Our Team

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Many of the young people employed at Mackintosh at the Willow have joined us through our partnership with the Princes Trust. It is our mission to continue to provide valuable opportunities to our young team. We currently have 10 members of staff, both in the tearooms and kitchen who joined us from the Princes Trust, who have been working towards gaining their SVQ higher education qualification. Although we are currently closed, we can’t wait until we’re back open and able to continue to provide these valuable opportunities to our young team. We provide valuable mental well being support, specifically training our senior team members to gain their Mental Health First Aid Training certification. We are so proud of the professional journeys that each employee has made. We are committed to listening to the needs of our staff and creating bespoke learning for each individual. As part of their development they often get involved with the education programme activities – enjoyable and a great way to build on their skill-set!

We provide ‘Training in the Hospitality/Tourism Industry’, where staff will have the opportunity to work in various areas of the business to ensure professional and personal growth while developing new skills and knowledge.  Thomas has now completed this training course and you can see him below showing off his new knowledge of our retail store!  Having completed her SVQ, Chloe (also below) is about to embark on the next step of her professional journey.

Well done team!

Our Story

Mackintosh at the Willow re-opened to the public on 7th September 2018 after an extensive restoration.  The original Willow Tea Rooms Building was initially opened by Miss Cranston and designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1903.

You can now dine in the historic tearooms, visit the new interactive visitor centre and browse our retail store.  If you want to find out more about our story and the restoration process please do visit the Willow Tea Rooms Trust website.  We operate as a not-for-profit social enterprise, a subsidiary of the registered charity ‘The Willow Tea Rooms Trust’ and in partnership with the Princes Trust.  Please read on to find out more about our team and what we have been up to.

You can view our timeline below!

Meet the Makers

Alan Dawson

Legendary Alan Dawson, Master Blacksmith and Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmith has worked on the larger metal pieces for the restoration including the large metal lighting ring in the Front and Back Saloon and the exterior signage on the front of the building.

John Creed

John Creed Designer and craftsman in metals, John has worked on the finer, detailed pieces for the restoration including the light shades and fittings in the Front and Back Saloon and Gallery, the fittings for the chandeliers in the Salon de Luxe and the fittings for the centrepiece baldacchino in the Front Saloon.

Frank McGourlick

Clark Contracts are the main contractors for the restoration and their Manufactured Joinery Division has also created the fixed seating as part of the restoration, including in the Billiard Room and the frame for the centrepiece baldacchino in the Front Saloon. Frank McGourlick, expert joiner is a key member of the team working on the restoration.

Angus Ross

Award winning Angus Ross and his team, based in Aberfeldy, specialise in combining traditional woodwork with the ancient process of steam-bending and the latest cutting technologies and have made the ladder back chairs for the Front and Back Saloon areas.

Bruce Hamilton

Bruce Hamilton has gained recognition as a producer of fine quality Charles Rennie Mackintosh reproduction furniture and has created the low back armchairs for the restoration that you will see in the Front and Back Saloon and the Gallery.

Linda Cannon

Linda specialises in stained glass conservation and is an accredited conservator who has worked for 40 years in stained glass design and colour work. Linda has worked on the restoration of the mirrored panels in the Salon de Luxe, fitting the glass in the doors, in the exterior signage, the lamps and fitting the glass to the Salon de Luxe chandeliers.

Rab MacInnes

Rab is a glass designer, painter and accredited conservator, trained at Glasgow School of Art and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.  Rab’s work includes the design of the glass droplets for the chandeliers in the Salon de Luxe, the glass for the metal work in the exterior signage, the interior metal work and lamps and the glass for the silver Salon de Luxe chairs and tables.

Kelvin Murray

Kelvin and his team at Character Joinery specialise in traditionally skilled bespoke joinery and have created the striking silver finish chairs, tables and umbrella and coat stands for the famous and luxurious Salon de Luxe as well as the Order Chair for the Back Saloon.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Miss Cranston’s original Willow Tea Rooms Building at 217 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow were designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1903. These are the only surviving Tea Rooms where Mackintosh had complete design control, over both the interior and exterior. Today this beautiful A listed building is internationally recognised for it’s design by Mackintosh and as the one of the finest examples in the world of a complete Art Nouveau scheme.

Catherine Cranston

Catherine Cranston, widely known as Kate Cranston or Miss Cranston, was a leading figure in the development of tea rooms. She is nowadays chiefly remembered as a major patron of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret MacDonald, in Glasgow, Scotland

Margaret MacDonald

Margaret Macdonald was an innovative, influential and important Scottish artist, one of The Glasgow Girls, a key figure of the ‘Glasgow Style’ & member of the ‘Glasgow Four” who were highly influential to international art nouveau. A key influence and inspiration to her husband Charles Rennie Mackintosh, she created the beautiful gesso panel in the Salon de Luxe, a re-creation of which is being made as part of the restoration.

Details of our other expert makers coming soon.