Murray Roberts talks about the need for migrant workers in hospitalit Murray Roberts talks about hospitality and the nee | Page 26

WARNING:
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE
MAY CONTAIN NUTS!!
T
his is not an article about
allergies, its about achieving
what some people told me would
be impossible to do by myself
without finance, in fact they said
I would be nuts to even consider starting.
The fact is I have never been allergic to
work and what I lack in finances I can make
up for with my skills and abilities.
I am tenacious and can be really stubborn
at times. I was fully aware of how much
work and tricky problems lay ahead of me.
As Shakespeare’s builders once said “to
build or not to build, that is the question”.
My answer was to build, but not just a
hotel but a future for everyone involved
with Grimscote Manor.
THE PROJECT: HOW TO TURN A 10-BEDROOM
B&B INTO A 26-BEDROOM BOUTIQUE HOTEL
ON A SUPER TIGHT BUDGET ASAP?
With Gillian Etheridge (my business
partner), looking after the B&B I set about
the very serious task of trying to get
planning permission to turn the run-down
house plus grounds with a marquee into a
14-bedroom hotel and wedding venue.
We eventually got this in 2012.
Now all I had to do was convert our 5
bedroom, semi-derelict main house to
give us 4 bedrooms, one of which would
become the bridal suite, a bar, lounge,
reception area and office and then
connect the two halves (the original B&B
and our house) together to make one
hotel. This little task took me the best
part of two years working 12-14 hours a
day, 7 days a week including birthdays
and Christmas, using only the money
generated from the B&B, well done Gill.
Whilst I was doing this work I decided to
26 Housekeeping management