Chairman’s Letter
Autumn 2022
Dear Member,
Having succeeded Stephen Plunkett at the May 2022 AGM, it gives me great pleasure to write my first Chairman’s letter to you, our Members.
Firstly, I should like to thank Stephen for all his hard work in helping to steer our Club through the difficult times of Covid and lockdowns during his tenure.
Secondly, I am very pleased to able to say that usage of our Club is, at long last, starting to return to pre-pandemic levels. Commensurately, the vibrant and friendly atmosphere that is our Club’s hallmark has also made a very welcome return. If you have not done so for a while, I would very much encourage you to visit the Club and participate in some of the many events that are detailed in this letter.
Continuing the good news, whilst our Club is operating in a challenging economic environment, not least of which is inflation, we have been able to produce an operating surplus in three of the last four months and I am optimistic that we will continue to fare well in the run up to Christmas. Additionally, as you will read in more detail below, we have recently completed the comprehensive replacement of our antiquated plumbing system, which will be a great relief for those Members who stay at the Club. We have also added new Reciprocal Clubs and at long last, the new Elizabeth Line Bond Street Station is finally open!
“I should like to thank Stephen for all his hard work in helping to steer our Club through the difficult times”
The lack of sufficient numbers of trained and motivated colleagues had put valuable Staff Team members, who have remained present, under significant pressure and strain. The Secretary and his colleagues on the Executive Leadership Team –encouraged by the House and Catering SubCommittee and the General Committee, have been working tirelessly to combat these challenges. The ‘green shoots’ of these efforts are now emerging, and it is expected that a new virtuous cycle will ensue. The Club is also in the process of applying to become a licensed immigration sponsor to enable it, in the post-Brexit immigration environment, to continue to employ foreign nationals in certain positions.
Hennessy
available to Members and Non-Members and also stocked in a number of small retailers and hospitality venues, continues to provide this high-quality extension of the Club’s provisions to people beyond Stratford House. Pastry Chef – Anee Bonnet’s English Sherry Trifle was recently featured on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, where Dame Mary Berry DBE was a guest and it was declared a “very special dessert”.
People and Development
As Napoleon Bonaparte said, “I’d rather have lucky generals than good ones”.
All of this does not happen without the dedication of the Secretary and his team and I would encourage you all to consider making a donation to the Staff Fund as per the Troncmaster’s Letter. Turning now to a more detailed review of Club life.
Club Operations
The sub-optimal conditions within the hospitality employment market in the UK, as well as Continental Europe, North America and Australasia, continue to impact the availability of operational staff. This has been felt particularly pointedly within the Club’s Food and Beverage, Housekeeping and Kitchen departments over the past twelve months.
Members’ preference for a less formal dining experience was further cemented over the Spring and Summer when the Hill Station and Calcutta Light Horse Bar saw significantly increased usage, especially when compared with the more traditional offer in the Dining Room. The House and Catering Sub-Committee is currently exploring the feasibility of refurbishing the Dining Room (including replacing the, in places, threadbare carpet). The Committee is minded to provide an extremely elegant, but less formal, dining experience and environment reflecting the clear wishes of the majority of Members. Those who prefer a pure fine-dining experience will also be accommodated within the overall review to ensure optimum usage of the various principal spaces of Stratford House. In the interim, to accommodate as many Members as possible in their first choice of surroundings, the Hill Station has been ‘winterised’. This will be open every Thursday and Friday evening, as well as more frequently throughout December as an additional heated bar and casual dining option.
The Oriental Club Dine at Home service,
“The Committee is minded to provide an extremely elegant, but less formal, dining experience…”
I am pleased to welcome to the Club our new Executive Food and Beverage Manager – Marius Ursan, who will be working closely with the Secretary and the Food and Beverage Team to raise the standards of service and hospitality back to preCovid levels. Marius joins us following twenty years of experience in various London properties of the Accor International Hotel and Hospitality Group. A welcome also to John Hennessy who has settled into the Club over the Summer as Reception Manager. John will focus on the fundamentals of the Club’s bedroom administration and provide the ‘face of the Club’ as well as bringing his expertise in accommodation management, Member relations, and overall front-of-house hospitality. John joins us following a notable career in London Five Star hotels including the Savoy Group, The Ritz (where John worked with our Club Secretary), and latterly the St James’s Hotel and Club.
