The Tale of Sunil & Nickiesha
This year we are celebrating two decades of service from Sunil Burke and Nickeisha Gray-Burke, who, not long after starting working here, fell in love, they then went on to marry, and had three children.
While the love story begins here, the couple first met in their Jamaican homeland, where they worked for the same chain of hotels but never knew one another. It was by pure coincidence they ended up emigrating to Cumbria and working at Lindeth Howe, where they soon struck up a friendship that blossomed into romance.
Sunil, who joined the Windermere hotel as a waiter in July 2004, said: “I had seen Nickiesha a few times in Jamaica while working but had never spoken to her. She had come to the UK in October 2023 and knew one of my friends who had emigrated over here, and he phoned me one day and asked if I wanted to come over – I was only 22 years old. We were just friends initially but it turned into something more; maybe it was fate? We’ve now been together for 18 years and married for seven.”
After two years as a waiter and housekeeper, Sunil and Nickiesha were promoted at the same time to the positions of Head Waiter and Housekeeping Manager. The couple then had their first child before Sunil was promoted again to his current position of Restaurant Manager, which he has held for 16 years.
Seeing the Lindeth team as an extension of their own family, the couple invited half the staff to their beach wedding in Jamaica. “It’s the people that make working at Lindeth special,” Sunil continued. “We’re a close team and have been here for similar lengths of service. Many of us are also good friends outside of work.”
Discussing her early experiences of moving to the UK and working at Lindeth Howe, Nickiesha said: “It was an exciting time, I was getting to experience a new place and a new job. I love cleaning and putting things in order, so it was perfect for me. Sunil and I are passionate about what we do, we’ve put our hearts into Lindeth and they have repaid us so much, especially the General Manager, Tony. It’s not easy juggling full time work while raising three kids and Tony has been so understanding. Whether it’s allowing us to start a bit later or finish slightly early, he’s been very supportive and knows we’ll always get the job done to the highest standard regardless.”
And when asked what it’s like to live and work with your partner, Nickiesha jokingly said: “He’s not my boss and can’t tell me what to do, so it works.”
Commenting on the couples’ long service, Tony Holden, General Manager of Lindeth Howe, said: “Sunil and Nickiesha are the epitome of professionalism. They have given 20 years of exceptional service to the hotel, and to be a part of their journey which has led to a life together has been very special. It’s almost like a ‘happily ever after’ love story – which I’m certain Beatrix Potter would enjoy!”