Emily Pick, managing director of Elmore Court, explains why Anselm Guise should win the Leader of the Year category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition:
When Anselm inherited Elmore Court it was a run-down, dingy money siphon. The antique furniture collected by various family members before him had been regularly sold off to pay for the cost of maintaining the house, and he soon realised this couldn’t go on. He settled on diversifying the family home into a sustainable wedding and events venue, with a vision of doing things a different way.
Along with beautifying the house and installing a biomass boiler, as part of a £1m refurbishment, Anselm installed an eco ballroom in the grounds from materials directly sourced from the estate. Within a year of opening Elmore was fully booked, and another year later, it was named best wedding venue by Hudson’s Heritage.
Couples that marry here always rate it highly, and mention the ‘wonderful family team’ and ‘incredible atmosphere’. This is all down to Anselm’s incredible leadership: his vision, determination and ability to always bring out the best from his team by being a kind, considerate and generous boss. He allows each member to shine by supporting and inspiring them. He has created a family that truly excel and spread joy to all that enter the house.
Elmore has been recognised by the wedding industry and by its avid following, but Anselm has not (publicly) and he very much deserves to be. He is still passionately progressing with his vision of creating a truly sustainable venue.
All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the top three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
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