Luxury B&B - March 2019 Issue

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WEDDING EVENTS DEVELOP YOUR B&B TO ACCOMMODATE OUTDOOR WEDDINGS

PLUS!

LINEN TRENDS

TRENDS AND TIPS TO ENHANCE YOUR LUXURY FABRIC

SUMPTUOUS RURAL BEAUTY

We stay in the luxury of Hurst Farm B&B in Kent

UK’S FIRST

LUXURY

B&B MAGAZINE WWW.LUXURYBBMAG.CO.UK • ISSUE 36 • MARCH 2019

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this month...

Welcome 7KLV PRQWK LV WKH Č´UVW 1DWLRQDO % % :HHN D IHZ GD\V before the busy season begins when bed & breakfast KRVSLWDOLW\ EXVLQHVVHV DURXQG WKH 8. FDQ RÎ?HU HQWLFLQJ promotions to draw in guests who might otherwise not EH DZDUH RI WKH VXSHULRU HGJH WKH\ RÎ?HU If you have not already done so, have a think about ZKDW SURPRWLRQV \RX FDQ RÎ?HU WR HQWLFH JXHVWV ODWHU WKLV PRQWK ΖQ WKLV LVVXH ZH SURČ´OH +XUVW )DUP % % near Edenbridge where owner Victoria Tagg is brimming with ideas for promoting her business (page 16) but who for B&B Week has teamed up with her local SXE WR RÎ?HU D IUHH FRXUVH LI JXHVWV FKRRVH WR GLQH WKHUH GXULQJ WKH ZHHN Last year’s event was a resounding success prompting widespread tweeting from B&B owners, JXHVWV DQG FHOHEULWLHV Crucially the end of this month too sees the deadline for entries both from luxury B&B owners and from luxury goods and services suppliers to the Excellence in Luxury Service Awards incorporating Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine and Innkeeper PDJD]LQH If you consider your property to be worthy of recognition for providing an outstanding luxury experience there LV VWLOO WLPH IRU \RX WR QRPLQDWH \RXUVHOI IRU DQ DZDUG 7KH GHDGOLQH IRU HQWULHV LV 0DUFK -XGJLQJ E\ DQ LQGHSHQGHQW RI LQGXVWU\ Č´JXUHV WDNHV SODFH LQ $SULO ZKHQ D VKRUWOLVW ZLOO EH DQQRXQFHG DKHDG RI WKH Č´QDO DZDUGV SUHVHQWHG DW D FHUHPRQ\ LQ FHQWUDO /RQGRQ RQ 0D\ The application form can be found at ZZZ OX[XU\EEPDJ FR XN DZDUGV

NEWS

4

10 12

Industry news from around the UK

16

24

30

36

COMMENT B&B Association chairman David Weston

COMMENT Specialist industry consultant Tina Boden

PROFILE We visit Hurst Farm in Crockham Hill near Edenbridge, where owner Victoria Tagg has an abundance of lucrative promotional ideas

WEDDING EVENTS Outdoor wedding events are growing in popularity along with a move away from traditional matrimonial venues

LINEN TRENDS Tips and trends for luxury B&Bs considering an update to their existing bedroom or dining linen collection

VACUUM EVOLUTION Improving technology may render regulations on vacuum cleaner power limits unrestrictive regardless of EU membership

38

INSURANCE BROKERS VS ONLINE INSURANCE

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Bill Lumley

Editor

16 24

- News -

EDITOR

Bill Lumley bill.lumley@jld-media.co.uk 01892 739 507 | 07710 271 099 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Caroline Sargent 07076 362082 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Matthew Attwood 07710 271 099 NORTHERN IRELAND EDITOR

Last chance for entries Entries are being invited this month from B&B owners and suppliers for our inaugural Excellence in Luxury Service Awards ahead of the closing date of 31 March. The annual awards, which incorporate Luxury Bed & Breakfast and Innkeeper magazines, aim to celebrate accomplishment in the delivery of luxury service, and

to raise even higher the standards of accommodation, goods and associated services set by many B&B owners, innkeepers and high-end suppliers. A shortlist of winners will be announced in April ahead of the awards ceremony in central London on 9 May. For further details of the awards and how to enter see page 8 of this issue.

Francis Higney 07710 271 099 SALES MANAGER

Frankie Butler frankie.butler@jld-media.co.uk 01892 739524 | 07590 297 877 DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Stuart West stuart.west@jld-media.co.uk 01892 739 526 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Helen Richmond helen.richmond@jld-media.co.uk 01892 739 523 | 07765 008 507 No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. We regret we cannot be liable for the safe custody or return of any solicited or unsolicited material. Contributors are advised to keep copies of all materials submitted. The opinions and views expressed in Luxury Bed & Breakfast are not necessarily those of JLD Media. Being subject to the Advertising Standards Authority guidelines in place at the time of going to press, all data submitted by advertisers and contained in their advertising copy is accepted by JLD Media in good faith. Luxury Bed & Breakfast is available on subscription. UK & Ireland ÂŁ65; Overseas ÂŁ98. Luxury Bed & Breakfast is published monthly. Printed by Stephens & George Ltd

Luxury Bed & Breakfast JLD Media, 29 - 31 Monson Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1LS www.luxurybbmag.co.uk All rights reserved Š JLD Media 2019

National B&B week promotions boost market A nationwide, week-long celebration of the British independent accommodation sector is launching this month between 18-24 March to raise awareness of the distinguished work of independent hosts across the country. Following the success of the inaugural National B&B Day in 2018, this year will see an entire week dedicated to recognising the hard work that independent hosts put into not only making their SURSHUWLHV D VXFFHVV EXW DOVR WKHLU VLJQLČ´FDQW FRQtributions to the UK economy. The initiative’s founders, eviivo and the B&B Association, have joined forces with the broader travel industry and are calling on B&B owners to RÎ?HU JXHVWV H[FOXVLYH H[WUD SHUNV % % RZQHUV VWLOO have the opportunity to take advantage of the promotional week, which is being staged a month before Easter this year. Hurst Farm near Edenbridge in Kent for example has arranged a deal with the ORFDO SXE WR JLYH JXHVWV D VSHFLDO RÎ?HU LI WKH\ GLQH WKHUH GXULQJ WKH ZHHN VHH SURČ´OH SDJH Organisers hope that with the help of independent hosts they can encourage as many holidaymakers as possible to book a room and take a break with incentives ranging from discounts on a stay, to luxury chocolates, to champagne on arrival or afternoon tea. eviivo is again partnering with the Family Holiday Association to provide short breaks to struggling families who face some of the toughest challenges life can bring. B&B owners are being invited to offer two-night stays in their accommodation to families through the charity during National B&B Week and beyond. They also have the option to add a new booking mechanic to their website which will allow their customers to donate ÂŁ1 to the charity when they confirm their stay. Ed Goldswain, marketing director at eviivo, said: "There will be various activities planned throughout the week that guests and hosts can get involved in, including supporting the Family Holiday

Association in their outstanding charitable work, helping families most in need of a break, struck by severe or long-term illness, mental health issues, bereavement or domestic violence. We want to encourage as many people as possible to take a break during National B&B Week, and we hope to see thousands of B&B owners taking part to make the week a huge success.â€? Minister for Arts, Heritage, and Tourism Michael Ellis, is also backing National B&B Week. He said: “Our B&Bs are world-class. Four of TripAdvisor’s WRS Č´YH % %V LQ WKH ZRUOG DUH LQ %ULWDLQ DQG WKLV LV something that we want to capitalise on. “Britain is open for business and National B&B Week is a great opportunity for us to showcase this dynamic sector. I hope we can encourage even more people to support British tourism and experience the VXSHUE SODFHV RQ RÎ?HU DOO DFURVV WKH QDWLRQ Č‹ David Weston, chairman of the B&B Association, added: “More than 20,000 B&Bs across the country generate ÂŁ2 billion annually for the UK economy. This week is all about recognising their contribution to the economy, and the hard work and dedication that goes into ensuring holidaymakers have fantastic trips making great memories with their loved ones. We look forward to seeing how our members get involved this year, and we are grateful to eviivo for their assistance in supporting the industry.â€? The inaugural National B&B Day took place on 24 March 2018 to great acclaim within the independent accommodation sector. The day was designed to celebrate the UK’s independent accommodation industry and raise awareness of B&Bs, encouraging people to book and stay in B&Bs when planning a holiday. Many B&Bs across the UK getting involved in events and publicity opportunities, and events were boosted by tweets from celebrities aware of the occasion. For more information on National B&B Week and to get involved, visit: https://bandbweek.com/ and follow #bandbweek on social media for updates.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 4 - March 2019

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- News -

Industry welcomes competition authority’s action against OTAs The UK B&B sector has joined the wider hospitality market in welcoming enforcement action against online travel agents by the Competition and Markets Authority. But the B&B Association has warned there are more abuses to be addressed. Last month the CMA announced action to put a stop to uncompetitive practices highlighted by the B&B Association that prompted the authority’s investigation in September 2017. The action is against false discounts created by OTAs to mislead customers, against false room availability statements, and against “misleading, non-transparent and manipulated default search rankingsâ€? by OTAs. B&B Association chairman David Weston said that while he welcomed the CMA’s action to stop some of the anti-competitive practices RI 27$V WZR RXW RI WKH RULJLQDO Č´YH DEXVHV remained to be stopped. These concern rate parity clauses and forced bidding by OTAs on B&B names with search engines. Welcoming the enforcement action B&B consultant Yvonne Halling told Luxury Bed & Breakfast: “For a very long time now, the OTAs have been quietly and subtly implementing practices that are not in the best interests of their accommodation providers. The revelations last month, thanks to the great work by

the UK B&B Association, show quite clearly how they’ve also been misleading the public. Hopefully, the CMA’s recommendations will be carried out within the time frames laid out. “It’s good news that these practices have been revealed, and in time, I hope that the public will realise just how they’ve been misled, which should result in more direct bookings for accommodation providers, but time will tell. Accommodation providers now need to step up and be there online for their guests, which unfortunately they are not, in too many cases, which is of course why the OTAs exist. “The news of the OTAs malpractices in terms of how they’ve been misleading the public this week is good news, but unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg. What the public don’t see is the other side of it from the perspective of the accommodation providers. It’s not just about the commissions they pay to the OTAs, but more about the psychological grip they have over small operators. With these revelations, come responsibility by the accommodation providers to step up and learn new skills that put them directly in front of their guests, online. There is much work to do on this,� she said. The announcement of enforcement action

on online booking companies will provide greater transparency for customers, according to UKHospitality. Making search result ranking criteria more clear, reducing pressure selling tactics, ensuring that only applicable discounts are displayed, and revealing hitherto hidden charges were among the recommendations. UKHospitality has also urged the Government to act on unfair parity clauses which penalise hospitality venues. CEO Kate Nicholls said: “Action to provide transparency, clarity and fairness around online booking platforms will provide a fairer SOD\LQJ Č´HOG ZKLFK FDQ RQO\ EH D JRRG WKLQJ Customers booking online have for too long been unwittingly misinformed and they deserve better. “The CMA’s recommendations will simultaneously add a level of protection for accommodation businesses who have too often lost out via unfair practices.â€? She added: “It is a welcome step to increase transparency in the realm of online platforms at a UK level. We now need action to address unfair parity clauses to ensure there is fairness and transparency for both customers and businesses.â€? Comment page 10

Be My Guest 2019 kicks off in the South East Independent accommodation roadshow Be My Guest kicked off its second year staging its South Coast Roadshow in Bournemouth. The event last month drew delegates from the region throughout the day where they met exhibitors and attended presentations. VisitEngland support manager Vicky Parr opened the show explaining initiatives for local accommodation businesses SLFWXUHG EHIRUH ([SHGLDȇV )DELR &DUWD discussed the possibility of attracting your ideal customer every time. In the afternoon B&B business success coach Yvonne Halling conveyed techniques to improve your revenue by at least 25% DQG EHDW WKH FDVKȾRZ EOXHV DQG /LWWOH Hotelier business development executive

Avijnan Mitra gave a presentation on driving more direct bookings. Event exhibitor John Coversure who runs a Coversure insurance brokerage franchise in Poole told Luxury Bed & Breakfast: "We’ve never done anything quite like that before in that sector, although we have done landlord shows and buy-to-let shows. The main GLÎ?HUHQFH WKDW ZH IHOW ZDV WKDW SHRSOH were engaged straight away, they wanted to come to talk to us rather than the usual situation of us having to go out and try to talk to people. We didn’t really have a lot of time to go and wander around because there were so many people coming to us and asking questions – which is exactly what you want from a trade show. It really was very good."

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 6 - March 2019

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DATE - 9 May 2019 ENTRY DEADLINE - 31 March 2019 VENUE - Crypt on the Green, London DRESS CODE - Black Tie Following much preparation, we are proud to announce the official launch of the inaugural Excellence in Luxury Service awards incorporating Luxury Bed & Breakfast and Innkeeper magazine. The awards span categories both for B&B owners and Innkeepers as well as suppliers ranging from Best Luxury Seaside B&B to Best Luxury Breakfast Product. The awards aim to recognise and promote excellence in luxury across the UK B&B and Innkeeper markets, thus helping raise the existing bar on standards even higher in the high-end UK B&B and Innkeeper market. We are also delighted to announce the judges of the awards. The panel comprises Inn Places managing director David Hancock; Bed & Breakfast Association chairman David Weston; B&B business adviser Tina Boden of the B&B Keeper and the Tiny Troubleshooter; owner of The Chapel luxury B&B in Harrogate Mark Hinchliffe; Be My Guest event director Diane Lloyd; B&B coach Yvonne Halling; and Luxury Bed & Breakfast /Innkeeper magazine editor Bill Lumley. The winners will be announced at a central London awards ceremony on 9 May at the Crypt on the Green, Clerkenwell, on the edge of the City of London. David Weston said: “I was delighted to be asked to be a judge in the first annual Excellence in Luxury Service awards.

