RCH Newsletter: June 2024

Welcome to our latest update, where we celebrate the exciting developments and remarkable efforts across the Red Carnation Hotel Collection. From the grand opening of 100 Princes Street in Edinburgh to impactful community initiatives, our teams continue to exemplify the essence of hospitality and service excellence.

100 PRINCES STREET OPENING 

This May, we opened the doors to the newest jewel of our wonderful collection. Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh, within the storied walls of what was once the headquarters of the Royal Overseas League, 100 Princes Street promises an adventure into Scotland’s rich cultural and historical legacy. 

With the opening of our iconic new property, our exceptional P&C team has been actively engaged. Filipa from our recruitment team organised two successful recruitment days, with everyone pitching in to find the new RCH employees for 100 Princes Street. Ingrida, our talented Head Housekeeper, is thrilled to be recruiting for her team against the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.

As the group at 100 Princes Street takes shape, team members participated in the second training week in Edinburgh. The week was filled with lots of learning, discussions on Forbes standards, and of course, lots of fun. Everyone is now up to speed with what it means to be in the Red Carnation family and creating our famous, personalised, and memorable experiences. Welcome aboard, everyone!

CHARITY AND VOLUNTEERING

100 PRINCES STREET

Rory McKinnon, on behalf of 100 Princes Street, donated a bottle of Bouchard Finlayson wine to a local Edinburgh school (Wardie Primary School) for their summer fair raffle.

ACORN INN

In April, the team at the Acorn Inn participated in a litter-picking exercise throughout Evershot. They collected around seven bags of rubbish from the roadsides, sorted it into recyclables, and contributed to keeping the community clean. Brilliant work team!

THE CHESTERFIELD MAYFAIR

In April, five volunteers from The Chesterfield Mayfair took part in charitable activities. Claire and Ellen helped raise money for Hospitality Action at the Back to the Floor event, and Jake, Alfie, and Malina cheered for starlight at The London Marathon, helping to spur on the runners and provide entertainment.

THE MONTAGUE ON THE GARDENS

The Montague team volunteered at The Phoenix Garden in London as part of the Earth Month sustainability challenge. They enjoyed a day of well-being and mental health activities while contributing to the garden’s upkeep.

Sam Downey, Management Programme participant at The Montague, recently dedicated his time to Hospitality Action at Back to the Floor 2024. He had a fantastic evening engaging with guests, showcasing his hosting skills, and spreading warmth throughout. Now, Sam embarks on his second year at The Chesterfield. Best of luck on your journey, Sam!

Mark Leishman, a kitchen staff member at The Montague, accomplished an incredible feat by completing a challenging 42 km walk around central London. Starting at midnight and finishing in an impressive six hours, Mark's dedication shone through as he raised funds for the Army Benevolent Fund and Royal Marines Association. Mark thoroughly enjoyed the experience and expressed his willingness to do it again. Congratulations, Mark, for your remarkable efforts in support of these meaningful charities. Your commitment is truly inspiring.

THE RUBENS AT THE PALACE 

Sergio, the fantastic Director of Engineering at The Rubens at the Palace, took on the Hospitality Action Cotswold Cycle Challenge, committing to an impressive 100-mile route and raising £820. Huge congratulations, Sergio!

Paulius, a member of The Rubens Engineering team, volunteered at this year's Walkie Talkie Tower Climb to support fundraising for Great Ormond Street Hospital, big well done.

HOTEL D'ANGLETERRE 

The Théodora Foundation, established in 1993, is dedicated to bringing moments of laughter and joy to children in hospitals or with disabilities. Hotel d'Angleterre partners with Théodora through the Smile Box initiative to support these amazing causes.

Throughout December and January, both guests and employees have the chance to brighten the days of hospitalised children. They write heartfelt messages and create drawings on cards, which are then placed into the Smile Box. These boxes are later distributed to young patients, spreading cheer and positivity. It's a beautiful and meaningful way to make a difference. 

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 

ACORN INN

After winning gold in the Southwest Tourism Awards, Acorn Inn is thrilled to announce that they are in the final top three for the ‘Best Pub’ category in the Visit England Awards of Excellence. This incredible achievement is thanks to the hard work and dedication of the team.

The kitchen team at Acorn Inn are also celebrating new promotions. Ana Martins has been promoted to Head Chef, Luyanda Nkonyeni to Senior Sous Chef, and Mickeal Trehard to Junior Sous Chef. Massive congratulations to them all in their new roles. 

GOOD NEWS 

THE CHESTERFIELD MAYFAIR 

In celebration of Earth Month, The Chesterfield team joined the RCH Earth Month bingo during their tea party, this activity was aimed at raising awareness of our collective environmental impact. One standout initiative was their successful three-day meatless campaign in the canteen, which received such positive feedback that they've decided to make the canteen meatless one day every week moving forward.

The team at The Chesterfield organised a charity bake sale, which proved to be a resounding success. The event raised an impressive £507 for the WWF (World Wildlife Fund). The event's success was attributed to the exceptional bakers from various departments and the enthusiastic support from buyers. Congratulations to all who participated!

The Community Clear Up initiative at The Chesterfield included not only tidying up local areas and community allotments but also making donations to charities such as Sense and the Heart Foundation. In addition to these efforts, the hotel has developed an ecological gardening space on the 5th-floor roof. This green space showcases a diverse array of plants, flowers, and herbs, all aimed at supporting city bees and pollinators to thrive. It's a wonderful commitment to both community well-being and environmental stewardship.

THE MONTAGUE ON THE GARDENS 

The Montague team celebrated International Women’s Day by planting beautiful wildflowers in the garden and enjoying delicious giant cookies as a team in the canteen.  

