Spotlight on design: Meet Ellie

We’d like to introduce Ellie, The Odney Club’s resident Graphic Designer! From the dining menus to the children's stamper trails, Ellie creates a huge variety of materials for the club and wider hotels. Simply put: if it’s printed and it makes your Odney experience better, it likely passed Ellie’s desk!

Tell us about your path to the Partnership. How does your previous experience influence your day-to-day work now?

I’m a 'Partnership baby', my parents worked for The Partnership, and I currently work alongside my sister. I started on the shop floor in 2013, working across various John Lewis departments and even doing a Waitrose 'switcheroo' during the pandemic! Outside the business, I’ve worked in tech and marketing for my local hospice (a big shout-out to the amazing Willen Hospice team!) before joining the Hotels Marketing team last April.

When I look at my day-to-day, all of my previous experiences really shape how I work. Time spent on the shop floor gave me a huge appreciation for what our frontline Partners do, so I always want to make sure our campaigns are practical and supportive for what our Partners truly care about. My time at the hospice taught me so much about leading with empathy and telling stories with real heart, which is exactly the feeling I want to bring to our Hotels marketing. Connecting with people on a human and emotional level is so important when we're welcoming guests through our doors!

What does a "day in the life" of your role actually look like?

My day-to-day is wonderfully varied, but the best way to describe it is that I help shape the 'guest journey' from start to finish.

One of the things I love most about my role is the variety of my working week. Some days I'm working from home, and occasionally I even stay over on-site! But when I am traveling into the office, my morning starts with a peaceful one-hour commute to the club. It is my favourite time to listen to music and get into a creative headspace. Arriving at Odney is always a highlight, especially in the spring and summer when the sun is shining and the grounds are looking absolutely perfect!

Once I'm settled, my main focus is the on-site experience and going through my tasks for the day. When a guest arrives, I want everything they touch to feel cohesive and welcoming. That means spending a lot of time designing printed collateral - everything from restaurant menus and property maps to event posters and signage. It involves hands-on graphic creation, writing snappy copy, and supporting the wider team through our digital channels. Ultimately, my goal every day is to make sure that whether someone is opening an email at home or reading a menu in our restaurant, they feel that consistent, premium Partnership vibe!

From our dining menus to the posters for big events like Rock the Manor, your creations are a huge part of the member experience. What has been your favourite piece to design for the club so far? 

Across the board, I’m really passionate about problem-solving, strategy, and producing beautiful things! I love having the opportunity to inject fun and energy into my designs, which is why my favourite pieces are usually the collateral we create for our younger visitors. I always try to sneak playful, interactive elements into our children's menus and colouring sheets, and I’ve absolutely loved working on things like the estate trail map, the Willows campsite pack, and last year's Santa Brunch artwork.

However, if I had to pick one absolute favourite project - aside from the Rock the Manor redesign - it would have to be our Hotels Christmas message from last December. I actually wrote the poem for the campaign, and it was so incredibly rewarding to see it brought to life and turned into a beautiful video by Tom and Lydia.

If you could spend a day working in any other department, where would you go and why?

Locally at Odney, I’d absolutely love to spend a day in the kitchen with our chefs, seeing firsthand what goes into curating and perfecting the dishes our guests love.

If I could go anywhere in the wider Partnership, I’d head straight to Head Office to spend a day with the central marketing and buying teams. I always enjoy reading The Edit and Waitrose Food Magazine for our new products, top sellers, and predicted Christmas trends. Ultimately, it’s a massive dream of mine to one day work on the iconic John Lewis Christmas advert and pitch an idea on behalf of my mum (she’s been cooking it up for about 20+ years!).

What’s your latest Odney Club obsession? Tell us the number one thing every Partner or member needs to try!

My latest Odney obsession actually belongs to our family dog, Boris! I am so thrilled that we’ve opened a dedicated dog paddock on the estate. It’s a brilliant, secure addition to the grounds and the absolute perfect space for our VIPs (Very Important Pets) to run off some energy. Honestly, it brings me pure joy to see our beautiful grounds being so well-loved from a completely new, four-legged perspective! Boris hopes the estates team might be able to add in a couple of ramps and tunnels in future (paws crossed).

With Rock the Manor coming up fast (August 15th - 16th), what are you most excited for? And who would be your absolute dream headliner for next year?

Absolutely don’t miss out on booking a ticket! It’s such a brilliant day out for the whole family. There is nothing better than sitting back with a cold beer or a Hugo Spritz, soaking up the summer sun, and enjoying the live music. Every year we have a really great variety of tribute acts; last year was fantastic with Taylor Swift and Coldplay (two artists I will never tire of listening to!). I’m not sure what I’m most excited for, but one of the things I love most about the day is seeing guests enjoying the club as this reminds me of my own childhood, visiting the hotels with my parents and sister.

If I had to pick a dream headliner for next year, I’d absolutely love a Fleetwood Mac tribute. Having a huge catalog of hits and fans across multiple decades is exactly what you need for a crowd-pleasing act! Outside of the tributes, my personal playlist right now is packed with Olivia Dean, Holly Humberstone, Jungle, and the new Gorillaz album.

Thank you Ellie!

Stay tuned for more chats with our team, where you'll get a glimpse into the passion and creativity that brings The Odney Club to life.