WWW.LUXURYBBMAG.CO.UK

“I hope the new awards will complement established awards such as those run by the AA and eviivo, and add a new, luxury-focused element to the national awards scene, and new opportunities for the owners of high-end properties to showcase their businesses.” Diane Lloyd, event director for Be My Guest Events, said: “We are delighted to support JLD Media, Innkeeper and Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine on their inaugural Award series in 2019. It will be the perfect showcase for owners up and down the country who are committed to delivering customer service of the highest order and delightful guest experiences. We can’t wait to read the entries and to see the winners awarded their deserved accolades.” Fellow judge and winner of this year’s Vision Style Award for Picture Perfect B&B The Chapel owner Mark Hinchliffe added: “I am delighted to be invited to be appointed as a panel judge for the 2019 Excellence in Luxury Service awards. These awards will help keep the high-end market on its toes when it comes to enhancing its luxury appeal.” HOW TO ENTER Submitting your entry is straightforward. Go to luxurybbmag.co.uk/awards and complete the online form. Deadline for entries is 31 March 2019. A shortlist of nominations for the awards will be announced in April, ahead of the awards ceremony in London 9 May.

WWW.INNKEEPERMAGAZINE.CO.UK

JUDGES

Tina Boden Founder The Tiny Troubleshooter

Yvonne Halling Consultant B&B Business Coach

Mark Hinchliffe Owner The Chapel, Harrogate

Diane Lloyd Event Director Be My Guest

Bill Lumley Editor Luxury Bed & Breakfast

David Weston Chairman Bed & Breakfast Association

CATEGORIES INCLUDE Best Overall Luxury experience Best Luxury Seaside B&B Best Luxury Rural B&B Best Luxury Urban B&B Best Luxury Romantic Getaway Most Inspired Design

Best Culinary Experience Best Luxury Renovation Best Use of Locally Sourced Produce Best Events Facility Best Wow-Factor

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- Comment / Bed & Breakfast Association -

Well done, CMA – but two more things‌ The competition authority has done a good job so far curbing OTAs, but there are more abuses to address, says David Weston Chairman of the Bed & Breakfast Association.

Luxury Lux L Lu uxu ux ury ur ry B ry Be Bed ed & B Br Breakfast re reak ea eak akfa ak fas fas ast - 10 10 - F Fe February eb bru br ru ru uary ary ar ary ry 2 20 2019 01 19 9

- Comment / Bed & Breakfast Association -

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s regular readers of this column will know, the B&B Association complained way back in July 2017 to the competition watchdog (the CMA) about various aspects of the way giant online travel agencies (OTAs) treat consumers and B&Bs. Our complaints were against: 1. "Rate parity" (narrow MFN) clauses 2. False discounts created by OTAs to mislead consumers 3. False availability statements created by OTAs to mislead consumers 4. Misleading, non-transparent and manipulated default search rankings by OTAs, and 5. Forced (non-optional contract term) bidding by OTAs on hotel & B&B names with search engines So we were delighted on 6 February this year WKDW WKH &0$ ȴQDOO\ IROORZHG LWV GHWDLOHG LQYHVtigation (started the month after our meeting with them in September 2017) with action to stop some of the egregious practices we highlighted, and protect consumers from abuse by OTAs. These online giants have grown to dominate our industry in recent years, partly (as the CMA’s action shows) by misleading and unfair practices at the expense of consumers and small businesses like B&Bs. The CMA’s recent action was on our complaints 2, 3, and 4; we are still pressing for action on restrictive “rate parity” clauses (complaint 1), and on forced bidding by OTAs on B&Bs’ names on search engines without express permission – what one of our members called “brandjacking” (complaint 5). The "rate parity" clauses (in competition law jargon, "narrow MFNs") are put by OTAs into their contracts with B&Bs and hotels, to prevent the accommodation owners from discounting their own prices to their own customers on their own websites. The OTAs demand a certain commission level (typically between 15% and 25%), and insist that the B&B or hotel must charge the full commission-inclusive price to customers on the B&Bs or hotel's own website too, even when no commission is payable - for example, when a guest is booking a B&B direct from the B&B's own website. The CMA recognises that such "rate parity" clauses are a restrictive practice, alien to most of today's commercial world. "Retail price maintenance" was outlawed in Britain in 1964 for being against the public interest. Yet so far, the CMA has accepted the OTAs' IUHH ULGLQJ DUJXPHQW DV MXVWLȴFDWLRQ IRU WKHLU Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 11 - March 2019

restrictive practice. OTAs have argued that the millions they spend on websites, apps, brands and advertising might not be viable if the accommodation owners were allowed to undercut the gross prices that include their hefty mark-ups to pay for their (the OTAs’) marketing investment. That would, they say, be "free riding". They insist they must be allowed to keep prices high online. :H QRZ UHSHDW RXU FDOO WR WKH &0$ WR ȴQDOO\ reject the OTAs' blatantly self-serving "free riding" argument, and ban the "rate parity" clauses they impose. We also press for them to ban bidding by OTAs on hotel & B&B names with search engines without express permission from the accommodation owner (i.e. not forced as part of an unfair set of T&Cs). What have giant global corporations to fear from tiny B&Bs freely setting their own prices to their own customers? Why do the online giants need to restrict small family businesses, and keep prices high for consumers? Why should OTAs be allowed to hijack your business’s brand name and so take over the top place on every online search for your property? Let's have free and fair competition. Good work so far, CMA; just two more abuses to stop! The Bed & Breakfast Association is the UK trade association for B&B, guest house and independent hotel owners, and exists to inform, support & represent owners. Membership costs £60 a year. The Association is a non-profit organization with no shareholders, dedicated solely to the interests of its members. www.bandbassociation.org

If the passion is in doubt get out! B&B industry guru Tina Boden provides some core tips on leading your hospitality business to success and avoiding the risk of ending up in a dead end

- Comment / Tina Boden -

F

or many people running a luxury B&B seems an idyllic way of earning a living; cooking a handful of breakfasts, making a few beds and smiling sweetly at guests as you open the door to them – how hard can that be? Those that have worked, trained or been brought up in the hospitality industry, as I have, know how far from reality this often is. Working, living and having customers sleep in your home, if you live on the premLVHV LV DOVR YHU\ GLÎ?HUHQW IURP EHLQJ DEOH WR shut the door at the end of the day and walk away from the business you own. Having guests, whether you run a B&B or self-catering, can often feel like you are looking after someone else’s children – the responsibility can be just too much, especially if they are the demanding type. There should be a handful of B&Bs dotted across the globe where potential guest house and small hotel owners can go along for a couple of months to run the place single-handedly before they commit to their own business, especially if they have no industry experience at all. Buying or setting up a luxury B&B is a huge investment, not only financially but physically and mentally as well.

NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SMILE Starting out in business is very much like going into a new relationship; it’s all about lookLQJ JRRG PDNLQJ WKH HÎ?RUW DQG HQVXULQJ \RX do things just right. Unfortunately, however, in business, unlike your personal life, as the QHZQHVV ZHDUV RÎ? DQG IDPLOLDULW\ FUHHSV LQ you cannot start to slob around in your PJs, make-upless and with your hair all over the place. You are never fully dressed without a smile in a customer-facing business, even with the guests you want to scream at. It is even harder when your business is your home: there is nowhere to hide, and it’s a 24/7 thing. The chore of being nice and smiling not only makes your cheeks ache, but can become a real pain in the backside as well. Eventually this can start to have an impact on you and your feelings towards the business you run.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION? In my column last December I wrote about the importance of planning for the year ahead and the positive impact this can have on both your business and you. There is a lot of discussion about the importance of business plans in the business support DQG PHQWRULQJ ZRUOG 3UHGLFWLQJ FDVKČľRZ understanding target customers, knowing who your competitors are, making sure you have done your market research; the list is ORQJ EXW WKH SODQ \RX FUHDWH LV SXUH Č´FWLRQ until you start to trade. A business plan is useful but a vision for where you want to go in life, that includes your business, is far more important. My advice to clients starting out in business is to FUHDWH D Č´YH \HDU YLVLRQ RI ZKHUH WKH\ ZDQW to take the business and their life. Look at the goals they want to achieve along the way and ensure the business can help them do this – if not, why would you consider taking it on? You need to have passion for what you are doing or going to do. If the passion is in doubt you need to get out whether that is before you start or part way through. No one else will feel the same about your business as you do, if you are not passionate about what you are doing why should anybody else EH ZKHWKHU WKDW LV VWDÎ? RU FXVWRPHUV As The Tiny Troubleshooter, I often work with micro and small business owners who have found themselves on a treadmill, running a business for which they no longer have a passion but cannot see a way out. Creating an exit strategy is very important, HYHQ LI LW LV QRW LPPLQHQW 7LPH ČľLHV ZKHQ you are having fun and even if the joy that your business used to bring is dwindling, the months pass by so quickly. My advice to you in March is to grab a very large piece of paper and some coloured felt tips and draw your life and business vision IRU D SHULRG RI EHWZHHQ WZR DQG Č´YH \HDUV from now, if you have not done so already. In the words of Lewis Carroll: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.â€? Ensure you keep going on the path that takes you where you want to go not leads you to a dead end. It is so much better for your mind, body and business.

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 13 - March 2019

Tina Boden is no stranger to running micro and small businesses, the importance of customer service or the hospitality industry. It has been part of her life since the age of two, when her parents gave up the security of employed life and bought a pub in North Yorkshire that become their first of three hospitality renovation projects. Tina went on to study Hotel, Catering & Institutional Operations when she left school before joining the family business. At the age of 21 she bought her first business with her Mum, a property letting and management agency, that she owned for over a decade. Working with micro businesses to guide them with development and growth is the key focus g^ LafY k \Yq lg \Yq da^]& O`]l`]j ogjcaf_ one to one with the business owner, providing virtual assistance, offering marketing support or stepping in while they take a break, Tina Boden, The Tiny Troubleshooter and The B and B Keeper, ensures the wellbeing of the micro business, and al k gof]j$ ak Yk _gg\ Yk al [Yf Z]& The Tiny Troubleshooter The B & B Keeper Co-founder #MicroBizMatters Day m tina@tinaboden.com N +44 (0)1732 807 246 T @MicroBizGirl F Tina Boden The Tiny Troubleshooter A @thetinytroubleshooter w www.thetinytroubleshooter.com w www.thebandbkeeper.com w www.microbizmatters.co.uk

Brits are drinking a total of 95 million cups of coffee every day**. And, for many, the first coffee of the day is made at home to deliver a fast, convenient cuppa. So if you’re going to make your bed and breakfast (B&B) feel like home for guests, there’s real value in offering coffeemaking facilities in each room, stocked with a range of Ž NESCAFÉ coffee options. Ž

NESCAFÉ has a range of sachet and stick pack options for your bed and breakfast, for example:

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NESCAFÉ Gold Blend nd Coffee connoisseurs will appreciate the well-rounded taste and rich aroma in every cup. So why not let your guests relax, enjoy the now and savour the distinctive taste of this premium blend.

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NESCAFÉ Gold Latte Ž High quality beans ensure the smooth taste of NESCAFÉ Gold. These sachets deliver a delightfully frothy coffee shopstyle drink that can be prepared and enjoyed in moments.

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NESCAFÉ Azera Ž Premium NESCAFÉ Azera sachets mean your guests can quickly enjoy the pleasure of a barista- style coffee in an instant – creating an intense roasted coffee taste, available in Americano, Latte and Cappuccino. Ž

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Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 16 - March 2019

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Rural idyll National B&B Week is being held this month providing you with an opportunity to promote your property, encourage direct bookings and broaden public awareness of the huge choice of enchanting experiences that can be enjoyed so much more than staying in a hotel. Bill Lumley visits Hurst Farm in Crockham Hill near Edenbridge, where owner Victoria Tagg has an abundance of lucrative promotional

S

ideas for her business.

et in stunning Kent countryside close to the border with Surrey is Hurst Farm, a 120-acre working farm which for the last three years has been home to a luxury B&B. The B&B is an extension to the main house built between 1390 and 1410 – a period spanning Richard II and Henry IV. The farm is just 30 minutes by train from London yet in the middle of the countryside. The original timber framed building is known as a Wealden hall house, another example of which, Bayleaf Farmstead, was dismantled from the nearby village of Chiddingstone and re-erected at the Weald and Downland Living Museum in Singleton, near Chichester. The B&B extension was built in 2015 as a nest egg for the owner Victoria whose daughter, Arabella, is studying A levels, while her son, Alexander, has just started university. True to the original adjoining structure, the extension is timber-framed, some of the wood conveniently taken from the property’s own oak trees. It comprises four en suite bedrooms sleeping up to 10 guests, with a self-contained, fully-equipped kitchen/dining/ seating area. The entire west-facing gable to one side of the living area is a huge glass panel providing stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 17 - March 2019

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The timber-framed extension was built as a modern response to the main house, with glass instead of wattle and daub attracting a great amount of light, but the construction itself is ancient in design, hence the vast amount of timber. The wood that came from oak trees in their own woods - cut down and PLOOHG RQ WKH Č´HOG ZLWK D PRELOH VDZ PLOO WKDW planed it – saved a bit of money on the overall SURMHFWV EXW XOWLPDWHO\ WKHUH ZDV LQVXÉ?FLHQW wood that they were entitled to cut down to complete the extension. “There are some wonderful old rules about being able to take down so many cubits of wood every quarter day,â€? Victoria recalls. All the guestroom beds have Egyptian cotton linen, luxury toiletries, a hair dryer and superfast Wi-Fi. They are all also equipped with smart light switch technology that enable guests to set their preferred level of subtle lighting in each of the rooms. In stark contrast to the comparative cold and poor light of the neighbouring original 600-year-old house where Victoria and her family live, the modern and massively over-engineered B&B is a sumptuous haven of luxury.