HOTEL D'ANGLETERRE

Douce-Aimee from Hotel d'Angleterre is to be featured in Le Génie des Métiers, a new publication dedicated to vocational training in Geneva. Douce-Aimée will appear in the next edition of the magazine.

Abbygaëlle, the guest services manager from Hotel d'Angleterre, had the opportunity to spend four days at the Milestone as part of a cross-training program. She extends her heartfelt thanks to Zen, her counterpart at the Milestone, as well as to Alice, degree appprentice, and Tom, front of house manager at the Rubens, for sharing their knowledge and passion for RCH London’s properties.

THE TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL AND SPA

Executive Chef, Christo Pretorius from the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa recently shared his culinary experiences with post-graduate students from the University of Cape Town, fostering connections and inspiring the next generation of hospitality professionals. During the session, the students engaged in an open discussion and a Q&A session with Chef Christo while enjoying a delightful High Tea. This approach aims to attract recent graduates interested in the hospitality industry by establishing open discussions and forging relationships.

Our People & Culture team over at The Twelve Apostles were recently invited to an event organised in partnership with the International Hotel School and the Western Cape education department. The event featured a cook-off competition with fifteen high school students specialising in Consumer Studies. As part of our involvement, we sponsored prizes, including a four-week internship opportunity and four High Tea vouchers. The winner in the pastry category, a talented student from Gaansbaai High School, earned a four-week internship in our Pastry Kitchen with Chef Gina during the June/July school holidays. The level of talent displayed by these high school students was truly inspiring.

ASHFORD CASTLE 

Maureen Carroll of Ashford Castle was welcomed back to Shannon College (Class of 1996) in April with Lisa Toomey to talk to the third-year students. They spoke about the wonderful history of the estate, The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, and their success and standards. Edel from Ashford Castle also visited Galway Technical Institute to speak with the students about future opportunities on the estate. 

Additionally, on 23rd April, ATU Donegal students visited the estate for a tour and to hear about all the amazing opportunities available to them. Great relationships have been forged.

EGERTON HOUSE HOTEL

In honour of National Receptionist Day which took place on the 8th May, The Egerton House would like to spotlight Angel and Sarah. Working in a hotel often requires involvement in various areas of operations, and it’s no different at The Egerton House. Their small team of receptionists (and duty managers) handle everything from concierge inquiries to luggage. Happy National Receptionist Day to all those at our reception desks across the collection, with a special note of appreciation to our reception team at The Egerton House.

As they geared up for an epically busy summer, The Egerton eagerly welcomed back their summer installation on 15th May. Jane Wadham returned to implement the vision she had been developing since January. The Chelsea Flower Show has been a significant event in Chelsea’s calendar since its inception in 1912, drawing visitors from around the globe annually. Inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show, The Egerton introduced their floral installation concept in 2018, and this year marks its third return, much to their delight. They invite everyone to pop by and experience it firsthand.

The Royal Ascot is a major summer event, and The Egerton is a popular destination for many breeders and racing enthusiasts. The Egerton has a special partnership with John Boyd Hats, a renowned hat maker with decades of experience. This year, Sarah Marshall of John Boyd Hats will be creating an exhibition piece specifically for display at the hotel throughout the month of June in celebration of the Royal Ascot. The Egerton team is very excited about this and hopes that the exhibition, alongside some antique engravings and other relevant materials, will provide a delightful experience for their guests.

SUSTAINABILITY

GUERNSEY

The sustainability team in Guernsey hosted a sustainability themed tea party in March. The team used this event to provide updates on their sustainability initiatives and to showcase how easily leftovers can be used to create delicious meals. They also participated in a sustainability quiz, sharing facts about wasting electricity and water, the number of single-use plastic bottles they avoid annually, volunteer hours completed over the last two years, and the reduction of food waste.

Chef Sandesh prepared a feast using leftovers and took the time to explain each dish to the team: mac and cheese made with leftover cheese from the breakfast buffet, a berry smoothie utilising surplus berries and yoghurt, and a bread pudding created from leftover pastries. Well done team, let's keep up the excellent work!

THE CHESTERFIELD MAYFAIR 

During their tea party quiz, the Chesterfield team learnt about the massive impact of plastic bottles. Over one million plastic water bottles are purchased globally every minute. In contrast, at The Chesterfield, the team exclusively uses reusable bottles as part of their pledge to eliminate single-use plastics (SUPs).

The Chesterfield is empowering employees from every department to get involved, discuss food waste initiatives, and explore the RCH sustainability goals with colleagues to learn more sustainable actions together. Great work, Team Chesterfield!

THE MONTAGUE ON THE GARDENS 

In April, The Montague on the Gardens team enthusiastically participated in the Earth Month sustainability challenge. They successfully completed various activities represented on a bingo card, focusing on sustainability, community, well-being, and charity. This initiative provided a wonderful opportunity for all hotel staff to actively participate and achieve as many goals as possible.

The team also donated items of clothing to their chosen charity, The Royal Trinity Hospice, volunteered at The Phoenix Garden, learned about food waste reduction in the kitchen, set aside some time for wellbeing and mental health, and ensured all departments used reusable water bottles and cups. Well done to everyone at The Montague.

HOSPITALITY ACTION SUMMER CHALLENGE - PADEL MATCH

On Friday, 7th June, the famous Padel Match made a comeback as part of the Hospitality Action Summer Challenge. The teams were Mr. Raggett & Mr. Hendry versus Mr. Lake & Mr. Crokaert. After an exciting match, Mr. Raggett & Mr. Hendry emerged as the winners, taking home the trophy. It was an exhilarating match and a lot of fun for everyone in attendance.