Marijke Jongeleen, recently stepped down from her role as Club Manager. Her former responsibilities are now shared among other colleagues, principally Sophia Hoxha who, as Head of Club Operations, will continue to work closely with the Club Secretary on managing the Clubhouse, including the bedroom business, and curating the Member experience at the Club. I am sure Members join me in noting Marijke’s significant contribution to the Club and in wishing her well for the future.
One of our longest serving Staff Team members – Andy Blackburn, has been promoted from Head Chef to Executive Chef, and Arkadiusz Forystek has been promoted from Executive Sous Chef to Head Chef. Arkadiusz has long been responsible for the more refined and gastronomic cooking often presented at Club Events such as the Annual Club Dinner and the ‘Taste of…’ Dinners. Arkadiusz’s promotion will enable him to focus more fully on the Dining Room menu with a view to providing an enhanced offering next year; as well as providing more of the epicurean-focused Club and Society Events that Members so enjoy. In support of these aims, Elena Barattini
– long-time associate of the Club has been engaged on a retained basis to develop the Club’s wine strategy. Elena will also host wine-themed Society and Club Events and provide formal wine education to Members and Staff Team members at the Club.
This year we were pleased to recognise several Team members for their long-service, especially Executive Chef – Andy Blackburn and Night Receptionist – Chris Udeh, both of whom celebrated thirty years’ service. I would also like to mention Food & Beverage Assistant – Terry Ramirez, who reached twenty years’ service and Breakfast Chef –Ahmed Mohamed and Club Secretary – Matthew Rivett, for ten years each. Housekeeping Assistant – Violeta Silkaitiene, Food & Beverage Supervisor –Ewa Panek and Receptionist – Gionila Kuola, all reached the milestone of five years’ service.
I would like to reassure Members that long-service among the Staff Team is incredibly highly valued by the Committee and Executive Management and it is encouraging to know that once Team members get over the ‘humps’ of one and five years, their longevity is often more easily assured. Efforts are being focussed, including via a new training and development platform to integrate, nurture and thereby retain Staff Team members for longer – for the obvious benefit and appreciation of Members.
Stratford House Update
The long-awaited re-plumb of the domestic hot and cold water system throughout Stratford House is now complete. This means that all bedrooms, as well as the cloakroom facilities, kitchens and other back-of-house areas are now served by a truly twenty-first century high-pressure system with a recirculating hot water loop for near-instantaneous and, crucially, constant and copious supply to every outlet. This project has been overseen by the Secretary and has been funded entirely from Reserves made possible by the prudence of generations of Members and successive Boards of Directors, formerly Trustees, and General Committees. More details of the financial structure will be communicated in advance of the Annual General Meeting which is due to take place in July 2023. I cannot overstate the extent to which these improvements enhance and elevate the comfort and amenity of the Club bedrooms which are themselves an essential element of the Club’s qualitative and commercial offers.
Improvements planned for Stratford House for 2023, in addition to the refurbishment of the Dining Room, include new carpets for the Smoking Rooms, staircases and corridors to all floors where required.
“The long-awaited re-plumb of the domestic hot and cold water system throughout Stratford House is now complete ”
The Board Room now has a Mineral Water fridge, as well as a Nespresso Machine and all Junior Suites and the Wellington Suite are now also equipped with Nespresso Machines, included within the room rates.
Other Stratford Place Updates
The Elizabeth Line is now operating from the recently opened Bond Street Station, providing direct access to and from Heathrow Airport in as little as thirty-two minutes. The Club has never been better connected.
Building Works continue at the Kabbalah Centre at 12 Stratford Place, which have been known to cause visual and acoustic disruption to Members and may continue for many more months. Members may take some comfort in a consequential partial Business Rates rebate as a result of an appeal that the Secretary made to the Valuations Officer.
