Walpole: In a world where we’re always available, how do you separate your personal time from your work time?
Andrew Stembridge: It’s a perennial challenge when you work in hospitality, especially when you have both city and country hotels and a diverse international clientele to be able to maintain separation between your home and work life. That said, I have the most phenomenal team, who make it easier for me to divide my time, although inevitably my phone remains by my side. I’ve found myself filling most of my spare time with sports and activities, and I have a wonderful family who are very quick to remind me if they are being neglected!
What’s one thing you do after the workday to help you unwind?
Wind-down for me doesn’t really start until a Friday night, as by the time I get in from work mid-week and have something to eat, it’s invariably almost time for bed. When I’m feeling really focussed then I have a routine of mint tea made, of course, with fresh mint from my garden, and a few stretches (including a 4-minute plank) followed by some box breathing. To help me doze off, I always have BBC Radio 4 on in the background, knowing full well that if I end up listening to the Shipping Forecast, then I have either gone to bed too late or have too much on my mind. This is one of the reasons I insist on putting Ruark radio alarms in all our Iconic hotels. I must admit to being increasingly protective of my sleep these days as I am only too aware of how it impacts general health and wellbeing.
What activity do you do in your time away from the office that helps you relax and recentre after a stressful week?
Much to everyone’s surprise, I captain a league hockey team at the weekends. This gives me something very different to focus on and is a real stress-buster of a sport. I love the comraderie of being part of a team and, although there is nothing relaxing about it, it forces you to forget about work. I always feel blessed living in the coastal market town of Lymington, and during the warmer months I take every opportunity to get out on the water, be it dinghy sailing or paddle boarding. I think that because my job has become increasingly sedentary, I am slightly obsessive about filling any spare time with activities, as I find this always seems to recharge my batteries much more than resting.
What’s something you’ve read, listened to, or seen in your spare time that’s helped you at work?
Top of my recent reading list would be The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. As we continue to grow our business, which we have just done with the recent addition of The Chelsea Townhouse, the need to introduce more structure is evident, although clearly without damaging the uniqueness of our individual establishments. The effectiveness, yet simplicity, of the check-list principle is incredibly powerful, especially when it drills down on the wider impact over time on our day-to-day lives.
I would also highly recommend Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed, which examines the power of cognitive diversity and how to harness our unique perspectives and pool collective intelligence to tackle challenges. Although I’d like to believe we have already embraced this mindset at Iconic, it is a staunch reminder of the potential perils of ignoring this extraordinary opportunity.
After home and the office, where’s your favourite third space?
It would have to be my garden. We are exceptionally lucky to have a generous outdoor space, considering we live in-town, and I find it incredibly therapeutic to meet the botanical challenges of the seasons. Even mundane tasks such as mowing the lawn is therapeutic and if the sun is out, it guarantees a regular vitamin D top up. We have an oak gazebo covered with grape vines in the garden, which is the most magical place to entertain friends. During the pandemic we befriended Bart, a local fisherman who was forced to sell his catch door-to-door as all the local restaurants were closed. I don’t think you can buy fresher fish, hence I always include Bart's fish on my dinner party menus.
On Sunday night, how do you prepare yourself for the week ahead?
Being an organised person prevents me from stressing about how busy the forthcoming week might be – though I always like to do a quick briefcase tidy, check my diary for the week and plan my wardrobe. I also try to start the new week with a quick 5K run around the sea wall with my labrador, Charlie, so I always lay my running kit on the end of the bed to ensure I can literally fall into it when I wake up!
Best reason you've had to turn your Out of Office on recently?
I’ve just come back from a charity ride in Burgundy, where we cycled from Dijon to Lyon, stopping overnight in Beaune and Macon. We rode 340km and climbed 3400m over 3 days. It was fascinating cycling through the vineyards as the harvest was just getting underway. As a group we raised more than £40,000 for Hospitality Action, which, like most charities, is being called upon more and more for support. Organised by fellow Master Innholders and hoteliers, we do a similar event biannually though we always include a few treats along the way to distract us from any aches and pains. This year’s highlight was unquestionably an evening organised by Hatch Mansfield and hosted by Louis Jadot in their ancient cellars in Beaune. Possibly not the best idea before our longest day on the road, though a truly memorable evening, was had by all.
