Terry Holmes

The Cateys are the Oscars of the hotel industry, with the winners nominated, selected and rewarded by their industry peers.  To be named Hotelier of the Year is a huge achievement and if you’re curious to learn a bit more about Jonathan’s route to the top, here are a few details.

Jonathan joined the industry 27 years ago because he liked being around people.  His interest was sparked during his A levels when a friend showed him around the hotel where he worked.  “It was though a light was switched on.  I knew this was the kind of place I wanted to be”.

He then became a Management Trainee with Norfolk Capital Hotels and within two years was appointed Assistant Manager of the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate.  He then progressed to become Front-of-House Manager at the Highcliff Hotel in Bournemouth.  In 1985, the year after the bombing of the Conservatory Party Conference at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, the Tories decided to book the next conference at the Highcliff.  “Being directly responsible for the conference stay, I was involved in countless meetings with the police and security staff. We worked hideously long days, but it was enormously satisfying and valuable in my development as a hotelier as the attention to detail was second to none.”

After three years as Deputy General Manager at the Londonderry Hotel (now the Metropolitan), Jonathan went to Durban, as Hotel Manager of the Maharani, a 5 star 300 bedroom property.  “While I don’t believe it is necessary to go overseas to become a good hotelier, it did help me grow as an individual, broaden my knowledge of culture and help me become a better all-round manager.”  It also impressed upon him the importance of good staff relations.  “The unions were very big in South Africa and I came to realise that can be a good thing. They force you to communicate clearly with your employees, and to listen to them.”

He then moved to Guernsey as General Manager and Director of the St Pierre Park Hotel, which he established as a highly successful hotel, golf and spa destination.  Here he met regular guests Stanley and Beatrice Tollman – they were sufficiently impressed by his achievements to invite him to manage their newly acquired Rubens hotel, which was undergoing a multi-million pound upgrade, and to oversee the creation of their 5 star boutique hotel, 41.

Returning to London in 1988, he was promoted to Managing Director of the rapidly expanding Red Carnation Collection in 2000.  With 13 luxury properties on three continents, a staff of 1500, and further plans for growth, he certainly has his hands full!

The seeds of his success are evident in the story I’ve just related.  He still has his passion for the business, his attention to detail is extraordinary, and his pleasure in being around people is undiminished – he’s extremely good at getting the very best out of the staff, whilst also truly appreciating the kind of experience that guests really want.  The judges also comment on the fact that he leads by example.  This is something everyone on the Red Carnation team will agree with – having initiated the company’s Trading Places scheme he’ll happily muck in to clean the rooms and then do a shift as a breakfast chef. 

This last point gives you a clue to his success, and something that particularly impressed two of the judges – he’s genuinely caring, has a great sense of humour, and “does it all with a smile and not an ounce of pomposity”.

He commented that “I’m delighted, but humbled, to accept this award.  It reflects the terrific effort made by every single member of the Red Carnation Team.  We are a small family-run collection of five and four-star hotels who fight the big chains for business. We will never have the same Sales and Marketing spend as these players, so it is my belief that we need to make an even better job of taking care of our guests.  Our promise that ‘No request is too large, no detail too small’ puts huge demands on every member of staff, but we are fortunate to have a group of individuals who are passionately committed to rising to the challenge.”

Founder and President of the Red Carnation collection, Mrs Bea Tollman, also commented that “I’m delighted that Jonathan has been honoured with this tremendous accolade.  He is an exceptional individual whose talent and dedication would do any organisation proud.  A real credit, and inspiration, to the entire Red Carnation team”

Graham Kennedy

Bushmans Kloof  Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat  is only three and a half hours drive from Cape Town, but once you’re here it’s easy to forget that you share the planet with 5 billion other people and that it’s actually the 21st century!

This is a huge part of the appeal – the fact that you are so close to nature, and to the ancient past, without all the clutter and clamour of modern civilization.  When I look around at the timeless rocks I feel closer to the bushmen who roamed this landscape 10,000 years ago than I do to the people I see on the television, and when I gaze up into the inky black sky the rest of the world seems farther away than the moon and stars!

It’s therefore a rather surreal feeling when our little world is picked out by the full glare of the media spotlight.  It happened a few months ago, when we were named Number 1 Hotel in the World by Travel & Leisure 2009.  That’s quite an accolade, and whilst everyone on the team was absolutely delighted, we did feel a bit like an antelope caught in headlights!   

Well, as you know, the media has a short attention span and soon moved on to their next story, leaving us in peace once more.  We just went back about our business, concentrating on giving guests the most extraordinary wilderness and wellness experiences imaginable, whilst also continuing our various conservation projects.
Then, just last week, it happened again!  We were plunged into the full glare of the limelight once more with the news that we’d been named in the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List 2010.
 
