Interview: The Castle Hotel family in charge for 75 years

Much has changed since, and three generations of the family, who boast plenty of English and a dash of Greek and Austro-Hungarian blood, were at the blue sapphire celebrations in October.

It all started when Peter Chapman and his wife Etty moved into the imposing premises in Castle Green on October 15, 1950.

“The first thing he did was clean the whole hotel with the night porter,” said his son, Kit, who was to later take on his father’s role.

“It was in a filthy state.

"There were no carpets or lampshades around naked light bulbs.

“Staff didn’t launder the sheets.

"They simply ironed them.

“But he soon pulled it around and by 1956 he’d done enough to relaunch the hotel with a big party.

“My late brother Gerald and I performed as page boys.

“My father was a great hotelier.

The great thing he did was to build the third floor, which was opened in 1965 with another grand party.”

Kit became marketing director in 1976 and oversaw the replacement of the Minstrels bar with Brazz, a modern brasserie.

He said: “After 75 years, we’re a local landmark and a bit of an institution, but like all institutions it needs reinvigorating from time to time.”

Enter his son, Nick.

“I’m an old-fashioned innkeeper, very proud of our clients, wanting to look after them,” added Kit.

“As a family business, we care more than anyone else could and want to show people a good time.

“Nick has brought something different.

Without doubt he has made it a proper business.

“These are difficult times for the hospitality industry.

“For the Castle Hotel and Brazz, the last couple of years have been tough for all sorts of reasons.

“Nick has changed the whole approach to management and kept our heads above water.

“He pays huge attention to the numbers, which we really need.

“The building is around 1,000 years old and we are its custodians, determined to keep it going.”

The late Peter Chapman, who bought the Castle Hotel in 1950 (Image: Kit Chapman)

Earlier this year, Nick surveyed 11,000 people on the hotel’s database.

The responses led to an overhaul of Brazz, with a completely new team installed and Sunday lunches back on the menu.

“There was a change of culture, back to where it should be,” said Kit.

“It’s all about love and care, showing people a good time and good food and service, putting our arms round the clientele.

“The new regime is doing really well."

Nick bought 78-year-old Kit out of retirement to act as mentor to the team at the Castle, where he grew up from the age of three.

“Everything was done for us,” said Kit.

“Food came up to our apartment in a dumb waiter.

“Our parents were quite strict, making sure we said good morning to the staff as we left for school.”

Nick, like his father, attended Taunton School, where he was head of his house, and attended Oxford Brookes University before launching his career in London and setting up three tech companies.

He joined the board at the Castle after the Chapmans appeared in the BBC Two show Keep it in the Family.

He said: “I’d come down once a month to take an interest in the family business, but became really involved during Covid, which was a very complicated time.

“I worked out how to navigate and survive, and borrowed a lot of money on top of what we’d already borrowed.

“I became more and more involved.

“The Castle Hotel is something to be very proud of because of the history, but we’ve got to be very structured and organised to survive in this modern day because of all the challenges.

“It’s all about people.

It’s important to have the right team in place and the culture within that team.

“We’ve modernised pretty much everything.”

A total of 25 of the 44 bedrooms have been refurbished, with Nick’s wife, Annabel, taking charge of the interior design, a task previously carried out by his mother, Louise.

Nick added: “We try to offer a high-quality product in our market, with quality food and service, bedrooms and events.

“That special ethos that has been in this place for 75 years is non-negotiable.”

Kit, who says he doubts The Castle could have survived without Nick’s intervention, has championed the arts in the town.

At the 75th anniversary bash, which raised £9,000 for Arts Taunton, Nick’s eldest of three children, Ollie, 18, was the official photographer.

There is hope he will keep the dynasty going.

Kit’s other son, Dominic, was one of three chefs for the evening.