Five Minutes With… Harry Becher, Founder of the Premium Concierge Company BHB Private

Do you want front row seats at Wimbledon? Are you desperate to meet your hero backstage? These are the things that Harry Becher and his team at BHB Private can make a reality. We speak to him to find out more…. 

What were you doing before you launched your concierge company BHB Private?

When I first got to London, I met Ben Elliot (now, one of the co-founders of Quintessentially) and a few other people who were creating amazing nightclubs. I joined them and we started launching bigger clubs across London and in Bristol. Apart from the waiting and bar staff, there were only three of us and our role was to look after people. I was 21 and it was great fun.

What drew you to the industry?

For me, everything has always been centred around hospitality – where people want to find a place and be looked after. In essence, it all began in the nightclubs. But then one day, Ben said he was leaving to set up an online concierge company called Quintessenitally.com. Nobody had really set up an online concierge company before.

After another year of doing nightclubs, I was ready to get out of there. Working in that industry is a strain on your mental and physical health. You stay up until 4 or 5am and then have to be in the office 10. So I went to join Ben at Quintessentially.

What was it like watching Quintessentially grow?

I was only there for 24 months but our expansion was rapid. We opened in Dubai, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. It wasn’t my business, so I never actually thought I owned it. Instead, on the back of my time there, I set up my own boutique concierge office. Eventually, I won a contract to look after American Express Centurion’s best customers. That was in 2007 and the business rolled from there.

How would you describe BHB Private now?

We’ve become quite an interesting disruptor. We’re different to larger brands like Quintessentially – we’re boutique and look after people. It’s the same pillar of hospitality I started with.

I don’t like the words “luxury concierge company”. It’s unregulated and so many people can set themselves up and do that. At BHB, we look after private families, their travel needs, some of their property requirements, their art and – most importantly – access. We provide access to a whole world of amazing experiences. We try and make life so much more enjoyable to live in, on every level, down to the croissant you eat at the airport. It’s that level of detail that works, which is why we have remained small. We are very hands-on and personal.

Where are your clients based?

As well as London, we work in New York where we recently signed our fifth building, the tallest and thinnest building in the city, 11 West 57th Street. In these luxury properties, we look after private clients, providing them with global concierge. There’s a much bigger appetite for this service in America rather than in the UK. This has meant that we’ve also expanded in Miami too, with properties such as Eighty Seven Park.

So you managed to survive the Covid storm?

I had the best time of my life during Covid. Nobody was doing anything. I’d been working flat out for 15 years and I was just like – wow. The weather is good let’s enjoy it.

To find out more about BHB Private, please visit: www.bhbprivate.com