This is described by Condé Nast Traveller as “our ultimate guide to the world’s best hotels”.  It’s is highly selective, only picking the very best three hotels, across six regions of the globe, under the headings of service, location, food, rooms, leisure facilities and ambience & design. The judges selected Bushmans Kloof as one of the three best hotels in the food category for Africa, Middle East and Indian Ocean. 

The judges commended us for offering a choice “between elegant formal dining at the Homestead or relaxed BBQs at Embers” commenting that “Head Chef Floris Smith excels in contemporary Cape cuisine using local ingredients and indigenous herbs.”

All I would add to that, besides my congratulations to Floris and his team, is that much of the local produce consists of organically home-grown fruit and vegetables, freshly picked from our very own gardens.  The kitchen also makes full use of the indigenous fynbos (fine bush) herbs, which grow in abundance on the reserve – these are used to add a distinctly ‘Cape’ flavour to many of the dishes. Of these, the Rooibos plant, naturally occurring only in the Cederberg region, is the most prominent, and an essential part of the gastronomic experience here.

We look forward to welcoming you soon and serving you the wholesome, colourful and flavourful local cuisine that’s now winning awards on the world stage!

Jonathan Raggett

“Guests at Summer Lodge regularly rave about the quality of the cuisine and many express amazement at the fact that the restaurant does not get more in the way of official recognition and awards.  I totally agree, but as Managing Director of the Red Carnation Collection nobody is going to pay any attention to me – I’m obviously rather biased!

I was therefore hugely pleased to see that the recently announced Condé Nast Traveller Gold List 2010 includes Summer Lodge as one of the best three hotels in the UK for food. 

This is nothing more than Steve Titman, our Executive Chef, deserves.   The Condé Nast Traveller judges praise him for producing “fine-tuned classic English cuisine using local produce: Dorset lamb, pan-seared sole, pot-roasted guinea fowl, and his signature dish, shepherd’s pie.”  I can second that, and would like to point out that the humble sounding shepherd’s pie is a real labour of love for Steve.  It takes him two days to prepare – that’s how long he spends over a hot stove to create the gorgeously rich stock and to make sure the meat just melts in your mouth.  The presentation is a feast for the eye and the flavour is exquisite.  Calling it shepherd’s pie is, in my opinion, a little misleading…and an example of Steve’s endearing modesty.    

As the judges suggest, Steve also takes considerable pains to work very closely with local producers to find the very best that the region has to offer.  Provenance is a passion for him and he cultivates terrific relationships with local farmers, fishermen,  game keepers and cheese makers.  He also uses home grown vegetables and herbs, fresh from the hotel’s kitchen garden.

Condé Nast adds that “the wine list, by sommelier Eric Zweibel, is excellent” and I certainly wouldn’t argue with that.  Eric is a legend, with vast experience and a stunning list of achievements to his name. In 2004 he was named Ruinart’s UK Sommelier of the Year (as past winners are ineligible for further competition, he now acts as a judge) and in 2007 was listed among the world’s four most accomplished practitioners in the Best Sommelier of The World Competition, in which he was also the sole finalist from his native France.  The list he has created for Summer Lodge is truly spectacular, and has received the prestigious ‘Best of Award of Excellence’ from Wine Spectator, every year since 2005.

Earlier in the year, thanks to this talented pair and the dedicated team at Summer Lodge the restaurant was also named ‘Restaurant of the Year 2009′ in the Taste of Dorset Awards. 

I’m sure these two awards will not be their last and the pair of them already have great things planned.  They’re collaborating on a series of cookery demonstrations, and have just announced the 2010 season of Summer Lodge wine dinners – if you enjoy your food and wine, and want to learn from a couple of real masters, these are opportunities I’m sure you won’t want to miss!

Clive Bennett

I’m delighted to unveil a brand new look for the summer season at the iconic five-star Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town, South Africa.

Cape Town’s No. 1 hotel has been enhanced with an extensive multi-million Rand structural and interior design refurbishment. Our Founder and President Bea Tollman and her daughter Toni have used the splendour of the surroundings to great effect throughout the bespoke designer bedrooms, lobby, corridors, 24-hour Café and unique Presidential Suite. The ambience has been achieved with light, warm fabrics, natural wood shutters and various marbles to create a delightfully decadent feel in all the custom-built bathrooms.

Skilled local craftsmen provide some of the more unusual items, such as chandeliers made from recycled clay and candy stripe wool carpets that emphasize the relaxed beach feel of Cape Town. The interiors are adorned with impressive works of art and carefully selected antiques, while the extensive grounds have become a showcase for talented local artists. To get a flavour of what to expect on your next visit, view a choice selection of pictures in our photo gallery.

We’re confident that this stunning refurbishment will launch an entirely new era in the hotel’s illustrious history. Our team pride themselves on providing the ultimate in customer service and can’t wait to perform on what they see as a magnificent new stage.