A FORMER royal butler from Keighley who found himself out of work at the start of the pandemic has landed a new job – after handing out his CV on railway station platforms.

Trevor Walford, 63, was latterly working as a restaurant manager with a cruise line, but lost his job in March.

He posted a ‘try before you buy’ work plea on the social media platform LinkedIn.

Interest was shown by recruiters, but there were no firm employment offers.

So Trevor donned his best suit and face mask, produced a hand-written sign, printed off hundreds of copies of his CV and headed to Keighley railway station and other platforms in his quest for work.

And his initiative paid off when it caught the eye of Rob Campbell, group chief executive officer of hospitality company Churrasco.

Trevor was invited for an interview and is now working for the group as training development manager.

He will oversee the customer service training of 337 employees across the group’s ten venues in northern England.

“I’m chuffed t’ bits – as we say in Yorkshire,” he said.

“I certainly wasn’t ready to be washed-up just yet.”

Trevor began his career in hospitality as a trainee butler at Buckingham Palace.

He then went on to work in hotels throughout the UK and the Caribbean, including The Ritz in London, before joining the cruise company in 2006.

Mr Campbell said he was delighted to welcome Trevor to the group.

He added: “Of course I empathised with Trevor’s situation, but when we met him we discovered that his professionalism and wealth of knowledge across the industry is exactly what our operation needs.

“We are bringing Trevor in at a critical time in our expansion and we are determined to navigate our way through it. Our venues are recognised for their top-level service and fantastic food and atmosphere. Trevor is an integral part of our growth plans for the next 12 months.”

Churrasco Group, founded in 2016 with its first restaurant in Leeds, comprises three brands – Estábulo Bar & Grill, Casa Peri Peri and Fleur Café.

Two new venues are due to open by the end of this year, creating further jobs.