RURAL RECEPTION 2QH RI WKH Č´UVW WKLQJV Ζ QRWLFHG DERXW WKH place when I visited was the remarkable strength of the Wi-Fi, which took me by surprise given the dramatically rural location of the B&B, and the fact that I had by this time discovered there is virtually no mobile phone reception in the village. The superb Wi-Fi came about, Victoria says, as a result of the whole community getting together “to make it happenâ€?. “We have a very active village,â€? she says. “A lot of people who live here work in London, and with the move to working from home, the demand for Wi-Fi was enormous.â€? A combination of government grants and a very active community, the complex infrastructure to deliver Wi-Fi was implemented using a combination of masts and cabling that runs XQGHUJURXQG WKURXJK D QHLJKERXULQJ Č´HOG “My mother owns a fair amount of farmland, where we dug trenches to carry wires carrying the Wi-Fi. BT was not going to do anything about it, so we had to. It’s a community project, and the people in the community pay for it,â€? she says. Even this carefully planned solution has LWV ČľDZV 7KH YLOODJH :L )L LV SRZHUHG IURP the corner of the cow barn and the Wi-Fi unit Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 18 - March 2019

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itself is contained in a cupboard on the side of the barn, which recently needed a lightbulb changing above one of the bays. She called an HOHFWULFLDQ DV WKH Č´WWLQJ ZDV VR KLJK XS ZKHQ all of a sudden, phones were ringing and vans were showing up, she says. “He had turned RÎ? WKH SRZHU DQG DV D UHVXOW WKH :L )L IRU WKH whole village went out!â€? Lesson learned.

TV-FREE ZONE The awe-inspiring symmetrical aesthetics of the B&B’s guest rooms are not spoiled by the visual disruption of TVs. Victoria deliberately chose not to install televisions in the rooms, a point she asserts both on the website and in WKH ERRNLQJ FRQČ´UPDWLRQ HPDLO She is helped in this policy by the good Wi)L JXHVWV DUH RYHUZKHOPLQJO\ DEOH WR Č´QG DQ alternative source of entertainment to TV on their phones, laptops or tablets. Victoria says: “Televisions are noisy, expensive, cumbersome, and usually either too ELJ RU WRR VPDOO Ζ KDYH WR EH TXLWH VSHFLČ´F about the fact that the rooms have no TV, as people sometimes expect one. I put it in the FRQČ´UPDWLRQ OHWWHU DV SHRSOH GRQȇW DOZD\V read the small print.â€? 6KH UHFDOOV RQH RI KHU Č´UVW JXHVWV D EXVLnessman, who expressed dismay that there was no TV. “He said he wondered what he was going to do that night,â€? she says. The next day she took him his breakfast. “He said he had had a brilliant time, sitting on the sofa looking out through the big window IRU WKUHH KRXUV ZDWFKLQJ WKH ČľLJKWV WDNLQJ RÎ? and coming into land at Gatwick. It turned out he was a plane spotter. “He promised a great review, and I was really excited, but it turned out to be for an obscure plane spotter magazine,â€? she recalls. Hurst Farm B&B does attract a fair number of plane enthusiasts as it is also near Biggin Hill airport, she says. “In the summer there is D 6SLWČ´UH H[SHULHQFH ZKHQ \RX FDQ DFWXDOO\ JHW WR Čľ\ LQ D 6SLWČ´UH 7KDWȇV RQH H[SHQVLYH H[SHULHQFH 3HRSOH DVN IRU e RÎ? WKH URRP when I know they are spending ÂŁ2.5k on the 6SLWČ´UH H[SHULHQFHČ?Ζ WKLQN QRW Č‹ She recalls one guest who came back from the experience telling the story of a gentleman ahead of him who was 90 years old and had been given the experience for his birthGD\ IRU KH KDG ČľRZQ VSLWČ´UHV LQ WKH ZDU “He brought along all his old log books and KLV PHGDOV +LV Č´UVW UHDFWLRQ ZDV WKDW KLV family had spent way too much money on Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 19 - March 2019

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something he used to be paid to do, before he discovered he wasn’t actually going to be DOORZHG WR ȵ\ WKH SODQH KLPVHOI $OWKRXJK RI FRXUVH D \HDU ROG ZDV QRW LQVXUHG WR ȵ\ this antique airplane,” she says.

PROMOTIONAL IDEAS

“The car is safe here, and it is quicker to get from here to your terminal than it is to JR WR VRPH RI WKH R΍VLWH SDUNLQJ SODFHV So long as you stay at least one night you can have free parking here. We have lots of space here and can easily accommodate an extra four cars,” she says.

Victoria is full to the brim with ideas for promoting her B&B business. Most recently she came up with a practical way of taking advantage of its proximity to Gatwick airport. She says: “Using social media I advertised the fact that if anyone happens to be schedXOHG WR WDNH DQ HDUO\ PRUQLQJ ȵLJKW IURP Gatwick airport, they should come and stay ZLWK XV WKH QLJKW EHIRUH WKHLU ȵLJKW 7KH\ FDQ have a lovely early morning breakfast, leave their car here and let us arrange a car to take them to the terminal.

She is currently developing an events business to run in tandem with the B&B and to enable her to stage other lucrative events such as private dining evenings. The kitchen and dining area between the B&B and the 600-year-old house is large and a stunning space that can easily lend itself to creative events. Victoria is friends with former master chef Peter Bayles, whose services she called upon when one guest had a 30th birthday party where the

EVENTS BUSINESS

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 20 - March 2019

sister of the birthday girl hired the whole B&B for friends. “They had a slap-up, amazing, four-course dinner here cooked by the former master chef,” she says. “The guests didn’t have to go out anywhere, and at the end of the evening they all just rolled upstairs, had a lovely EUHDNIDVW WKH QH[W PRUQLQJ DQG R΍ WKH\ ZHQW “It’s really special, instead of going to a restaurant, to have the chef come here and for you to have the place to yourself and the cachet of a master chef cooking for you,” she adds. She also runs supper clubs at the B&B. “A friend of mine opperates a food experience FRPSDQ\ DQG UXQV RQH R΍ HYHQWV 6KH KLUHV DQ H[SHUW LQ VRPH FRRNLQJ ȴHOG WR FRPH KHUH and give a certain amount of corresponding tuition. The guests bring their own alcohol, and we have 15-20 people some of who will

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stay here, some of whom live locally, and they learn about a particular cuisine,â€? she says. Victoria is also planning a curry night coming up in the Spring with another former master chef contestant coming to teach guests how to cook curry. “It’s half way between being in a restaurant and having a class,â€? she says. This month she is also planning an oysWHU WDVWLQJ GD\ DQG LQ 0D\ VKH KDV D ČľRULVW FRPLQJ LQ WR SUHVHQW D ČľRZHU DUUDQJLQJ FRXUVH “This large downstairs kitchen-and-dining space between the B&B and the old house is just a really useful room to do that kind of thing, and guests can stay, although sometimes it is just local people who do not need to book a room for the night,â€? she says. 6KH VD\V VKH Č´UVW KRRNHG XS ZLWK PDVWHU chef Peter Bayles with a view to him providing courses, such as a game day, where he would teach how to prepare and cook game followed by a big dinner, before people would drift upstairs at the end of the evening. “It turned out that most of the guests were local and they didn’t need to come and stay. So, I ended XS ZLWK GLÎ?HUHQW JXHVWV XS LQ WKH % % DQG D separate collection of guests down here.â€? It was a sound learning experience, she VD\V ČŠ)RU WKH Č´UVW FRXUVH KH GLG Ζ NHSW WKH rooms free so people could book to stay the whole weekend, but it just didn’t work, so now I don’t do that. If someone wants to come and stay, they just book a room and pay for the cookery course on top. Otherwise it is too GLÉ?FXOW DQG WRR ULVN\ Č‚ Ζ FRXOG HQG XS ZLWK nobody here at the weekend and everyone cooking down here. So now if you want to come and spend the night if there is one free, they can have it.â€?

WEDDINGS She is starting to realise the potential of building her business with a focus on weddings. “I’ve been utterly inspired by people who come and stay here compelling me to hold weddings. We have wedding parties staying here, including a couple who stayed recently who said they were getting married in a tepee in the woods,â€? she says. “I just want to start out very simply when it FRPHV WR KRVWLQJ ZHGGLQJV KLUH RXW WKH Č´HOG the gardens and the B&B and let the wedding party do what they like. If they wish to erect a marquee they can do so. If they plan to do it completely outdoors, of course, they will need to have a backup plan because the weather can turn bad.â€?

The marquee idea has great potential for, as illustrated in the wedding feature (page 24), marquees are on average one of the biggest expense budgeted for by the newly-weds-to-be.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARDS Another avenue of business Victoria is considering is providing accommodation and activities for the residential section of the Duke of Edinburgh gold award, where participants are required to be away from home for four nights doing a particular residential activity. “It can be voluntary. There are many cookery courses. When you are doing the gold DoE you are preparing for your A levels and going RÎ? WR XQLYHUVLW\ DQG \RX NQRZ QRWKLQJ <RX can’t cook a chicken, work a washing machine or do anything practical domestically. “There are a lot of such courses I could run here, and I know a lot of chefs. Rather than simply doing a cookery programme, I could run preparation-for-university-courses, encompassing laundry as well as cookery, how to budget, living away from home for the Č´UVW WLPH KRZ WR PDNH IULHQGV ZKHQ WKHUH is nobody you know, and learning to live in shared accommodation. ČŠ7KDW ZRXOG EH D JRRG ZD\ RI Č´OOLQJ URRPV out of season. It would have to be school holiday time – Christmas and Spring holiday – because in Summer I’m on my knees.â€? Two or three courses of that nature per \HDU ZRXOG EH TXLWH XVHIXO VKH UHČľHFWV ČŠ7KDW Č´OOV ZHHNGD\V :HHNHQGV DUH QRW VXFK D SURElem, but on weekdays you tend just to get the odd person coming to stay while they work in Oxted. Quite often they will go the Travelodge because they know it and it’s easy and they know what they are getting, but some people really dislike those kind of places, and this is perhaps ÂŁ20 more, it’s closer to where many of them want to be, and such people come regularly – it’s only one night at a time but it is often once a month. ČŠ7KH\ EHFRPH UHSHDW EXVLQHVV 7KH Č´UVW time they will have booked via an online travel agent, and then I can give them a 10% discount if they book direct," she says.

For example there is a little Russian girl who goes to Woldingham School some 15 minutes’ drive from here. It’s too far to go home for the weekend to Moscow, so her mum comes over here and stays half a dozen times a year. I’ve got to know them so well I drive her to the airport at the end of term. “I had a Chinese family staying the other day looking for schools. They wanted to educate their girls in England, so they did a tour of public schools around here. They have an agent ZKR VXJJHVWV Č´YH VFKRROV IRU WKHP WR YLVLW "Children love it here – they love the animals, going out and feeding the chickens."

RENOVATION REVISITED

BOARDING SCHOOLS

She looks back at the decision to invest in the extension to run a B&BH. “We had a beautiful old house which had a horrible old kitchen, and decided we needed a decent kitchen. We extended the house to the maximum the council would allow to build a family room.â€? There was a certain amount of pressure to get on with the plans at the time, she says. “We could see the writing was on the wall as the local council was planning to cut back dramatically on permitted development rights, and they would not allow us to do it for much longer. So, we extended it and got into B&B, just as they were cutting down on what you were allowed and were not to build.â€? The result was a dramatic renovation using WRS TXDOLW\ PDWHULDOV DQG Č´UVW UDWH EXLOG WKDW cost a fortune. Victoria sums it up: “I now have a really good product and I have to utilise it as much as I possibly can, which is one of the reasons to get into events. The potential is huge.â€? Fortunately for her, she is a people person, and she says she really enjoys running the business and meeting the guests. “It is very hard work and I love doing it and I love devising events. It is just a matter of actually doing it and getting the punters to come and stay – heads in beds. “There is so much potential to do something with the space we have here. I just worry about committing myself to doing too many disparate things and in the process watering down the product.â€?

In the Kent/Surrey part of the world where Hurst Farm is situated there are a large number of boarding schools from where the B&B says she gets a fair amount of business. She explains: “Typically these are kids from overseas when they have an exeat weekend.

When the decision was made to build a decent kitchen, she also decided to employ an architect who was not great on being an architect but who had some great advice. Vic-

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 21 - March 2019

THE HOUSE

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toria says: “We lived in a cold and dark historic house. The architect helpfully advised us get WKH OLVWHG EXLOGLQJ RÉ?FHU RQ RXU VLGH DQG WR DFKLHYH WKLV WKH Č´UVW WKLQJ WR GR ZDV JHW DQ archaeological survey done.â€? This survey yielded some surprising results for the family, which is now in its third generation of occupancy at the property. “I’ve lived in WKH ROG KRXVH RQ DQG RÎ? VLQFH Ζ ZDV \HDUV old. My parents bought he farm, my grandmother used to live in the oast house where my mother now lives, and I have taken over the house another generation down.â€? While the old house is medieval, the rest of the buildings on the farm such as the oast house are Victorian. The archaeological survey concluded that the mediaeval hall house was built between 1390 and 1410. “There were two rooms either side ZLWK D Č´UH LQ WKH PLGGOH DQG WKH DQLPDOV OLYHG LQ there too. We went to the museum to see what our house would have been like 600 years ago. It was smokey and disgusting,â€? she recalls. $W WKH HQG RI WKH JURXQG ČľRRU LQ WKH ROG house is the sitting room and above it is her daughter’s bedroom. “I could never understand why it was bigger than the sitting room when it had the same footprint. I discovered it is because it was originally one of those classic jettied houses with a smaller ground ČľRRU DQG WKH Č´UVW ČľRRU RYHUKXQJ LW 2YHU WKH LQWHUYHQLQJ \HDUV WKH RYHUKDQJ ZDV Č´OOHG ZLWK stone so the downstairs now has really thick walls, but upstairs rooms don’t,â€? she says. The property is documented at the museum in Singleton thus: “Bayleaf Farmstead Bayleaf – perhaps the most iconic building to be re-erected at the Museum – is a timber-framed Wealden hall house from Chiddingstone in Kent. It has six rooms, four RQ WKH JURXQG ČľRRU DQG WZR XSVWDLUV “The house was built in two phases. The

earliest part consisted of an open hall and service end. This was probably attached to an earlier structure, which stood where the solar or upper end bay now stands. It is believed that the upper end bay that gave the building its present form was added in the early 16th century, replacing the earlier structure.�

UPSTAIRS LIVING SPACE 7KH GHVLJQ RI WKH OLYLQJ VSDFH ZDV LQČľXHQFHG by a picture Victoria saw of a property in Pennsylvania with one completely glass gable end. “I thought that was what we needed to do. Through there is where the sun sets,â€? she says. “If you go out into the orchard, my ground ČľRRU KDV WKUHH SDQHOV RI JODVV 7KH XSVWDLUV opens up completely and, in the summer, I barely shut it. It’s an outdoor space on the Č´UVW ČľRRU OHYHO \RX FDQ VLW DQG KDYH EUHDNIDVW or sit there in the evening and it is gorgeous.â€? 6KH Č´QGV WKH OLYLQJ VSDFH EXLOW ZLWKLQ WKH B&B to be very useful for many of her guests. ČŠ:H EXLOW LW LQ D ČľH[LEOH ZD\ WKDW ZH FRXOG OHW LW DV D VHOI VXÉ?FLHQW KROLGD\ OHW 7KH\ FRXOG have it for the entire week. The living space has its own fully equipped kitchen and dining room area, and they can use the pool and walk around the grounds without coming into the main house. It is a self-contained unit and therefore needed a separate kitchen living room dining area. “It has been an absolute godsend with families with young children who may just want to heat a bottle of milk and they don’t have to come and trouble me, they can give their kids tea, my daughter can babysit while they go out and have dinner. They feel comfortable not invading anybody else’s space.â€?

