The team: Steve Ward, head of operations

A mainstay in Eastnor Castle’s roster for eight years, head of operations Steve Ward shares his favourite events, workplace inspirations and what Eastnor means to him

I came to work at Eastnor Castle eight years ago, working my way up from an assistant to operations manager and to head of operations. Moving down from the northeast to Malvern – the next town over from Ledbury where Eastnor can be found – I was drawn to how pretty the village and, indeed, the whole area is. That’s not to mention the castle itself – it really is astonishing.

Incredible setting aside, the best thing about working at Eastnor Castle is the family – both the Hervey-Bathursts and the metaphorical family we’ve created here. We’re such a tight-knit team, and this is our second home. We all work extremely hard but we have fun with it – this isn’t the stuffy old, posh house you might imagine.

Managing the many teams of Eastnor is a large part of my role. I get to work with everyone; housekeepers, caterers, the Woodshed staff, plus up to 40 casuals who work everywhere from the ice cream parlour to the ticket office. You name it, I’m involved in it. Every day here varies. One day it could be admin – organising rotas, checking that health and safety standards have been met – the next it could be preparing for weddings. Each celebration is a different journey, and all our clients need to be treated individually and uniquely. It can be stressful for them but we’re always easy-going and laid-back, which allows couples to calm down and enjoy themselves. Some years, we can do up to 40 weddings in the summer months, all the while being open to visitors Sunday to Thursday, so come October everyone’s ready for a quieter period. But there's always something going on.

My favourite season is winter, when we host glamorous private events. It’s a low key affair where guests visit us for a holiday, to have a good time, and pop expensive bottles of wine, as you do. They’re charming and always talk to us while we’re working. Another of my favourite things about working at Eastnor Castle, and what I’m most proud of, is the team I’ve built. When I joined all those years ago, it was completely different. As a business, we’ve got busier and busier, and we’ve had to roll with that and adapt. I’m very team oriented so if the team is happy, that means the guests are happy, and that means the family is happy. You can have all these amazing paintings and fine furniture but without the people, you're nothing in my opinion. I’m all about the people.