The “Essence” of Kenton Park Estate…” Immerse Your Senses” ….to be honest until recently I thought that it was all a bit of a marketing ploy.
Having spent nearly a year on The Estate I have recently found myself thinking more about what I can take from my time here…not that I’m thinking of leaving or anything, I just wanted to make sure I’m fully understanding my situation. Talk of the “Essence” of Kenton Park Estate and “Immersing Your Senses” was one of my most memorable initial impressions of this place with it being at the forefront of the menus and brochures in the bar but to be completely honest I had always assumed it was just a bit of fancy word play.
But recently, during the many hours I have spent outside pruning the vines, I have come to realise that it is much more than that.
Looking back on my time so far at The Estate there are a million stories to tell but one that came to mind the other day was the introduction of Marina to the team. Marina joined us for a couple of months over the summer, working in the restaurant serving food and helping in the kitchen. On her first day here the Polaris (the little buggy thing we use to get around) had broken down along the lane. Struggling to push it back we were delighted when a passing stranger offered to lend a hand. So we struggled alongside each other until the Polaris was finally in reach of a socket at which point we were surprised to hear this stranger introduce herself and ask where she should meet Jayne for her trial shift! Needless to say she got the job…
Remembering this story led me to revise my feelings towards the “Essence” of Kenton Park Estate. I realised that it isn’t just about the beauty of this place, the amazing food and the friendly faces. It is about the rewards of hard work. Pushing the Polaris may only have been a short-lived struggle but the story overall is indicative of what The Estate and what The Motley Cru are all about.
Years ago, Jayne and Ian owned a café on the other side of the estuary and they stocked the wine produced by The Estate’s previous owners. One day, Jayne came over to The Estate, known as Helwell Barton at the time, and fell in love with the place straight away; stating to the family when she got home that if she ever had the chance to buy it, she would. More than 10 years later that dream came true!
But not through luck, through commitment and hard work, don’t forget. So, when I think of the “Essence” of Kenton Park Estate now I am able to put the decadent lifestyle that you “Immerse Your Senses” in when you visit into its proper context. The Estate is living, breathing, growing proof that hard work pays off and ambitious dreams are not only worthwhile but often acheivable.
As I have started to work more on The Estate’s media output too I have begun to gain a deeper understanding of that- we’re not trying to fool anyone into thinking that this is always an easy life, we have a keen focus on giving an honest impression of what The Motley Cru lifestyle really is, what you’re really buying into, “Immersing Yourselves In”.
Towards the end of last year we printed the first edition of our magazine, “Motley Life”- it is a celebration of everything that has been achieved so far on The Estate and it is beautiful. It fills me with pride to work here and hope and excitement for what will come in the future. It is a portrait of what the “Essence” of Kenton Park Estate really is, an expression of what exactly it is that you’re “Immersing Your Senses” in.
So, the “Essence” of Kenton Park Estate is not just a marketing tool, it’s a direction, a culture, an idea within which the possibilities for living life to the full are limitless! Every member of The Motley Cru brings their own passions and ideas to The Estate. We are, in many ways, the “Essence” of it all and that is a very exciting prospect…
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