DOWNSTAIRS KITCHEN Victoria considers the kitchen and breakfast Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 22 - March 2019

DUHD DV D NLQG RI EXÎ?HU DUHD EHWZHHQ KHU property and the B&B. “When there aren’t that many visitors, I will serve breakfast upstairs if it is perhaps just two sittings of two people. I’m very comfortable with them wandering around here. That door is where my private life starts,â€? she says, indicating the door at the far end of the klitchen leading through to the family house. “It’s a very sociable space and I love it when the parents linger over breakfast, the kids play with the dog outside and everybody’s happy." Although there is space in the dining area for a table for each room, she has chosen to have just one long table at which to serve her guests breakfast, which also works very well on dining and cooking evenings. “One single dining table works so well,â€? she VD\V ČŠ<RX FDQ JHW IRXU QDWLRQDOLWLHV WRJHWKHU Ζ Č´QG EUHDNIDVW ZLWK SHRSOH LQ LQGLYLGXDO groups at little tables quite awkward.â€? She compares the communal dining experience with her own experience when skiing with her family at a chalet in France. “Everyone eats together, and you talk about what you are going to do today, and you arrange to meet up for tea somewhere with total strangers, and by the end of the week you are the best of friends. “I’ve met people who actually know some of P\ IULHQGV <RX FDQ EH FKDWWLQJ WR WKLV VWUDQJHU and suddenly express amazement that you’re talking to someone who knows someone you know, or who went to the same school my children went to. Just chatting makes people feel more comfortable and less tense.â€? Of course, she admits, the communal dining table is not for everyone, occasionally resulting in a problem that needs to be resolved. “Occasionally you get people who don’t like it, for example they may not be staying there for entirely holiday reasons. I like to try and accommodate people and can serve breakfast upstairs for example,â€? she says.

COUNTRY WALKS The B&B is in spectacular walking country, and Victoria has devised a number of circular walks where guests can simply leave their car, walk out through the gate and not have to think how they are going to get back to the car in order to get home again. The walks range from three to 12 miles in length. However, when she has guests navigating the North Downs Way, which stretches all the way down to the south coast through the unusually large area

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of outstanding beauty, the B&B occasionally welcomes guests who show up without a car. She recalls: “A couple who came with a EDFNSDFN ZHUH GXH WR WXUQ XS RQ 1HZ <HDUȇV Day, and I found everywhere around here was closed for food. So, I asked them what they wanted and got them a bottle of red wine, a salad and a chicken pie, left it for them in the fridge and they had a lovely evening upstairs on their own without having to go out.â€? Inevitably given the nature of the B&B business, her experience of running it has not been without one or two awkward situations. And she is philosophical towards this: “I have learned that you can tell right away if someone is going to be happy here or not. While most people are, not everyone buys into this way of having a B&B. “Occasionally you get people who want the full hotel experience where I have to go into their room and make their beds and replace the towels each day - which I am happy to do. I have said to people if you lock your door during the day then I am not going in your room. If you leave it unlocked, I will go in and empty your bin and fold your towels. If you are staying for a week, I will give you a midweek linen change, but it is not a hotel, it is a B&B,â€? she says. She recalls one couple who were ill-at-ease with the setup. “They did not get the communal breakfast in particularâ€? she says. “The husband come up to me while I was cooking to say they would not be staying that night. Ζ VDLG WKDW ZDV Č´QH WKDW Ζ FRXOG VHH LW ZDV QRW WKHLU WKLQJ +H RÎ?HUHG WR SD\ EXW Ζ VDLG I wouldn’t charge them for the second night, as it wasn’t anything I had done, but it didn’t match up with what they wanted. And they wrote me a horrible review anyway!â€? She illustrates the steps a B&B owner has to take sometimes to control unnecessarily harsh reviews. “Another woman who came the following summer to meet her daughter complained when she arrived that there was QR FRÎ?HH PDNLQJ IDFLOLW\ LQ WKH URRP Ζ GUHZ her attention to the fact that the Nespresso machine is situated in the sitting room. But she insisted she wanted her privacy. “I then spent about two and a half hours Č´QGLQJ KHU DQRWKHU SODFH WR VWD\ 6KH ZDQWHG the whole place to herself including the swimming pool. She ended up going to a Hilton which had an indoor swimming pool, DQG FRÎ?HH PDNLQJ IDFLOLW\ LQ WKH URRP DQG Ζ even changed her daughter’s railway ticket – I

stopped her staying here. I can’t stop people writing a review if they stay here and if they don’t stay, they can’t.� The more reviews you get the easier it is to read between the lines, she says. “The poor reviews often show they obviously have an agenda about something. “There are somethings you can’t control, like last summer was so hot and it was impossible to keep the rooms cool – it’s England and we don’t have central air conditioning. I just have to say I’m really sorry, it’s hot I can’t do anything about that,� she says. The B&B opened three years ago and Victoria says: “I couldn’t have done this 20 years ago without the internet and without the support of a company like Eviivo. My greatest fear for instance is getting a double booking. I can’t because it is a single master calendar. I hate paying booking.com that percentage, but a percentage of a lot of money is better than no percent of nothing. “It’s a double-edged sword, and when you start you are grateful for what you can get. I do say to people if you are coming again – and I do get a lot of repeat business – do phone me up or send me an email.�

B&B WEEK Victoria says she did not get involved with National B&B Day when it was launched last year but can now see the great potential for OXFUDWLYH SURPRWLRQV RÎ?HUHG E\ LWV VXFFHVVRU National B&B Week, scheduled for 18-24 March this year. “I am now getting on board with it all – it is my livelihood, and I need to get more proactive rather than just waiting for people WR Č´QG PH RQ ERRNLQJ FRP Ζ QHHG WR MRLQ WKDW community of people,â€? she says. 3XWWLQJ WRJHWKHU LGHDV IRU RÎ?HULQJV VKH FRXOG PDNH IRU % % :HHN VKH FRQVLGHUHG RÎ?HULQJ WHD and cake for guests when they arrive that will be attractive to people, favouring something RI WKLV QDWXUH RYHU WKH RÎ?HU RI D SULYDWH WRXU RI +HYHU &DVWOH ZKLFK VKH VD\V LV TXLWH VSHFLČ´F ȊΖȇG OLNH LW WR EH JHQHUDO VR Ζ FDQ Č´OO WKH URRPV ΖI WKH\ are coming to stay here it is likely they are going to see the castle anyway,â€? she says. She settled on arranging a deal with her local pub, The Royal Oak. “I went up there for dinner and can report that the new management is doing a great job. The place was busy and the food good." She has arranged the following for guests staying here during National B&B Week: Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 23 - March 2019

Book a room at Hurst Farm B&B during National B&B Week and have a free starter or dessert with your meal at our lovely village pub, the Royal Oak, which is within easy walking distance of your accommodation. Ts and Cs: Reservations must be made direct on the dedicated website (www.hurst.farm) or by telephone (01732 807246). Meals must be for 2 or more people and include main courses. NB The pub is closed all day Monday and does not serve supper on Sunday evenings.

- In Depth / Weddings -

Happy days The wedding season is fast approaching, offering great opportunities to many B&B owners to accommodate guests attending the ceremony

Š David King Photography

and/or reception. Bill Lumley finds opportunities aplenty emerging

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 24 - March 2019

- In Depth / Weddings -

T

he rate at which couples are choosing to marry in non-traditional locations such as a church or town hall is rising rapidly, and with this trend comes great scope for owners of high-end B&Bs to RÎ?HU ZHGGLQJ UHODWHG VHUYLFHV IURP KRVWLQJ the bridal party to staging the reception and increasingly now to staging the wedding itself. According to the 2019 UK Wedding Report, FRXSOHV FDUH PRVW DERXW D YHQXHȇV YLVXDO DSSHDO SULFH DQG VHUYLFH 7KH PRVW SRSXODU YHQXH W\SHV DUH FRXQWU\ RU PDQRU KRXVHV DQG EDUQV DQG FRXSOHV FRQWLQXH WR PRYH towards hosting ceremonies at the reception YHQXH YHUVXV SODFHV RI ZRUVKLS According to the report, new features are making headway in weddings. One quarter of weddings last more than a day, half take place on non-Saturdays, and new trends are emergLQJ VXFK DV PLGQLJKW VQDFNV PRELOH YDQV DQG candy carts/tables. $ FOHDU PRYHPHQW LV XQGHUZD\ IRU ZHGGLQJ ceremonies to take place at the wedding reFHSWLRQ YHQXH LWVHOI 7KLV UHGXFHV WKH ORJLVWLFV IRU DQ\ ZHGGLQJ SODQQHU RYHUVHHLQJ WKH PRYHment of guests from a town hall or a church to D % % RU RWKHU YHQXH KRVWLQJ WKH UHFHSWLRQ According to the 2019 report released last month, some 67% of wedding now take place DW WKH VDPH YHQXH DV WKH UHFHSWLRQ XS E\ RQ ODVW \HDU 3ODFH RI ZRUVKLS DV D YHQXH IRU wedding ceremonies has fallen from 29% in 2017 to 23% this year. 0HDQZKLOH WKHUH LV D SHUFHLYHG JURZWK LQ DGYHQWXUH WDNLQJ SODFH DPRQJ \RXQJ QHZO\ weds-to-be. And while spend is down, the QXPEHU RI LQYLWHG JXHVWV LV ULVLQJ XS E\ RYHU 10% in 2018 to 90 guests compared with the SUHYLRXV \HDU Unsurprisingly the internet plays an inFUHDVLQJO\ LPSRUWDQW UROH LQ Č´QGLQJ WKH ULJKW YHQXH 6HOHFWHG YHQXHV ZHUH GLVFRYHUHG E\ 40% of couples looking online compared with 21% on recommendation from friends or family, 16% from a wedding fair, 10% from WKHLU RZQ H[SHULHQFH DW IULHQGVȇ RU UHODWLYHVȇ wedding and 3% from a wedding magazine DGYHUW RU HGLWRULDO DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH UHSRUW Hamish Shephard, the founder of Bridebook.co.uk which published the report with 7KH :HGGLQJ ΖQGXVWU\ $ZDUGV VD\V ČŠ:HȇUH VHHLQJ WKDW PLOOHQQLDOV YLHZ ZHGGLQJV DV D big party with unique experiences, personal touches and beautiful photo backdrops. 7KH\ȇUH SODQQLQJ RQ WKHLU SKRQHV MRLQWO\ WRJHWKHU DQG WKH\ȇUH FXWWLQJ FRVWV ZKHUHYHU

possible. We expect to see planning become more digital and social in the near term with LQFUHDVHG SHUVRQDOLW\ ZRYHQ WKURXJKRXW WKH ZHGGLQJ DFWLYLWLHV :HGGLQJ YHQXHV DQG VXSSOLHUV DUH HQFRXUDJHG WR VKRZ RÎ? WKHLU XQLTXH RÎ?HULQJV WR UHDFK WKRVH ORRNLQJ IRU VRPHWKLQJ ȆGLÎ?HUHQWȇ Č‹

Average wedding spend is flat at a projected ÂŁ17,674 this year, down from ÂŁ17,913 in 2018. London has seen the sharpest fall down from 31,837 last year to 24,039 while the northeast of England has seen expense grow from 15,624 last year to 17,357 this year.

