With the UK in the grip of Storm Babet, a visit to a coastal holiday camp might not be on top of everyone’s agenda, but if they were to drop in on one of the three Butlin’s centres in the country they would soon be admiring the redcoats’ chic new uniforms.
The new uniforms were designed by Jermyn Street Design (JSD), which was asked to reflect the “changing perceptions of Butlin’s”. It is hoped that the new look will also boost staff recruitment.
Presumably, JSD was told the new design had to be in red. But having designed uniforms for staff at Liverpool FC, this probably wasn’t too limiting.
Nihal Selimi, head of design at Jermyn Street Design, said: “They wanted their redcoat team to feel special wearing the famous jacket.
“They wanted it to reflect their brand themes of ‘playful, pioneering, positive, inclusive, welcoming and unpretentious’.”
The fit of the new range of clothing has been improved, said JSD, enabling the redcoats to move easier in their roles, whether they are performing on stage or sitting on the floor entertaining the resorts’ younger guests.
Butlin’s is now owned by a company backed by the Harris family, and has resorts at Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness. About 100 Redcoats are employed across the three resorts. They are full-time, not seasonal, roles, including rehearsals and training time.
Personnel Today, whose staff’s uniforms are based on whatever is top of the pile in the cupboard in the morning, applauds the creations. The fact that “the new design offers a contemporary feel while still retaining its iconic look and has added recycled polyester into their polo shirts, mixed with cotton to improve fabric breathability” only adds to our appreciation.
Workforce uniforms
However, news that the uniform has “a more smart-casual style compared to previous iterations”, brought to mind memories of Alan Partridge’s favoured blazer and slacks.
TV presenter and ex-Butlin’s Redcoat Stephen Mulhern, was at the unveiling of his life-sized statue today in Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford, where it will be on display before being relocated to the Butlin’s Minehead resort, where Stephen started his career as a Redcoat.
Mulhern said: “Working as a Redcoat in Minehead played such an important part at the start of my career and I recommend this experience as the perfect platform to anyone looking to get into the entertainment world.”
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