Finance
The Club continues to experience tremendous inflationary pressures on its costs and overheads. The Board has approved a Budget for 2023 which forecasts an overall break-even operating position. This will be a marked improvement on the last two years but leaves some way to go before the Club’s commercial position returns to a fully sustainable footing where depreciation is funded from operations and contemporaneous retained earnings fund capital expenditure. Excluding Business Rates, Utility Costs and Payroll expenses, the Club is fore-casting a 10% increase in overheads year-onyear. Whilst usage by Members has been steadily increasing throughout the second half of 2022, the Club is still not quite operating consistently with the efficiency required to support its structure which is designed to deliver a first-class membership experience, grow visibility to attract prospective Members, and provide premier hospitality seven days per week, fifty weeks per year. Unlike many other London Clubs, the vast majority of the Club’s offering has been available to all Members at Stratford House and beyond, throughout 2022. Whilst prices of food, beverage and accommodation have had to increase to maintain the Club’s commercially prudent target operating margins, the Food and Beverage Offer is still consistently around twenty-five percent better value than equivalent London non-club settings. In addition, accommodation rates
are between half to two thirds less expensive than comparable accommodation in the vicinity of Stratford House. Members seeking a good value proposition can most certainly enjoy this at the Club. The fact remains that the more that Members use the Club the better value it becomes for all.
Members seeking a good value proposition can most certainly enjoy this at the Club
The Club achieved a ninety-six percent membership renewal rate in January 2022, which was depleted by only one percent in terms of Members failing to pay their Subscription during the year (and who are consequently Barred). Although this renewal rate is positive, there is much to do in terms of growing the number of Members back to pre-pandemic numbers of c 3,000 (including Associates and OC7/+ Members). This is probably the single most significant impact existing Members can have on the future stability of the Club, closely aligned to the overall number of visits each Member makes and the level of their expenditure during their visits. I would like to thank Members for embracing the, by now well established, Membership Payment Card system – a system made more straightforward due to the use of the associated smartphone App. For those Members yet to embrace the App, I would encourage you to download it and log into the Membership Card Top Up payment facility to enable a seamless experience at the Club. May I politely remind all Members that ‘House Accounts’ have not existed or been permitted since July 2021, and it is not acceptable to use the Club without paying before the end of your visit using either a Credit or Debit Card or, preferably, your Membership Payment Card. The Staff Team has been issued with a ‘zero tolerance’ directive in this regard and they have the full support of the Committee in requiring Members to fulfil this obligation. As well as streamlining the operational transactions, the Membership Payment Card has delivered on the strategy to provide the Club with a significant treasury advantage.
For help with the Membership Payment Card App:
Membership and Marketing
It has been such a pleasure to see Members visiting the Club from many different countries over the
past few months. As the world has continued to open up to international travel, we have been reunited with many Members who may not have visited the Club in several years. This has had a positive impact on bedroom occupancy which has been very strong over the past few months.
It has also been encouraging to see many Members proposing friends, family and colleagues for membership. Our new Members come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds with many having links with the East. In September, the Club hosted a very convivial, well-attended New Member Reception – it was an enjoyable occasion where new Members were able to meet one another and were introduced to Committee Members and the Honorary Secretaries of the Club’s vibrant range of Societies. I would like to emphasise that as Members, you are the best source for identifying and proposing potential new Members. To learn more about the membership process please contact Amy Whitaker in the Membership Department on membership@orientalclub.org.uk
Our OC7 and OC7+ Schemes continue to be a very effective and positive way of introducing younger Members to the Club. We have been strengthening and growing these relationships and will continue to do so over the coming year. I encourage every Member to consider giving the gift of Membership to their Children, Grandchildren, Nieces, Nephews and Godchildren through the OC7 and OC7+ Schemes (further information can be found in the Subscriptions section on page 14). This is a way of continuing valued family relationships with the Club.
One of the many benefits of membership is the Club’s relationship with a carefully curated list of Reciprocal Clubs. Members have privileged access to exclusive Clubs around the world. We are constantly reviewing and enriching these relationships and the newest additions are Circulo Eca de Queiroz in Lisbon, the Kildare Street and University Club in Dublin, the Norfolk Club in Norwich and the Colombo Club in Colombo. All Club Members intending to visit a Reciprocal Club must obtain a letter of introduction from the Oriental Club. For further information please contact reservations@orientalclub.org.uk
It has also been encouraging to see many Members proposing friends, family and colleagues for Membership.
