My Life as a Private Butler for the Super Rich
For the past six years, André Meester has worked as a professional butler, tending to the needs of a 56-year-old gentleman for 60 hours a week. I met up with the 38-year-old at his boss’ house in the small Dutch town of Hoorn, 40 kilometres north of Amsterdam.
Meester: Yes, it has five storeys. The master owns another house across the street, and he has a third home in Dubai. He’s a software developer and lives with his partner. They both love classic interiors and enjoy having an old-fashioned butler in uniform.
I’m here about 60 hours a week. On weekdays, I work from 7AM to 7PM. I make breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I serve him coffee when asked. I always open the door when he arrives, and I take care of the groceries. My tasks vary – in December, for instance, I’m busy decorating for Christmas.
Grocery shopping isn’t easy. I go to the bakery, the grocer, the butcher and the fish shop – everything has to be fresh. The master eats a hot meal twice a day and decides what he wants for dinner in the afternoon, so I shop twice a day.
I also take his suits to the dry cleaner, polish his shoes and bake cakes. He likes homemade cakes – crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. I also manage the household. We have two cleaners.
I mostly work in this home, but when he goes away for the weekend I often travel with him. I get my own room at the hotel where he’s staying, I carry his bags on shopping trips and make reservations.
The master likes to watch movies. If there’s food in the film that speaks to him, he likes to have it the next day. Recently it was dumplings, so I had to figure out how to make them. He also asked for homemade chocolates, so I went to the market, then I watched tutorials online.
I have four to five hours a day when I’m not busy. To kill time, I watch a lot of 24Kitchen [a Dutch cooking channel], or I just scroll through my phone. The master texts me when he needs something. I’m only around when I need to be. [He] sometimes takes me out to dinner when we’re on a trip.
No, I never play that role. My predecessor did. He worked here for 14 years, but there was friction because their relationship got too friendly. I keep things professional. When the master asks me to dinner, I don’t talk much. I always say “yes”, even if sometimes I think ‘no’.
No, it’s a question I get asked a lot, but I don’t feel like a doormat. The master always asks me to do something. He doesn’t ring a bell or order me around.
A Mercedes-Benz SL – is that fancy enough? For my three-year work anniversary, I got to pick a car worth [$187,100]. Plus, I often get nice things. Recently, my wallet broke and I got a new one from Cartier. That wallet costs more money than there’s ever been in it.
I make [$4,900] a month after taxes. That’s less than in some other countries – many butlers make between [$5,850] and [$17,540] a month, but I’m off on weekends. I do work on weekends as a freelance butler. My fee is [$41] an hour, and I usually work for around ten hours.
I take good care of my boss and cook healthy meals, so I hope to stay until I retire. But if the master has an accident tomorrow, I’ll be jobless. As far as I know, he hasn’t put me in his will.