Charm, good looks and a great arse?

by Rebecca Burn-Callander - Thursday, 3rd April 2008

Didcott founded Butlers in the Buff in 2003. He’d hired himself out as a bare-bottomed manservant to make some cash during university and the gimmick had proved successful beyond his wildest dreams. He was lucky enough to find four other handsome helpers to join the team fairly quickly, but since then, growth has been hampered by a severe lack of beefcake.

“We have one person permanently trying to recruit,” says Didcott. “Our head of human resources travels all around country looking for the right kind of guys to join the company.”

It’s a lot more difficult than you might think. Not any toned hunk of handsome will do. “A charming personality is just as important as looks, if not more so,” says Didcott. “”I don’t like stripper types. Or chaps that cant walk past a mirror without checking their hair.”

Can you be more specific, asks RB? “Ultimately we’re after James Bond,” he says.

James bond in an apron, bow tie and cuffs? This is truly a big ask. But these boys also have to be versatile. While “the butler” is the core premise behind the company, Butlers in the Buff can also supply costumes for practically any type of event. Gladiators. Angels. You name it.

The one caveat is that the firm does not provide nude waiters. “We’re not that kind of party entertainment,” says Didcott.

But new recruits get a pretty sweet deal. Unlike rival agencies, all cash is taken up front and clients must supply credit card details. “We’re sending our guys into unknown homes. There’s an extra level of security when we have the home address and contact details of the booker,” says Didcott.

Butlers in the Buff also concentrates on high-end parties, charging £65 - £75 an hour. The firm turns over £450,000 at the moment, making a gross profit of around 55-60 per cent on each job. But the boys still see a nice wedge of cash from the events.

Plus, the sophisticated clientele make the job a breeze: “We have very little trouble,” says Didcott. “If it gets too rowdy at an event, one of the guys will approach the client and tell them they’re over-stepping the mark, and that if it continues we’ll leave.”

Picture source

Tags: didcott, buff, butlers, butlers in the buff, staff, party entertainment, jason didcott, bow tie, waiters, gimmick, hunk,