WEDDING EVENTS &RXQWU\ % %V VXFK DV +XUVW )DUP SURČ´OH SDJH ZLWK Č´HOG VSDFH DQG JXHVW DFFRPmodation comprising a self-contained kitchen GLQLQJ DUHD OHQG WKHPVHOYHV WR WKH JURZLQJ VKLIW IURP WKH WUDGLWLRQDO ZHGGLQJ WR WKH YDVW HPHUJLQJ DOWHUQDWLYH RSSRUWXQLWLHV 2ZQHU 9LFWRULD 7DJJ KDV UXQ WKH % % IRU three years and is starting to build her business ZLWK D IRFXV RQ ZHGGLQJV ȊΖȇYH EHHQ XWWHUO\ inspired by people who come and stay here FRPSHOOLQJ PH WR KROG ZHGGLQJV Č‹ VKH VD\V ČŠ:H KDYH ZHGGLQJ SDUWLHV VWD\LQJ KHUH LQFOXGLQJ D couple who stayed recently who said they were JHWWLQJ PDUULHG LQ D WHSHH LQ WKH ZRRGV Č‹ 6KH VD\V VKH ZDQWV WR YHQWXUH LQWR WKH ZHGGLQJ PDUNHW YHU\ VLPSO\ RÎ?HULQJ WKH % % YHQXH WKH Č´HOG DQG JDUGHQV IRU KLUH and for the wedding organisers to do as they OLNH ΖI WKH\ ZLVK WR HUHFW D PDUTXHH WKHQ WKH\ FDQ GR VR Č‹ According to the UK Wedding Report Marquee hire is the third greatest expense at ÂŁ5,007 per wedding, behind food & drink at e DQG KLUH RI WKH YHQXH LWVHOI DW e according to the latest UK Wedding Report. 7KH PDUNHW IRU RXWGRRU HQWHUWDLQPHQW structures such as gazebos is growing. MarketLQJ PDQDJHU -RQL %HDO DW 7KH /DSD &RPSDQ\ which specialises in page timber gazebo and lapa structures, tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast ȊΖQ DOO KRQHVW\ LW LV JURZLQJ HYHU\ZKHUH ERWK ZLWK consumers and commercial, as people look WR PDNH PRUH RI WKH RXWGRRUV ΖW KDV EHFRPH PXFK PRUH RI DQ DUHD RI LQWHUHVW Č‹ 7KH DUHDV LQ ZKLFK WKH FRPSDQ\ KDV H[SHULenced greatest growth fall into two categories. 7KH Č´UVW LV LQ SURYLGLQJ VHDWLQJ DQG VKDGHG areas, places for people actually to sit and HQMR\ WKH RXWVLGH RI D UHVLGHQFH ZKLOH WKH other area of growth is cooking facilities such as outdoor kitchens, for seating and eating. 7KH UHODWLYHO\ QHZ LGHD RI KDYLQJ DQ RXWGRRU ZHGGLQJ LQHYLWDEO\ UDLVHV FRQFHUQV about the unpredictable weather. You can ERRN D % % EXW \RX FDQȇW ERRN VXQVKLQH Beal suggests the matter is an issue of comPRQ VHQVH +HU FRPSDQ\ GRHV QRW RÎ?HU DGYLFH Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 25 - March 2019

Source: 2019 UK Wedding Report

L`] DYhY ;gehYfq k Lgh - Lahk lg eYaflYafaf_ qgmj ogg\]f _Yr]Zg 1. Sweep Winds can bring with them an accumulation of little leaves, twigs, berries and other garden treasures that can get caught in between the grooves of decking, under seats etc and when you come to shutting up your Gazebo for the winter it's best to clear these out. 2. Freshen up your canvas and cushions Many gazebos and garden building owners have our colourful canvas panels and bench cushions. Made from high quality, UV resistant canvas, they will benefit from a freshen up each year. Warm soapy water is all that is needed to clean. 3. Heat If you haven't added pendant heaters, this is a great time to do this - extending the use of your Gazebo right through the winter period. The design style ensures heat is focused onto the seating areas rather than being dispersed in the air. 4. Brush Whatever type of roof you have, whether Cape Reed Thatch Tiles or Cedar Shingle Roof Tiles, it's well worth brushing down the roof at the end of summer to ensure it is free of leaves and looks as pristine as possible. This simple action also enables you to keep your roof in best possible condition. 5. Light Lighting can prove a practical and stylish addition to your Gazebo. The most popular way to light your Gazebo is through the addition of lights on your upright posts, or through the addition of fairy lights around the roof beam. Ensure any lighting used is appropriate for outdoor use and installed by a suitably qualified electrician.

Last November in the Budget Chancellor Phillip Hammond tasked the Law Commission to review the laws around weddings in England and Wales. The project will look to propose options for a simpler and fairer system to give modern couples meaningful choice. The move was welcomed by the Commission, suggesting it concurred with the government’s desire to reduce some of the impracticalities including cost that burdens couples getting married, concluding that the law is failing to meet the needs of modern couples. The law governing marriages dates from 1836, and the Law Commission undertaking the review has stated that the regulation of how and where weddings can take place is too restrictive for a modern Britain. Law Commissioner Professor Nick Hopkins said: “A couple’s wedding day is a profoundly important event in their lives. But the current law does not meet the needs of modern couples. “Reform of the law would aim to make the law more flexible and give couples greater choice so they can marry in a way that is meaningful to them, whilst also lowering the cost of wedding venues. “We therefore welcome the Government’s announcement and look forward to continuing our work in this area.” The announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer highlights concerns that reforms to remove unnecessary restrictions on where a wedding can take place and potentially reduce unnecessary red tape could lower the cost of wedding venues for couples. The Law Commission agrees that the complex and restrictive rules on wedding venues are in need of reform and has identified a range of questions that would need to be addressed by a full law reform project. It has also suggested four guiding principles that should underpin a revised law of marriage: • • • •

Certainty and simplicity; Fairness and equality; Protecting the state’s interest; and Respecting individuals’ wishes and beliefs.

Weddings can only legally take place outside if they are solemnised in a structure with a solid, permanent roof such as a gazebo. Ceremonies in temporary structures, such as marquees, are not permitted. Requirements that couples specify the building in which the ceremony is to take place - and restrictions on the consumption of food and drink in the area before and during the event - date from 1837. The Treasury’s view now is that such anachronistic red tape was pushing up the cost of weddings and putting some people off getting married. "Relaxing restrictions would make it cheaper and simpler for couples to get married, potentially supporting more people to get married," it said. "This review will help the law keep pace with modern Britain while helping people keep the cost of living down."

on weather as such, owing to the fact that it is QRW DQ HYHQWV SODQQHU %XW VKH VD\V Ȋ7KDW LV WKH nature of British weather. People who organise HYHQWV VXFK DV ZHGGLQJV DUH YHU\ IDPLOLDU ZLWK this. And you do get a lot more outdoors time WKDQ SHRSOH RIWHQ JLYH FUHGLW IRU Ȋ:KDW ZH ȴQG ZLWK ZHGGLQJ YHQXHV ZKHUH are putting in gazebos, lapas and other large outdoor spaces for the clients is that when they are talking to people about using them there normally is a contingency space. We tend not to come across premises that are putting in an outdoor facility for weddings RU HYHQWV WKDW GRQȇW KDYH DQ LQGRRU VSDFH DV ZHOO 7KH\ WHQG WR UXQ WKHP DV D GXDO RSWLRQ for consumers so that they understand that WKHUH LV DQ HOHPHQW RI ULVN WKDW LI \RX FKRRVH to be outside, you can commit 90% of your SODQQLQJ IRU RXWVLGH EXW \RX DOZD\V KDYH WR KDYH WKDW ZKHUH \RX SODQ WKH ZD\ \RX ZRXOG VZLWFK LI WKHUH ZHUH D VXGGHQ VWRUP ȋ With the busiest wedding season of the \HDU DKHDG RI XV WKH DGYLFH VKH JLYHV RQ preparations to acquire and install a gazebo depends on the size of installation that a B&B or inn may be looking for, and whether they are looking for something bespoke or VWDQGDUG Ȋ7\SLFDOO\ ZH ZRXOG VD\ JHW DKHDG RI \RXU VHDVRQ 7KLV LV WKH WLPH ZKHQ SHRSOH are actually marketing out particularly for weddings, and this is the time when people are holding their wedding fares. Realistically you want to be installing these things SUH VHDVRQ ȋ VKH VD\V 7R JLYH DQ LGHD RI OHDG WLPH VKH VD\V D VWDQGDUG ZHGGLQJ JD]HER WKDW ZRXOG ȴW WKH UHJLVWUDU the bride and groom and a couple of bridesmaids would normally entail a six to eight week lead time for the structure to be installed. So, if you are looking at cashing in on weddings this summer, now is the time to get started.

GAZEBO PREPARATION Crucially she says it is important to look at the kind of ground work that would be necesVDU\ WR EH FRPSOHWHG EHIRUH ȴWWLQJ D JD]HER Ȋ5HJDUGOHVV RI WKHLU W\SH QR JD]HER FDQ VLPSO\ VLW XSRQ D ȾDW JUDVV VXUIDFH DQG LW KDV WR KDYH D EDVH ΖW DOVR KDV WR EH ȾDW ȋ VKH VD\V ȊΖW LV therefore important ahead of time to take into consideration whether there needs to be ground work preparation, whether you are going to need the gazebo company to do a bit of ODQGVFDSLQJ WR SURYLGH D ȾDW VSDFH RU ZKHWKHU \RX KDYH D VXLWDEOH DUHD VXFK DV D SDWLR ZKHUH you are planning to stage the wedding."

<RX FDQ KDYH JD]HERV WKDW DUH LQVWDOOHG with their footings down within the ground but many gazebos can be installed straight onto the surface as long as it is not grass and is a solitude cement base or patio surface DQGV WKH J FDQ VLW RQ WRS RI WKDW ZLWKRXW KDYing to put footings in, she adds. Another important consideration when looking at location concerns the time of day WKH PDMRULW\ RI WKH ZHGGLQJ LWVHOI LV JRLQJ WR occur and where the sun positioning will be at WKDW WLPH ČŠ7KH ODVW WKLQJ \RX ZDQW LV WR KDYH D bride and groom squinting into broad sunlight DV WKH\ WU\ WR VD\ WKHLU YRZV DQG DV \RX WU\ WR WDNH SLFWXUHV RI WKHLU VSHFLDO GD\ Č‹ VKH VD\V ČŠ/LWWOH WKLQJV OLNH WKDW FDQ UHDOO\ PDNH WKH GLÎ?HUHQFH Č‚ ZKHQ \RX DUH VKRZLQJ JXHVWV around and talking about a facility for weddings if you are there in the afternoon you want them to be able to stand there and think wow this is going to be amazing, not wondering whether they will be squinting or whether LW LV JRLQJ WR EH GLÉ?FXOW WR VHH Č‹ ΖI \RX DUH ZRUULHG DERXW WKH OLPLWDWLRQ RI LQYHVWLQJ LQ VRPHWKLQJ OLNH D JD]HER RU D lapa for weddings, she stresses that outdoor ZRRGHQ VWUXFWXUHV DUH QRW MXVW IRU ZHGGLQJV ČŠ7KH\ FDQ EH XVHG IRU DEVROXWHO\ DQ\WKLQJ You can use them as bars, for music, for genHUDO VHDWLQJ *D]HERV DUH D FRYHUHG VSDFH VR \RX FDQ KDYH WKHP ZLWK IXUQLWXUH $Q\WKLQJ \RX FDQ GR RQ VWDJH HÎ?HFWLYHO\ \RX FDQ GR ZLWK D JD]HER DV ZHOO Č‹ VKH VD\V *D]HERV DUH QRW QHFHVVDULO\ SHUFHLYHG DV EHLQJ WKH VWURQJHVW RI VWUXFWXUHV EXW 7KH /DSD &RPSDQ\ RQO\ SURYLGHV ZRRGHQ JD]Hbos, which she says are absolutely solid and ZRQȇW EORZ DZD\ %XW WKHQ QRU ZRXOG WKH\ EH dismantled out of season. Wooden gazebos are a permanent structure, which ticks the UHJXODWLRQ FRQFHUQLQJ ORFDWLRQ :HGGLQJV can only legally take place outside if they take place in a structure with a solid, permanent roof such as a gazebo and notably ceremonies in temporary structures, such as marquees, are not permitted. :RRGHQ JD]HERV DUH YHU\ HDV\ WR PDLQWDLQ VKH VD\V ČŠ7KHUH LV QR UHDO PDLQWHQDQFH UHTXLUHG EH\RQG JLYLQJ WKHP D EUXVK RXW RU D GXVWLQJ <RX FDQ HLWKHU KDYH D UXVWLF traditional look with thatched tiles or you can KDYH FHGDU VKLQJOHV ZKLFK LV D PRUH PRGHUQ clean-looking wooden tile. At the start and HQG RI HDFK VHDVRQ MXVW PDNH VXUH LW KDV KDG a dust down getting rid of spiders up in the URRI (YHU\ IHZ \HDUV \RX PLJKW ZDQW WR JLYH

C]q Úf\af_k ^jge L`] *()1 MC O]\\af_ J]hgjl ^jge Zja\]Zggc&[g&mc Yf\ l`] O]\\af_ Af\mkljq 9oYj\k Wedding Spend Flat The average UK wedding spend has remained relatively flat year over year at £17,674. However, a London wedding costs at least a third more at £24,039. Rise of the Groom Grooms now contribute 35% of wedding costs. Three quarters of grooms are heavily involved in planning, taking part or owning decision-making in many different categories. Mobile Planning Couples are using phones daily for planning, primarily venue and supplier research. Reviews, recommendations from websites and venue’s social media are gaining prominence as trusted information sources. Non-Traditions Unique features are making headway in weddings. One quarter of weddings last more than 1 day, half take place on days other than Saturdays, and new trends are emerging like midnight snacks, mobile vans and candy carts/tables. Venue Trends Couples care most about a venue’s visual appeal, price and service. The most popular venue types are country/manor houses and barns, and couples continue to move towards hosting ceremonies at the reception venue versus places of worship DIY Stays Strong Almost all couples engage in DIY for many aspects of weddings, mainly table seating arrangements, invitations and decor, as well as homemade wedding cakes and their own music playlists.

