulting the Silver Expert: How to Polish Silver Video
by Jeff Herman
This video shows how I polished a Paul Revere beaker using Earth Friendly Silver Polish,* cotton balls, and the occasional Q-tip.
The white translucent panel in front provides contrast, making tarnish easier to identify and remove completely. Total polishing time was 30 minutes because of the long-neglected surface. Removing tarnish that would have formed on these pieces over a period of six months may have taken only two minutes…
Creative Corner
featuring Kobi Gutman
More on the magic created for guests — creations that mirror their interests. Mr. Gutman is here experimenting with new materials and techniques.
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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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