Government job advert for ‘butler’ disappears

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A job advert for a “specialist government butler” has been removed from the Foreign Office’s website.

The role offered a salary of £30,000 to run events “from the Commonwealth Summit 2018 to a discreet breakfast”.

The job, also known as a “function manager”, would include looking after the government’s wine cellar, silverware and linens, worth £3m.

The Daily Mirror claimed the advert was removed after they had called the Foreign Office for comment.

The BBC also contacted the department, but a spokeswoman said they were not commenting at this time.

The advert, which was posted 12 days ago, is still available on Google’s job search, with a closing date of 16 March 2020.

It also appeared on LinkedIn five days ago, although the advert now says the job is “no longer accepting applications”.

Other criteria for the job included being able to manage dining rooms for up to 350 guests, briefing chefs and catering staff, and preparing wines and spirits.

The candidate also had to be a British citizen.

The Foreign Office hosts a number of events on both a large and small scale for UK and overseas guests, including for ambassadors and government ministers.