- In Depth / Weddings Wedd -

L@= *( EGKL HGHMD9J O=<<AF? <9L=K AF *()0 1....................................................Saturday 11 August 2......................................................Saturday 4 August 3................................................ Saturday 1 September 4................................................ Saturday 8 September 5.......................................................Saturday 16 June 6........................................................Saturday 14 July 7.............................................. Saturday 15 September 8.........................................................Saturday 2 June 9.............................................. Saturday 22 September 10.....................................................Saturday 30 June 11..................................................Saturday 18 August 12.......................................................Saturday 9 June 13......................................................Saturday 28 July 14......................................................Saturday 21 July 15..................................................Saturday 25 August 16..................................................... Saturday 19 May 17.....................................................Saturday 23 June 18..................................................... Saturday 26 May 19........................................................Saturday 7 July 20............................................ Saturday 29 September Source: 2019 UK Wedding Report

WKH WLPEHU D UH VWDLQ RWKHUZLVH WKH\ DUH È´QH DV WKH\ DUH È‹ VKH VD\V

STRUCTURE SIZES 7KH VL]H VWDUWV DW P FLUFXODU JD]HER ZKLFK ȴUVW MXVW WZR SHRSOH ZKLFK LV SUREDEO\ WRR small to be of any use for a wedding. A standard gazebo with upright balustrades and a roof can accommodate between four and 12 SHRSOH LQ WKHP $V WKH FRPSDQ\ȇV QDPH VXJJHVWV LW FDQ DOVR SURYLGH D ODSD D YHU\ ODUJH wooden structure that can be made as big as you wish, holding perhaps up to 80 people. 7KLV VKH VD\V LV EHFRPLQJ YHU\ SRSXODU IRU ZHGGLQJ YHQXHV Ȋ7KHUH LV RQH EHLQJ EXLOW ULJKW QRZ DW D YHU\ ODUJH ZHGGLQJ YHQXH LQ .HQW ZKLFK KROGV Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 28 - March 2019

people inside with wooden seating around it to accommodate a further 80 to 100 people. ÈŠ:HȇYH DOVR VXSSOLHG D OX[XU\ % % ZKLFK KDV MXVW KDG D JD]HER È´WWHG IRU WKHLU ZHGGLQJV 7KH\ KDYH SDLQWHG LW ZKLWH DQG LW KROGV HLJKW SHRSOH VLWWLQJ GRZQ È‚ HQRXJK IRU D UHJLVWUDUȇV WDEOH UHJLVWUDU EULGH DQG JURRP and bridesmaids. You can really go as small or DV ELJ DV \RX QHHG È‹ VKH FRQFOXGHV ΖI \RXU % % FDQ EH DGDSWHG WR KRVW ZHGGLQJ UHFHSWLRQV DQG SHUKDSV HYHQ ZHGGLQJV WKHQ \RX MXVW QHHG D OLWWOH LPDJLQDWLRQ WR UHDOLVH KRZ YDVW WKH RSSRUWXQLWLHV DUH IRU WDNLQJ a share of the wedding spend, with 41% of FRXSOHV KDYLQJ D WRWDO EXGJHW IRU WKH HYHQW RI between £10,000 and £20,000, according to the 2019 UK Wedding Report.

Alex Hare

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- 3URÈ´OH Linen -

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 30 - March 2019

- 3URČ´OH Linen -

A crisp look and feel Ahead of the busy summer season you may with to look at replacing your linen assortment. Bill Lumley looks at linen care tips to keep it looking new and finds the trend to be for plain colours and a higher thread count

W

ith Spring upon us more certainly than its arrival last year, now is a great time to considering a shakeup of your linen collection, whether it be in the dining room, bathrooms or bedrooms or all three. Assuming that after we go to press with the March issue the UK is not going to be treated to some late winter surprises, like the Beast from the East last year which saw snowfalls in Gloucestershire of nearly two feet and temperatures in Nairnshire drop to minus 11 Celsius, now is the perfect time to get in touch with a luxury linen supplier and discuss what options you may have. If you are wondering what is in vogue this year, look no further than business development team leader Nikki Riley at Out of Eden, who says the move is generally towards un-patterned bed and table linen. She tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine: ČŠ:H DUH Č´QGLQJ WKDW SHRSOH ZKR GR QRW KDYH themed guest houses are tending to move more to the plain linen for which we are having more and more requests.â€? Even the B&Bs that traditionally might have RSWHG IRU VRPHWKLQJ ČľRUDO IRU H[DPSOH DUH QRZ going more for the plain linens, and are putting colours into the room instead through the runners and cushions and the dĂŠcor, she says. Of course there are still plenty of people who run luxury properties that display more of a boutique feel about them, and where each room is very individually decorated and furnished. For example, there might be a JLUDÎ?H WKHPH LQ RQH URRP DQG DQ HOHSKDQW LQ the next, but such properties are few and far between and very bespoke, insists Nikki. The trend for plain rather than patterned linen is currently being matched with a growth in demand for higher quality linen, she says. “People are asking for a higher thread-

count linen now, and we have accordingly very recently added a 400 thread-count linen to our range. It’s 100% Egyptian cotton, but the thread-count has gone up, giving a satiny, VRIWHU IHHO :H DUH Č´QGLQJ JXHVW KRXVHV % %V and hotels are just expecting more and more from the quality of the bedding.â€? There is no apparent pattern or cycle in this clear trend towards plain, she claims. “It is a trend in retail as well,â€? she says. “Consumer trends are changing, and accordingly a lot of WKH % %V WKDW XVHG WR WDNH WKH ČľRUDO OLQHQ route, or indeed the patterned or geometric style or whatever they happened to like, these owners now try to make themselves appeal more to a wider market. If you have gone plain, then white, then dressed it up with an on-trend colour with your runners and cushLRQV WKHQ \RX FDQȇW UHDOO\ RÎ?HQG DQ\ERG\ DQG you can’t go wrong." By contrast there are young people who ODXJK DW WKH LGHD RI D ČľRUDO EHG OLQHQ VHW seeing it as quite old fashioned, she says. "I think it is just a change in shift in general in consumers’ minds.â€? The best advice may be to follow your own instinct, given that you know best the kind of demographics and taste of your guests. ΖQ WHUPV RI FRORXU 2XW RI (GHQ Č´QGV WKDW white is by far the biggest seller when it comes to linen. Nikki says: “People are going IRU LYRU\ RU FUHDP ZKLFK LV RÎ? ZKLWH DOORZing for a bit more of discolouration, but we have seen other things in terms of colour trends. For example we have some light grey colours coming in for linen. For accessories a bright vibrant yellow and saphron colour is very popular and seems to be in a lot of retail outlets. Greys and yellows and duck egg blues – duck egg blue is a colour that seems to have been in for years and is still very popular." Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 31 - March 2019

THREAD COUNT Unlike other product categories when it comes to linen, shoppers are generally less interested in the brand and more in the quality of material and the thread count. “The quality and thread count is indicative of the quality of the textiles. From the point of view of a B&B owner, a poly-cotton sheet is probably far more attractive than a 100% cotton one simply because of the amount of ironing required by sheets. Poly-cotton irons, presses and launders a lot better than 100% cotton but conversely it doesn’t have the same sort of satin feel as the 100% cotton ones. “There is always that debate in your mind: do I want it done more quickly or is it going to take me forever to iron?â€? she says. Obviously the decision is likely to have an impact on the feel of the fabric: do I want to go all out and put in 100% cotton thread which, from a commercial perspective, I am going to have to go to a commercial press to get it pristine? “That is the kind of battle people have,â€? she says. “It’s not about quality – it’s about forgoing the feel of the fabric or the textile. A poly-cotton feels a little more coarse than a 100% cotton. There is a lot more to the latter and it is not just the washing – it’s the pressing and the ironing of it that is more of the issue.â€? The linens can take a reasonably high temperature, she says. “They are designed to be in use in the hospitality deign business and to take the heat they need to get them as pristine as can be.â€? The biggest mistake B&B owners are susceptible to making is if they have any poppers or anything on the underside, she says. “People can make the error if they are doing their own in-house laundry. If they have one of these steam irons or pressers it can potentialO\ EH UHDOO\ TXLWH GLÉ?FXOW ΖI D GXYHW FRYHU KDV metal poppers, for example, and they get a

- 3URČ´OH Linen -

Wedding linen Black tie weddings are undergoing something of a revival at the moment and a crisp black and white color palette creates the perfect contrast with a stunning green outdoor setting. If you are hosting such an event you may wish to furnish round dining tables with black velvet linens and rectangular feasting tables with fitted white linens. You may also wish to offer your wedding party the chance to have a luxury wedding silver personalised monogram linen tablecloth and matching napkins, which could be provided for the head table. They can be tailored with the appropriate initials for around £30 and add a certain cachet for the bride and groom. Matching linen napkin’s can also be made and ordered from such stores as India Jane in Chelsea.

Wedding colour themes 2018 Reds .................................................................... 11% Oranges ................................................................. 5% Peaches ................................................................. 9% Yellows .................................................................. 9% Greens ................................................................. 24% Teals ...................................................................... 4% Blues ................................................................... 34% Purples .................................................................... % Pinks ................................................................... 44% Greys ................................................................... 17% Silvers .................................................................. 19% Holds ................................................................... 19% Browns .................................................................. 3% Black ..................................................................... 2% Whites/ivory ........................................................ 59% Neutrals ............................................................... 19% Source: The UK Wedding Report 2019

little too hot in the ironing process then metal can distort slightly, meaning the poppers may not go together correctly." :LWK WKH WUHQG Č´UPO\ RQ SODQ FRORXU WKHUH are not expected to be any surprise changes or trends in linen in the coming year, she says. “We are not seeing any trends or requests. We have a wish list and a customer feedback form, and we also have a competition on line for new product suggestions, and very rarely do the suggestions relate to linen. “People feel what we have covered in the ranges we supply is on trend and is what they are looking for. We have a full range from poly-cotton right through to 400 thread count Egyptian cotton, and people aren’t asking for anything outside that range. Every now and then we do get a request for a 600-thread count, but these are very few and far between and personally I think that is a little over the top," says Nikki. Even if you are happy with your linen collection, you may turn to the bedroom and consider what a number of B&Bs and hotels are doing these days which is triple-sheeting to retain the classic white look and feel. This might sound a costly endeavour for not much Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 32 - March 2019

immediately visible return on investment but guests overwhelmingly equate crisp white with cleanliness. It follows that they will appreciate the lengths to which you have gone to produce the crisp white sheets, which in turn may help boost your TripAdvisor review ratings.

LINEN VS COTTON Linen is just as easy to look after as cotton, but it is more durable and gets better with each wash, unlike cotton which can become WKUHDGEDUH DV WKH Č´EUHV DUH ZHDNHQHG /LQHQ uses less resources in its production, so it is also a more eco-friendly, sustainable fabric. LinenMe was founded by Lithuanian interior designer Inga Lukauskiene. She says: “It is a common misconception that linen needs specialist care. This couldn’t be further from the truth.â€? It is easy to care for linen and to keep it looking beautiful for years to come, VKH LQVLVWV 0DGH IURP WKH Č´EUHV RI WKH ČľD[ plant, linen has been cultivated and used as a textile for thousands of years, long before the existence of dry cleaners or fancy detergents, she says. “It is such a natural, simple fabric that caring for it is simple too.â€? One of the top tips she has is to ignore ad-

vice that linen needs to be dry cleaned. “Linen that has been correctly manufactured and treated can be machine or hand washed. It can even be tumble dried on low temperatures. The only garments that are better being dry cleaned are more structured, tailored items such as linen jackets or suits, due to the way they are constructed.â€? She adds: “Always follow the care instructions on your item, and test any cleaning method on a small, hidden area before washing the whole thing.â€? Linen becomes softer and more absorbent after each wash. She advises you wash linen on low temperatures in lukewarm or cold, and preferably soft, water. “Use the gentle machine cycle and a mild deterJHQW WR SURWHFW WKH Č´EUHV Č‹ VKH VXJJHVWV Linen can be machine-dried, but this should be done at the lower end of the temperature range to preserve the fabric and texture, she says. One positives of linen over cotton, as with polyester, is that it does not need to be ironed unless they have become particularly crushed after being stored for a long time or while wet. If you do have an item that needs pressing, remedy this with a medium-hot iron on the steam setting. White linen should be ironed on both sides while dark linen should only be pressed on the reverse side, she says.

COTTON CARE Nikki says: “One of the hardest things with cotton is the temperatures at which it can be washed. Cotton as a raw material is quite delicate, but when it goes to commercial laundry particularly if it has marks or stains then those items are being washed at 60 degrees or more and sometimes chemicals are used that degrade the fabrics.� Generally speaking most people prefer not to wash at 40 degrees at commercial laundries but at higher temperatures, and once you start getting above 40, cotton does degrade, Nikki says. “There is nothing you can do about it. It’s a slow process, and you are not going to notice it after just one or two washes, but the more rigour you put it through and the more chemicals you add to something, the more damaging it is going to be long term.� She adds: “The frequency of replacing the linen is going to depend on a B&B’s occupancy rate. You could have bedding that is not used for a week or two if you are not at full occupancy. If you are going for a 50:50 poly-cotton blend then you could expect that to last you that season – your whole year – but if your season is only from Easter to September then you might get another season out of it. It depends on a combination of usage and the season the venue is open for,� she concludes. Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 33 - March 2019

- In Depth / Green Cleaning -

5 reasons to start green cleaning your B&B today At Out of Eden, we’re big advocates of any business that has a passion for producing high quality products while staying true to their sustainable and ethical values. That’s why we love the eco-friendly cleaning brand that is Bio D, but why should you?

Holly Alderson, Content Marketing Assistant at Out Of Eden.

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othing epitomises spring more than a good old spring clean in your B&B before the busy season begins, and with the sensationalised trend of “Hinchingâ€? taking over the likes of Instagram, combined with the popular 1HWČľL[ VHULHV 7LG\LQJ 8S ZLWK 0DULH .RQGR LW appears the topic of cleaning our homes has never been so popular! Cleaning products, however, are one of the biggest contributors to the build-up of plastic ZDVWH DQG LQČ´OWUDWLQJ RXU ZDWHU V\VWHPV ZLWK harmful chemicals, so what’s the best solution to a sustainable spring clean? Green cleaning. Bio D are one of the leading brands of eco-friendly cleaning products that still deliver outstanding results suitable for the hospitality industry. Need a reason to switch to green cleaning? Well, we can name a few.

