Middle England has the best of England. A stone’s throw from the ancient Fosse Way, and a little south of Stratford upon Avon, lies the Cotswold village of Broad Campden; smaller than neighbouring Chipping Campden, not so well known as Moreton in Marsh or Burford, the village has a pub and a church – the standard amenities. But occupying all one side of the main street is The Malt House, some of whose guests still come back to stay long after their first visit. And The Malt House’s charm is evident: in the year since owner-manager June Denton took it on, there have been thirty-two reviews – one was Very Good, and all the rest Excellent.As June says, “We have huge numbers of returning clients, some from decades ago, and they recommend their friends – word of mouth is very valuable to us.”
It was a going concern when June took it on, a year ago, but she knew she could do better. With family funding and other support, she settled into her favourite part of the world. Wise move: it’s a much loved part of the world for very many people, in the UK and internationally.
June – a native of Edinburgh – had always loved the Cotswolds, an affection shared by her sons Peter and Paul, each of whom has a connection with the new enterprise. “It was always the area we were going to adopt as our own,” says June, “no matter what kind of project we developed, or just as a wonderful place to retire to.”
Retirement is the last thing on June’s mind. Her background is not in the hospitality industry at all; but like many of those who make a radical yet successful move into a different field, her qualifications were exactly right, she had all the motivation in the world, and she’d done her research.
“I worked in high-level philanthropy in London, securing funding for major projects, dealing with senior politicians, prominent philanthropists and other major figures. And I’m involved professionally with architecture (The Malt House is Grade II Listed), having worked in connection with some very important buildings such as The Laban dance-centre building in Deptford, which won the Stirling Prize for architecture; and I was a consultant with the Arts Council. So you might say I’m more than qualified in project management!”
June explains. “We came here to take The Malt House onwards & upwards, aiming directly at the luxury end of the market. So we invested heavily in a total refurbishment lasting four months, to bring everything completely up to 21st century standards while retaining the best of The Malt House’s character and history.”
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