Everything has to be done in Cornish time
One of the things I love about hotels are the idiosyncrasies that contribute immeasurably to the success of the business - those little foibles that guests love about you translate into an ever-growing proportion of return and recommended business.
But it does have its down-side at times. Take the question of "to plate the vegetables with the entr‚e or not?".
We have just started a series of culinary training trips to enable teams from our kitchens and restaurants to take in the gastronomic delights of London and Brussels.
The first trip was to London, where eight lucky bodies feasted at L'Orrery, the Oak Room and L'Escargot, and did some serious daytime eating at the Lanesborough and St Martin's hotels.
Of the many observations made, one was that some of these venerable establishments included vegetables on the plate. When we tried it, instead of our "individual selection on the side" approach, first-time guests accepted the new compositions without question, but some return guests reacted as if they were being diddled. There was one plate less!
That this new style provides our chefs with a creative challenge - and fits in with our desire to elevate our two-AA-rosette standing through clever presentation on one plate - was totally besides the point.
That extra vegetables on the side were available if desired cut no mustard either. They were inconsolable! So, to keep the peace, the next night we returned to our original style.
That's the little downside to regular business we at the Idle Rocks tend to face - how to tiptoe through the minefield of change, without upsetting those guests who want to freeze-frame time and not move forward is our biggest challenge.
As we approach refurbishment of the main building, we have to be careful that the result doesn't end up alienating our loyal customers. I am discovering that very, very softly, a bit at a time, is probably the best approach.
Mind you, this is just as well, because any plan has to take Cornish time into account. Down here, the word "directly" can mean anything from within an hour, to a week, to a month. We have just finished one of 12 bathrooms - it took nearly a month to do.
Just as I think we can get some momentum going, I find myself hard-put to find any gaps where I can close off the other 11 rooms.
After three hours of perusing reservations, I've managed to squeeze in only six between now and July.
The gaps are tight as rooms are let either side of the planned work, so the plumbers will have to be efficient and timely.
Given their start, I think I'll be going grey before my time! n
Yvonne Scott is general manager of the Idle Rocks hotel, in St Mawes, Cornwall, a privately owned, 27-bedroom property. She has been there just over a year.
Next diary from Yvonne Scott: 28 March