THEY CAN SAVE ON PLASTIC AND PENNIES 6WDUWLQJ RÎ? ZLWK SHUKDSV WKH PRVW WRSLFDO reason of all given that last year’s Collins Dictionary Word of the Year was ‘single-use’, Bio D have been making strides to ensure their and their customers’ plastic footprint is VLJQLČ´FDQWO\ UHGXFHG )RU RQH RI %LR 'ȇV entire range is now packaged in bottles made IURP UHF\FOHG SRVW FRQVXPHU SODVWLF with the aim of converting every Bio D bottle WR UHF\FOHG DQG UHF\FODEOH SODVWLF E\ WKH end of 2019. In addition, we also supply 5 and OLWUH EXON UHČ´OOV RI %LR ' SURGXFWV DFURVV WKHLU HQWLUH UDQJH DOORZLQJ \RX WR UHČ´OO \RXU ERWWOHV RYHU DQG RYHU DJDLQ 7KH\ DOVR SURPRWH UHČ´OO VWDWLRQV LQ ZKLFK FXVWRPHUV FDQ UHČ´OO WKHLU RULJLQDO ERWWOHV IRU D IUDFWLRQ RI WKH Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 34 - March 2019

- In Depth / Green Cleaning -

SULFH MXVW OLNH LQ RXU .LUNE\ 6WHSKHQ EDVHG store, helping to support likeminded, ethical independent businesses nationwide.

THEY TICK ALL THE RIGHT BOXES As well as paving the way for a single-use plastic free future, Bio D are guaranteed to meet, and RIWHQ H[FHHG DOO RI WKH H[SHFWDWLRQV DQ HFR FRQVFLRXV FRQVXPHU PLJKW KDYH 0DGH H[FOXVLYHO\ LQ WKH 8. %LR ' KDYH IXOO WUDFHDELOLW\ RQ DOO RI the ingredients used in their formula, while VLJQLČ´FDQWO\ KHOSLQJ WR UHGXFH WKHLU DQG \RXU carbon footprint. Due to the natural ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients included in every product, their entire range is vegan, free from animal testing and entirely hypoallergenic ZLWK $OOHUJ\ 8. DSSURYDO PDNLQJ WKHP D JUHDW choice to accommodate every guest including those with sensitive skin or allergies.

THEY’RE ALL NATURAL 7KH QDWXUDO IRUPXOD LV IUHH IURP V\QWKHWLF fragrances found in most high-street cleaning products, while remaining free from the harsh chemicals found in heavy-duty commercial cleaning products such as chlorine bleaches, ('7$ DQG SHWUROHXP GHULYHG DGGLWLYHV 7KHVH

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synthetic ingredients can be particularly detrimental both as water pollutants and to plant DQG DQLPDO OLIH LQ IDFW LW ZDV WKLV H[SRVXUH WR WKH DPRXQW RI WR[LF FKHPLFDOV IRXQG LQ FRPmercial cleaning products that shocked Bio 'ȇV IRXQGHU 0LFKDHO %DUZHOO LQWR ODXQFKLQJ Bio D. Instead, the formula is fragranced with natural essential oils, and all of the natural, ethical and sustainably sourced ingredients DUH ELRGHJUDGDEOH

PLANT POWERFUL IN YOUR B&B 7KRXJK QRW SDFNHG IXOO RI WKH V\QWKHWLF DGGLtives, preservatives and chlorine bleaches that blast through dirt and grime like conventional heavy-duty cleaning products, the plant-powerful formulas of Bio D still pack a punch in delivering great results that can more than deliver in a commercial environment. Green cleaning products are often tainted with the misconception that they will not be powerful enough, not deliver the results desired to PHHW WKH KLJK H[SHFWDWLRQV RI JXHVWV DQG WKDW WKH\ DUH WRR H[SHQVLYH WR SUDFWLFDOO\ XVH HYHU\ GD\ +RZHYHU ZH EHJ WR GLÎ?HU 0DQ\ RI %LR 'ȇV SURGXFWV LQFOXGLQJ WKH 0XOWL 6XUIDFH 6DQLWLVHU $OO 3XUSRVH 6DQLWLVHU

and the Sanitising Hand Wash, for instance, FRQIRUP WR WKH %6(1 IRRG JUDGH VWDQGard, meaning they have been tested against a range of bacteria, including E-coli, Salmonella DQG 056$ 7KLV PHDQV WKH\ DUH HQWLUHO\ VXLWDble for use in a commercial catering environment, making them the only green cleaning company with this accreditation.

SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT In order to keep past and prospective guests invested and interested in your business, it’s essential to keep them updated on any changes you make throughout your B&B, or anything that will help you to stand out against competitors. Whether it’s on your website, a blog or an Instagram post, whenever you integrate sustainable, ethical or OX[XU\ SURGXFWV DQG DPHQLWLHV LQWR \RXU % % be sure to shout about it. Not only are green FOHDQLQJ SURGXFWV VXFK DV %LR 'ȇV H[FHSWLRQally good for saving on plastic, pennies and WKH SODQHW LW DOVR RÎ?HUV D JUHDW PHWKRG RI marketability in promoting your dedication to using eco-friendly, quality products that will help to naturally (in more ways than one!) UHČľHFW \RXU RYHUDOO EXVLQHVV HWKRV

sales@outofeden.co.uk www.outofeden.co.uk Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 35 - March 2019

- In Depth / Vacuum Cleaners -

Regulatory vacuum Threats of regulations to limit the power of vacuum cleaners of recent years have caused some manufacturers to fight back. But have technology and product development overridden such restrictions?

Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 36 - March 2019

- In Depth / Vacuum Cleaners -

A

s we go to press the UK is poised to leave the European Union. With three years of claims, counter-claims and contradictions in D FHVV SLW RI ČľH[LEOH SROLWLFDO SULQFLSOH DQG UXWKOHVV EDFN VWDEELQJ LW LV QR VXUSULVH PDQ\ people are fed up and simply want the proFHVV EURXJKW WR D FRQFOXVLRQ Even now it is unclear whether - or to what H[WHQW Č‚ WKH 8. ZLOO EH UHOHDVHG IURP D GXW\ to comply with myriad EU regulations. 7KH FRQIXVLRQ EURXJKW DERXW E\ SRODULVHG DUJXPHQWV UHJDUGLQJ PHPEHUVKLS RI WKH (XURSHDQ 8QLRQ KDV EXULHG PDWWHUV VXFK DV ZKHWKHU DQ\ DFWLRQ ZLOO EH WDNHQ DJDLQVW DQ\ IXWXUH regulations regarding vacuum cleaner power. Last year Dyson won its appeal to the European General Court in its long-running dispute over the EU vacuum cleaners energy ODEHO 7KH EUDQG KDV EHHQ D ORQJ VWDQGLQJ FULWLF RI WKH HQHUJ\ ODEHO UHJXODWLRQV ZKLFK were introduced in 2014 with the aim of cutting energy use across Europe, with opponents maintaining that they don’t test in a way WKDW UHČľHFWV UHDO OLIH XVH (8 HQHUJ\ XVH WHVWV DUH FRQGXFWHG ZLWK WKH GXVW EDJ RU FRQWDLQHU HPSW\ EXW '\VRQ DUJXHG WKDW DV PDQ\ YDFXXPV ORVH VXFWLRQ ZKHQ WKH\ Č´OO ZLWK GXVW WKLV was not accurate. The European Commission (EC) said there ZDVQȇW D UHOLDEOH DQG UHSURGXFLEOH WHVW XVLQJ SDUWLDOO\ ORDGHG YDFXXPV WKDW FRXOG EH XVHG LQVWHDG $IWHU D OHQJWK\ FRXUW EDWWOH LQ ZKLFK Dyson appealed an initial judgement in the EC’s favour in 2015, the General Court has QRZ UXOHG LQ IDYRXU RI '\VRQ DQG WDNHQ WKH H[WUDRUGLQDU\ VWHS RI DQQXOOLQJ WKH YDFXXP FOHDQHUV HQHUJ\ ODEHO The Consumers Association has raised FRQFHUQV WKDW WKH ODEHO UDWLQJ V\VWHP LV ČľDZHG DQG SUHVHQWV D FRQIXVLQJ SLFWXUH IRU FRQVXPHUV $ :KLFK" VSRNHVPDQ VD\V ČŠ2XU RZQ LQGHSHQGHQW ODE WHVWV KDYH IRXQG UHVXOWV WKDW GRQȇW WDOO\ ZLWK WKH ODEHO RQ WKH vacuum cleaner when it comes to measures such as cleaning performance, noise and dust emissions. Manufacturers self-certify using D YDULHW\ RI WHVW ODEV DFURVV (XURSH DQG WKH PDUJLQV IRU HUURU PHDQ WKDW ODEHOV DUH QRW WUXO\ FRPSDUDEOH WKHUHE\ PDNLQJ LW GLÉ?FXOW to get an accurate picture of which vacuum

FOHDQHUV DUH WKH PRVW HÉ?FLHQW DQG FOHDQ ZHOO ČŠ7KHUH KDYH DOVR EHHQ VRPH XQLQWHQGHG FRQVHTXHQFHV RI WKH HQHUJ\ ODEHO 7KH IRFXV RQ Č´QH GXVW SLFN XS RQ WKH ODEHO UDWLQJV OHG WR VRPH YDFXXPV EHLQJ YHU\ GLÉ?FXOW WR SXVK DFURVV ČľRRUV DQG SRRU DW SLFNLQJ XS ODUJHU GHEULV DV PDQXIDFWXUHUV JHDUHG YDFXXPV WRZDUGV JHWWLQJ KLJK GXVW SLFN XS UDWLQJV Č‹ :KLOH FRPSDQLHV LQFOXGLQJ 6HER DQG '\VRQ KDYH EHHQ YRFDO DERXW WKH UHVWULFWLRQV WR power, others such as VAX have shown a PRUH UHOD[HG YLHZ

PERFORMANCE ISSUES Power, it argues, does not necessarily mean KLJKHU SHUIRUPDQFH ΖW FDQ EH DVVXPHG WKHUH is little need to start consuming more power, as good design and technology innovations KDYH HQDEOHG SRZHU WR EH UHGXFHG ZLWKRXW DÎ?HFWLQJ SHUIRUPDQFH Richard Waters, VAX New Product Development Director says the company has invested heavily in the development of its cordless vacuum cleaners in response to consumer demand for these convenient, lighter vacuums to provide the performance to match their corded counterparts. Last year cordless vacuum cleaners outsold PDLQV SRZHUHG YDFXXPV IRU WKH Č´UVW WLPH LQ WKH GRPHVWLF PDUNHW +LJK SHUIRUPDQFH LPSURYHG GHVLJQ DQG EDWWHU\ WHFKQRORJ\ FRPELQHG ZLWK ORQJHU UXQ WLPHV DUH PDNLQJ FRUGOHVV PRGHOV D YLDEOH DOWHUQDWLYH WR WKH mains for many. Graham Curtis, VAX UK head of product PDQDJHPHQW VD\V ČŠ%X\LQJ \RXU RZQ FDUSHW cleaner will save you money in the long-run, especially if you invest in a model that not RQO\ FOHDQV FDUSHWV EXW FDQ EH XVHG WR UHIUHVK upholstery and clean up wet spills from carSHWV DQG KDUG ČľRRUV ČŠ7KHVH FDUSHW ZDVKHUV DUH UREXVW DQG SHUIHFW IRU % % RZQHUV DQG LQQNHHSHUV ZKR may have to respond to customer spills and catering mishaps, and more dirty shoes crossLQJ WKH WKUHVKROG WKDQ WKH QRUP Č‹ They can clean and leave carpets dry in as little as an hour, he says, and a regular PRQWKO\ GHHS FOHDQ ZLOO NHHS FDUSHWV ORRNLQJ fresh and revitalized for longer. ČŠ2ZQLQJ D FDUSHW FOHDQHU LV OLNH KDYLQJ WKH Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 37 - March 2019

IRXUWK HPHUJHQF\ VHUYLFH RQ VWDQGE\ 7KH\ȇUH to-hand when accidents happen rather than KDYLQJ WR ERRN DQG FROOHFW D KLUH PDFKLQH or pay and wait for a professional cleaning service to arrive. A good quality domestic PDFKLQH ZLOO SD\ IRU LWVHOI ZLWKLQ D IRXU WR VL[ XVHV ȋ KH VD\V

CORDLESS VACUUM Cordless vacuum users report they enjoy the convenience of having their vacuum to hand TXLFNO\ DQG OLNH WKHLU HDVH RI XVH DFFRUGLQJ WR :DWHUV ȊΖWȇV TXLFN WR PRYH EHWZHHQ URRPV ZLWKRXW EHLQJ WHWKHUHG WR WKH VRFNHW DQG WKHUHȇV QR FRUG WR EHFRPH HQWDQJOHG 8VHUV often report vacuuming more often due to their convenience of use and therefore, a cleaner home. “Longer run times of 45 minutes and a wide UDQJH RI WRROV WR XVH PDNH ČľRRU DQG DERYH ČľRRU FOHDQLQJ FRQYHQLHQW IURP WKH VDPH vacuum cleaner. Especially where they are LQ PRGHOV WUDQVIRUPLQJ IURP D SROH VWLFN or upright into a handheld model too. “Faster charge times mean that you’re not waiting overnight for a fresh charge to comSOHWH \RXU FOHDQ Č‹ % % RZQHUV PLJKW Č´QG D FRUGOHVV PRVW XVHIXO LQ WKH GLQLQJ DQG HQWUDQFH DUHDV ZKHUH Č´UVW impressions are made. They are usually slimOLQH DQG HDV\ WR WXFN DZD\ LQ DQ XQGHU VWDLU RU FOHDQLQJ FXSERDUG UHDG\ WR GHDO ZLWK GDLO\ GHEULV WKDWȇV PDGH LWV ZD\ LQWR \RXU SUHPLVHV RQ IHHW RU IRRG FUXPEV GURSSHG E\ SUHSDULQJ IRU DQG GXULQJ EUHDNIDVW VHUYLFH %HLQJ FRUGOHVV and lightweight, they’re also easy to transport EHWZHHQ ČľRRUV VDIHO\ KH VD\V &XUWLV DGGV ČŠ% %V ZLOO PRVW OLNHO\ KDYH D PL[ RI ČľRRU VXUIDFHV DQG VR LWȇV D JRRG LGHD WR LQYHVW LQ D FOHDQHU WKDW FDQ GHDO ZLWK ERWK FDUSHW DQG KDUG ČľRRUV XSKROVWHU\ DQG D good selection of hand tools to deal with any VRLOHG IXUQLVKLQJV Č‹ $OO WRR RIWHQ SHRSOH GRQȇW WKLQN DERXW maintaining their vacuum cleaner and simply DLP WR JDLQ WKH EHVW RXW RI WKHP DQG LW LV DGYLVDEOH DW WKH YHU\ OHDVW WKDW \RX FOHDQ WKH EUXVK EDU DQG ZDVK WKH Č´OWHUV UHJXODUO\ LQ DFcordance with the model’s instructions. These FRQWULEXWH WR WKH RYHUDOO SHUIRUPDQFH RI \RXU vacuum, he concludes.

