21st-century butlers

So you’ve bought the penthouse on the Upper East Side in New York; the house in Eaton Square; the large luxury apartment with state-of-the-art electronics in The Peak area of Hong Kong; the Palladian shooting lodge in Gloucestershire and the palace in Venice. Servicing the needs of all that property and a family that requires invitations to the hottest parties around needs a phalanx of discreet, well-connected butlers. Enter Quintessentially, the wish-fulfilment empire headed up by 35-year-old Ben Elliot, nephew of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, whose address book gets to places where others cannot reach, and his 38-year-old co-founder, Aaron Simpson. EDITOR’S CHOICE Present solution: a château - Dec-10Shanghai Tudor - Dec-06Revel with a cause - Nov-26Alpine ambition - Nov-19China towns - Nov-12Dig for therapy - Nov-05Their 2,000 thorough-bred Quintessentialists (many of the blonde, swishy-haired variety), spread across the world, are on standby to serve outlandish whims: whether it’s sourcing a diamond-encrusted Hermès Birkin bag or walking a Pekingese and eight Labradors for an owner who comes to London for 10 weeks of the year. Christmas prompts extra demands. Take the couple – an American designer and Russian banker whose primary residence is New York – who last year asked the firm to prepare their Belgravia home for the festive season. No small thing. Quintessentially had to find and wrap Christmas presents for 20 of the couple’s closest friends and relations, including a Van Cleef & Arpels watch worth £35,000; stock their fridge and larder with Cristal, smoked salmon from Iceland, white truffles from Alba and caviar from Iran. Decorations were taken care of; all the couple had to do was turn up on Christmas Eve. If you’re really pushed, Quintessentially will buy your house/apartment/palace for you and install a battalion of trained staff. Recent finds include a £7m bachelor pad in Knightsbridge with a secret “Batman’s cave” study behind the library for a client from Qatar; a 20-bedroom palace in St Tropez, worth £85m, for a Hong Kong member; and a 12-bedroom hacienda with stables and polo fields in Argentina sold for £8m to a Russian oligarch. The firm is on the hunt for a private island with a helipad for a man with a £100m budget and, for another client, a castle in Mauritius. Since forming 10 years ago, Quintessentially has expanded to 56 countries, including bases in São Paulo, Delhi, Shanghai, Beijing and Moscow (its fourth-biggest customer base), looking after local and travelling members. Catering to a clientele that travels for work and leisure has been one way that Quintessentially has sought to differentiate itself from other niche operators. It hopes to have operations in a total of 65 countries by the first quarter of next year. The Bric countries have taken to concierge services surprisingly easily, particularly the Chinese. Recent demands have included a pair of the red shoes worn by the Pope and backstage passes to a Beyoncé concert. One client asked for three top fashion stores in Shanghai to be closed so that his wife could have a private birthday shopping treat. His wish was granted. Has the downturn affected them? I ask Ben (6ft 3in, floppy light brown hair, aquamarine eyes, crisp white shirt, navy tie and sharp navy suit by Timothy Everest, who tailors all Elliot’s suits except for the ones that belonged to his late grandfather, Major Bruce Shand). “What happens in times of uncertainty,” he asserts, exuding his characteristic swagger, “is that people choose the best and I believe we are the best.” Described variously as “charming”, a “hustler” and “arrogant”, his accent is a blend of “mockney” and the clear diction of an old Etonian – a perfect reflection of his wide boy-cum-patrician persona.