The Oriental Club Dine at Home continues to be very popular. Please remember that you may order to send to friends and family from wherever you are in the world – they make the perfect gift! The service also makes an elegant dinner party catering solution and has been very popular for gifting through the presentation of gift cards available to purchase on the website or in person. Please contact clubsales@orientalclub.org.uk to arrange your bespoke deliveries for corporate gifting. For Members who are less confident about the on-line ordering process, our Staff Team members would be delighted to assist you in placing your orders.
Players. A new addition for Summer 2022, was the Oriental Club Art in Focus talks hosted by Honorary Art Historian – Georgina Bexon. These monthly talks, focusing on individual pieces of Club Art, are complimentary for Members and Associates and commence at 6.30pm over a glass of wine, followed by a short fifteen-minute talk with the opportunity for questions, conveniently timed so that you may then enjoy dinner afterwards. The Club also hosted several popular Curry Lunches showcasing the Eastern side of the Club’s menu.
In September, Colonel Geoffrey Vesey-Holt MBE, Battlefield Society Honorary Secretary – Andrew Stanley, and Events Manager – Maria Teresa Casali, led Members to Waterloo, Belgium for the longawaited, previously postponed Battlefield Tour. Members expressed their appreciation for the Tour which combined a fascinating moment in history with gastronomy – planning for next year’s tour is already underway. After last year’s shortage of grouse, the traditional Grouse Dinner was fully booked. In October, the Annual Club Dinner was an enjoyable Club occasion and Members were treated to a feast with a menu prepared by Head Chef – Arkadiusz Forystek and Executive Chef –Andy Blackburn.
As referenced earlier, the Elizabeth Line at Bond Street finally opened on Monday 24th October – this long-awaited moment is an extremely positive development for the Club. It has transformed travel across London and beyond, making the Club even more accessible. The Club’s unique location now benefits from a convenient, direct route to Heathrow, making our position extremely attractive and practical to both prospective and current Members.
If you have not yet had the opportunity to visit this year, why not treat yourself to a weekend in London or attend one of the many events that the Club has planned. London has a fabulous range of exhibitions, plays, concerts and more providing an infinite number of reasons to visit. Why not use your complimentary night of accommodation that is a benefit of membership*? For full details of your benefits of membership please see pages 16 and 17.
A reminder that the on-line Boutique is available for Members to browse and purchase the full range of Club Merchandise via the website. This service is designed for the convenience of Members who often enquire about the Club’s Collection and purchase items as personal mementoes or as gifts for friends and family. We have added several new items over the past few months, providing the ideal options for gifts including Notebooks, Scarves, Card Holders, Hip Flasks, Gin and Picnic Blankets.
Club Events and Societies
The traditional Summer Social Calendar fixtures were well-attended, enjoyable events. These included the Battle of Waterloo Dinner in July, where the Guest speaker was Professor Michael Clarke – former Director General of the Royal United Services Institute and Visiting Professor in War Studies at King’s College London. The Kai Hoffman Sextet returned for the lively Club Jazz Barbecue in June, followed by the annual Summer Cocktail Party and Dinner at the end of the month. This year’s Shakespeare performance proved to be extremely popular, and Members thoroughly enjoyed Midsummer Night’s Dream by The Festival
“The Oriental Club Dine at Home continues to be very popular.”
The Club continued its varied series of talks with Guest Speakers including Alex Deane on his book ‘Lessons from History; Hidden Heroes and Villains of the past and what we can learn from them’ and Alex Bescoby’s fascinating account of ‘The Last Overland’. As we approach the end of 2022, there are still many events to look forward to including the Christmas Cocktail Party and Dinner, the Family Christmas Lunch and the Members’ Complimentary Turkey Curry Lunch. Please see the Forthcoming Events section of this letter or the Club website for more details.
A huge thank you to all the Members and Guest Speakers that have contributed to the success of the Events Programme over the past few months. If Members have suggestions for events or would like to propose speakers please do contact events@orientalclub.org.uk
Societies
As mentioned, the Battlefield Tour Society enjoyed a successful Tour to Waterloo in September. Activities are currently being planned for 2023 and information will be circulated in due course.