The importance of an independent broker In a time where insurance aggregators are on every other TV advert, it’s easy to be sucked in to believing this is the way to obtain your insurance quote. For business insurance, and especially for niche areas like B&B and guest house insurance, this certainly isn’t the case.

- In Depth / Finance -

T

here are many insurance companies out there that sell policies online that you might call ‘bog standard’, and more times than not they are completely inadequate. An independent insurance broker, especially those that specialise in the hospitality arena will understand these inadequacies and provide expert advice based on the customer’s needs. Gary Hodgson, partner at family-owned Hodgson Insurance Services, tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine: “There isn’t a standard B&B owner anymore. Not least with the rise of sites like Airbnb, owners are looking to stand out from the crowd, branching out in WR GLÎ?HUHQW DUHDV 6RPH QRZ RÎ?HU VHOI FDWHUing with access to the owner’s kitchens, some provide just a bed-only, some have a glamping pod in the back garden, and we even saw a case recently where the owners provided group bookings and the guests on arrival KDG WR Č´QG WKHLU URRP NH\V LQ DQ Ȇ(VFDSH 5RRPȇ W\SH VFHQDULR 7KHVH DUH DOO GLÎ?HUHQW risks and an insurance policy that is right for one person could be completely inadequate for another.â€? These are some of the B&B cover levels, terms and conditions that he says he would recommend customers check on their quotes: • Public liability. Many customers take out a standard home insurance policy and assume it includes public liability cover – In fact, a standard home policy excludes liability in respect of any business. • Theft. Some policies exclude theft by guests, some cover it by forcible/violent entry only, the top B&B policies will include full theft by guests with no security conditions being in place. • Security. Talking about security most guest house policies will insist on a minimum level of door and window security. 7KLV LV Č´QH LI WKH\ȇUH LQ SODFH <RX FRXOG be refused a theft claim should these not be in place. Again, the top policies will have NO security terms for that peace of mind. • Accidental damage. If the policy says it includes this cover, check whether this includes damage by guests. Many policies include accidental damage cover that applies only if caused by the B&B owners themselves.

• Personal contents. Most guest houses are owner occupied. Check that your personal contents are included as many SROLFLHV RQO\ RÎ?HU WKLV DV DQ RSWLRQDO extra. Some inadequate policies geared up for larger hotels may exclude this altogether. • Personal contents away from home. Do you want to include that iPhone, camera or those jewellery items whilst you’re away from your B&B? Most guest houses LQVXUDQFH SROLFLHV GRQȇW HYHQ RÎ?HU WKLV DV an optional extra, but many owners want this cover. If needed, a good insurance broker will be able to place you on the right policy. • Claim excess. How much will you have to pay towards a claim? These can range from ÂŁ100-ÂŁ250 for a standard excess, but can easily be ÂŁ350-750. Make sure you’re happy with the total excess you may have to pay in event of a claim. A niche insurance broker should be aware of the all the above pitfalls and B&B policy terms, says Gary. “A broker should have a broad range of insurance schemes to cater for the wide variety of the modern-day owner and will be able to place the customer on the policy that most caters for their needs and with policy conditions that can be adhered to,â€? he says.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE A broker will have local knowledge of the DUHD LQFOXGLQJ SRWHQWLDO ČľRRG ULVNV DUHDV DQG is able to check Food Standard Agency ratings and assess the area and property via Google maps and the like to help get the best deals. “Based in Cornwall, we know the South West region well and know certain problem postcodes,â€? he says. “But over the years many of our customers are now spread all over the country, and we have as many customers right up in Scotland now as we do here in Cornwall. Although not local we’ve researched the issues Scottish B&B owners have, compared to other areas, cold weather and potential burst pipes being a known high risk. An insurance broker will understand these risks.â€? If you have to make a claim, you’re not on your own if you have bought your policy through a broker, he says. “Although you’ll generally deal with a claims team or loss Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 39 - March 2019

adjuster, sometimes problems or hold ups occur. A broker will be on hand to assist their customer and act as a middle man to help push a claim forward or assist with disputes and settlements,� he concludes.

CAVEAT EMPTOR Technical services manager Shaune Worrall at the British Insurance Brokers Association tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine: “I’d certainly advice B&B owners to use a broker when they are looking for insurance cover unless they have insurance expertise themselves. It’s a bit like anything: you go online and buy after making a judgement based on your own expertise – it’s still a matter of buyer beware. “A broker will have plenty of access to insurers and information to be able to signpost anyone with a B&B to the right cover,� he says.

BESPOKE INSURANCE Insurance brokers have access to a vast range and variety of insurance products that they FDQ RÎ?HU WKHLU FOLHQWV FRYHULQJ RXW RI WKH RUGLQDU\ ULVNV WKDW FDQ DÎ?HFW WKH % % VHFWRU Coversure franchisee John Palmer, whose business is in Poole, Dorset, tells Luxury Bed & Breakfast magazine: “A visitor to Be My Guest in Bournemouth last month told us their property’s insurance policy was renewal due soon. I called them the day after the event and found the policy they bought online was completely wrong for them. Not only does it fail to provide them with appropriate levels of cover, but there are certain things they believed to be covered by the policy, but which quite simply are not,â€? he says. The B&B owners concerned have a three-bedroomed property where they live at the back of their B&B, he says. “One of the starkest examples was that while their business equipment is covered, the same is not true for their own personal contents. This is a B&B, which is their home as well as their business.â€? Before discovering this shortfall in their policy, when he was going through the questions with them, the B&B owner and client-to-be, said: “Of course we have got contents cover!â€? It turned out they haven’t, he says. The premium they were paying for this inadequate policy was about ÂŁ1,250, and the broker was able to arrange them a full policy including cover for their own personal contents for the considerably cheaper price of ÂŁ550.

- In Depth / Finance -

SUM INSURED

CLIENT SITE VISITS

One of the areas commonly overlooked is careful consideration of the actual amount to be covered. John says: “As with all types of insurance, if you look at your own personal household insurance that may cover you for ÂŁ50,000 or ÂŁ100,000 insurance, it’s very much D Č´QJHU LQ WKH DLU VWDE LQ WKH GDUN ȆΖ WKLQN that’s roughly what I’ve got’. “The biggest thing you need to protect against is unfortunately the worst-case VFHQDULR ZKLFK LV EDVLFDOO\ D Č´UH Č‹ KH VD\V “Someone breaking in and stealing a few things is horrendous, but it isn’t the end of your livelihood and your home. If your house or your business burns down, you can have the property rebuilt, but you can’t actually get back the contents that were inside, and that’s the end of the story. Most people can’t just put their hand in their pocket and replace everything in their home.â€? +H DGGV WKDW DOWKRXJK WKDW LV D VSHFLČ´F example, it is the kind of thing insurance brokers deal with every day.

2QH RI WKH ELJJHVW EHQHČ´WV RI EHLQJ ORFDO is being able to go out on site when there has been a nasty incident and a horrendous insurance claim. As a local broker we are only 10 to 15 minutes’ away and we can go, take a look, make a call, or people can come in and see us. That gives the client real peace of mind,â€? he says. If necessary, someone from the brokerage can come out and meet you face to face, he VD\V ČŠ<RX DUH QRW RQ KROG IRU WR PLQutes trying to get through to someone, you have the continuity of dealing with the same person all the time so they know you, they know what is going on, and you don’t need to re-explain your circumstances. Unlike online quote engines, brokers don’t have anywhere to hide, so they need to make sure that their claims service is up to scratch, because that underpins their reputation. “Our shop window literally has to be our claims service, otherwise we are not really adding any value at all,â€? he concludes.

DUE DILIGENCE When you are choosing a broker, look for one with expertise and experience in arranging FRYHU IRU % %V 7KHUH LVQȇW D KXJH GLÎ?HUence in risk between a relatively ordinary % % DQG D OX[XU\ % % EH\RQG D GLÎ?HUHQFH between perhaps the items owned by the guests and those owned the B&B owners that would need to be properly covered in order WR UHČľHFW WKH FRVW RI UHSODFLQJ WKHP 7KHUH might then be issues relating to the security requirements the insurer may impose to UHČľHFW WKH H[SRVXUH WR ULVN WKH H[FHVVHV DQG the extended cover they might give. The broker can guide you to ensure that \RX KDYH LGHQWLČ´HG SURSHUO\ WKH UHSODFHPHQW costs, the things insurers won’t insure you for, and risks you may not have thought about WKDW DQ RÎ? WKH VKHOI LQWHUQHW JHQHUDWHG SROLF\ might or might not cover for you. The broker can make sure the limits are ok, make sure any warranty exclusions are brought to your attention and are acceptable, and will be there in the event of a claim. Despite the tempting ease with which online insurance can be found and bought, you really deserve better than a one-sizeČ´WV DOO VROXWLRQ DW \RXU OX[XU\ % % :KDW D broker can do is marry your particular risk, your particular business and your particular exposures to what is available out there in the insurance market. Luxury Bed & Breakfast - 40 - March 2019

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@ :12,14/8@ @ 549-498@ @ :814-88@ 49-77:69154@ 5;-7@ @ :*21+@ @ 3625>-78@ 1)*1219>@ @ :814-88@ -/)2@ =6-48-8@ 5;-7@ ? 5<@ =+-88@ 57@ 2)138 ? & @$0-.9@ @ ++1,-49)2 )3)/-@ >@ :-898 ? @"-+:719>@ 54,191548 Running a B&B or guest house is hard work and ringing around for days on end getting insurance quotes can be hassle and stress you don’t really need. Hodgson Insurance Services are an independent family run insurance broker based in Bude, Cornwall. We have been insuring guest houses all over the UK for over 40 years and understand the needs and insurance requirements of the modern-day B&B owner. You won’t ever be dealing with a call centre, you will always be speaking ZLWK WKH VDPH RU WUDLQHG VWDÎ? PHPEHUV (YHU\ EXVLQHVV LV GLÎ?HUHQW VRPH RÎ?HU D IXOO EUHDNIDVW RWKHUV allow guests access to cooking facilities. Some provide an element RI KROLGD\ OHWWLQJ PD\EH XVH RI D KRW WXE VRPH HPSOR\ VWDÎ? :H take time to understand how you run your business, as independent brokers we don’t just use one insurer, we have access to a number of specialist guest house insurance schemes and will search the market

WR Č´QG WKH EHVW PDWFK for your business, so you don’t have to. We don’t just sell on price, we make sure the covers are adequate for your needs. All guest house schemes have GLÎ?HUHQW WHUPV VRPH require security on doors & windows, some don’t, some include full Theft By Guests and some RQO\ RÎ?HU WKHIW FRYHU by forcible or violent entry. What excess do you have to pay in the event of a claim? All policies vary!! A burst pipe causes water damages to rooms which you can’t now rent for 6 months, will the policy compensate you for lost business?? An insurance broker should always fully explain the main conditions of a policy to ensure it meets your requirements. As general insurance brokers we don’t just do guest house insurance, although hospitality is a large part of our operation and we can look at quotes for holiday homes, restaurants, public houses etc, we also insure many landlords, shopkeepers and private motor vehicles. For more information or advice on your insurance needs please contact our brokerage.

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LOOKING TO SELL YOUR CURRENT B& B? WHY NOT CONTAC T US ON SUBSCRIPTIONS@ JLD-MEDIA.CO.UK . WE WILL BE MORE TH AN HAPPY TO DISC USS AVAILABLE OPTION S WITH YOU.

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REGI S TODA TER Y FO FREE R ENTR Y

European Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks Expo returns to London Olympia on May 21st and 22nd. With your customers becoming ever more discerning and demanding, this market leading show, created purely for the foodservice sector, will put you ahead of the game when preparing and serving both hot and cold beverages. Here’s why you should visit: • Over 170 exhibitors from many world leading brands to numerous smaller suppliers • A comprehensive FREE to attend conference programme featuring industry leaders • Barista Masterclasses featuring the very best, award-winning baristas from the UK and Europe, including Agnieszka Rojewska, the current World Barista Champion, Dale Harris, World Barista Champion 2017 and Dan Fellows, World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion 2018, plus many more superstars in this world first! • Roastery Masterclass Live! Another world first, featuring the best coffee roasters in the land together with live roasting - you won’t see this at any other show! • The Tea Quarter in association with National Tea Day – tea pairings and inspiration for the F&B market to boost your tea sales • Soft Drinks Pavilion– make the most of the long hot summer! • The Innovation Awards featuring the most innovative products and solutions • And lots more including networking, a VIP programme and ‘Roastery Way’, an area dedicated to smaller, independent roasters. And it’s ALL FREE to attend!

WHY I’M COMING “I really believe the quality tea and coffee offerings, along with an interesting and varied soft drink offering has been overlooked for too long. I see European Coffee, Tea and Soft Drink Expo as a brilliant way for operators to meet with many suppliers, and see the amazing products being offered to enhance their guests experience, and revenue.” Mark Hastings, Director of Restaurants, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

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