AT THIS STAGE, At Your Service has thoroughly taken up the Room To Improve mantle as the go-to Sunday night comfort watch.
And last night the Brennan brothers had a serious job on their hands.
The Bellamys bought a huge country house outside Mullingar and moved over from London, with no business plan or experience in hospitality.
So the lads arriving in to help was a much needed boost
They want to grow their own healthy food and raise chickens. At the first sit down meeting, Francis wasn’t holding back:
“You have no skills and no plan”
But the Brennans were armed with their own vision: Scrap any plans of a restaurant and concentrate on accommodation – with a potential workshop/courtyard space for rent on the side.
John had a scout around the *vast* gaff, and needed a torch to get a gawk at all the nooks and crannys
Indiana Brennan: Raider of the Lost Hotel.
This was going to be some job.
But everyone watching was rooting hard for this couple – they seemed sound
Lord knows we’ve seen some thoroughly unsound people take part in the past.
John took Bonnie to a farmer’s market in Cavan to give her an idea of how much potential there is in the sector
The Brennans were in fine form
We’d take advice from them on anything and everything, in fairness.
The finest moment of the night came when Martin pitched an ~interesting~ idea to Francis:
People who live in cities would join a yearly members’ club to come to the farm and grow their own fruit and veg
How much would you be charging them, Francis asked:
“I would say a reasonable amount would be €3000 a year”
This face let you know his feelings on the matter
This was Francis at his cutting best:
€3000 a year to come and grow vegetables in Mullingar?
“No I couldn’t see that working. I couldn’t see 50 people giving you €3000 a year for that”
“If you reared kittens you might do better”
He shut it all the way down.
*applause*
Peter Walsh / Twitter
Peter Walsh / Twitter / Twitter
Most people sided with Francis’s reaction
But despite that one rejection, hopes were still high that they could turn this around and make it into something special.
The big reveal at the end showed a space completely transformed
They were very impressed with the vintage style tea rooms
And the more modern bedrooms went down very well too
It was looking a little dodgy at the start, but everyone rowed in and it turned out class
Peter Walsh / Twitter
Peter Walsh / Twitter / Twitter
The work is only beginning, but the Bellamys and the Brennans did a serious amount of work
And a kitten-rearing members’ club might be something to look into in the future.
