On Wednesday I took my Mum for champagne tea at The Ritz. It was her Christmas present from me, and timed rather well with Mothering Sunday (when, incidentally, I was away running a retreat in Norfolk and not with Mum).
Tea at The Ritz is one of those bucket list institutions. I admit that it felt like such a treat to be there, feeling rather fancy, but the bottom line is that the actual food itself is nothing special. I mean, a sandwich is just a sandwich, and I don’t even like sandwiches. True the patisserie were very beautiful but we were both too stuffed by the time we got to the top tier that we didn’t do them justice. Alas, wheat belly strikes again! In fact, had I shared of photo of me later that evening I would no doubt have had an inbox full of congratulations, asking me when I was due.
So why go to afternoon tea at The Ritz if you’re not a sarni fan and if wheat causes mega bloating? The answer is simple – for the EXPERIENCE.
You can’t beat the understated attentiveness of the waiters, the grandeur of the tea salon, the beautiful china, and a “powder room” that has bottled water and crystal glasses waiting for you, should you need to refuel after emptying 🙂
Ultimately we all pay for our experiences, not for the actual “thing” and it’s the experience itself that gives you pleasure and will be forever engrained in your memory as a happy event.
That’s why people pay top dollar for a Prada handbag, when one from H&M does the same job.
Why some people choose to drive flashy cars instead of something simple to get them from A to B.
Why you pay over the odds for a glass of wine at a rooftop bar, when you could have the exact same drink at the pub down the road. You’re not paying for the wine per se, you’re paying for the experience: The view, the uniqueness, the table service. You get the picture.
Of course not everyone wants the experience. Some of us are far more practical than that, which is why H&M, Ryanair and Wetherspoons are successful businesses. There is a market for cheapest, but there is another market for best (where best = the best experience).
This is why I have clients who have worked with me for 5 years. They tried the gym and various Groupon offers but inevitably the experience wasn’t great. So they got bored and moved on. But working with an experienced health and fitness coach proved to be somewhat different. Having a coach means that you know someone has got your back, they know when to push hard and when a bit of gentle stretching is the order of the day. They know that everyone has different demands and that there is no one-size-fits-all nutrition plan.
It’s also why Lovefit’s sister company, Watermelon Retreats, has repeat sign ups. Several people have come along to all three retreats we have run so far. They all loved the experience. You can’t argue with having someone to cook you delicious meals every day, do all the washing up, take you on coastal walks, give you a kettlebell masterclass, and chat to you about female health after dinner, before you cosy up in a massive four-poster bed (OK, not all rooms have a four-poster bed but some do)! And if you’re lucky there might even be some wine thrown into the mix.
I’ll leave you with that little thought and wish you all a super weekend. I’m off for a catch up with my besties from university. It will be the first time all eight of us have been together since our graduation.