The Bridge Society regularly plays its Tuesday afternoon matches and is looking forward to hosting the Bridge Society Christmas Lunch in December. The Chess Society met for its annual Open Chess
& Curry Evening in August. This year it celebrated twenty-two years of the Oriental Club Society and fifteen years of the combined Oriental & East India Club Chess Society. For the 2022-2023 Chess Season, a fantastic series of events have been planned to include more collaborations with Grand Masters, a partnership with chess.com and more.
The Cricket Society was victorious in many of its matches over the Summer, including one against the Royal Household Cricket Club. The Annual Dinner took place in October where Cricketers and the Honorary Umpire proved their knowledge and passion over two quizzes, various speeches, prize givings and the customary singing.
After an enjoyable Sunday Lunch in the Courtyard in July, the Curry Society will host its Annual Drinks Party this month. All Members are welcome, and it is a great opportunity to meet fellow Curry connoisseurs.
The Game Shooting Society hosted two shoots at Burwarton this month.
The Golf Society met numerous times including the Autumn Meeting at New Zealand Golf Club in September, and the Quadrangular Match at Sandy Lodge in August. Its Annual Dinner will be held in January, having been postponed because of the train strikes.
The Music Society organised and hosted several successful recitals over the past few months featuring musicians such as baritone – Roderick Williams, pianist – Noriko Ogawa and Trio Isimsiz to name but a few. It recently welcomed pianist – Lara Melda, to their Annual Dinner. The Club would like to thank Honorary Secretaries – Donald and Joy Salkeld, for organising the Society so successfully over the past twelve years.
The Racing Society hosted its Twenty-Sixth Anniversary Dinner in September 2022 and was honoured to be joined by Guest Speaker, Brough Scott MBE – Vice President of the Injured Jockeys Fund. The Club is sad to announce that Honorary Secretary of the Racing Society and long-time Club Member – Gordon Perry, died in August. We have conveyed our condolences to his family and friends.
The Secretary, along with several Members attended Gordon’s memorial service in September. Steve and Vivien Caley have kindly volunteered to jointly take on the role of Honorary Secretary of the Society. It is hosting a meeting at the Club on Monday 28th November, with complimentary drinks and canapés, to discuss a programme for the Society for 2023.
The Snooker & Billiards Society met on several occasions to welcome Members old and new. In May it hosted its convivial Annual Dinner with guest of honour, former World Champion – Dennis
Taylor. Club Members were invited to take part in the Snooker & Billiards Society Annual Tournament which began in October, with the winner being feted at the Snooker & Billiards Society Annual Dinner in May 2023. One of the game’s top coaches – Chris Lovell, provided individual coaching at the Oriental Club in early November.
The Wine Society, under Honorary Secretary –Mark Spragg, hosted some well-attended tastings, including a Spanish Wine Tasting with City Wine Collection and a Sicilian Wine Tasting with Wine Educator – Elena Barattini. Members and their guests also enjoyed the Society’s Annual Dinner earlier this month.
The Under 35 Society will be re-launching in early 2023 – please look out for more details to be circulated in due course.
All Societies would like to welcome more new Members. For more information please contact membership@orientalclub.org.uk.
Subscriptions
In order to broadly keep track with the Club’s inflation, there will be a 10% increase in general Subscriptions, with a 5% rebate* credit to Members’ Club Cards upon full payment on 3rd January 2023.
And Finally
I end where I started in encouraging you to use the Club as much as possible. I strongly believe that the more a Member uses the Club the more it becomes increasingly good value for them and a busy Club has the added benefit of driving operational efficiencies for us. A win-win!
“I end where I started in encouraging you to use the Club as much as possible.”
David
, Club Chairman
‘The Elizabeth Line at Bond Street finally opened on Monday 24th October – this longawaited moment is an extremely positive development for the Club. It has transformed travel across London and beyond, making the Club even more accessible.
The Club’s unique location now benefits from a convenient, direct route to Heathrow Airport, making our position extremely attractive and practical to both prospective and current Members.’
