A British woman has revealed how she gets paid to do everything from unpacking shopping bags to managing luxury estates worth millions of pounds.
Abbie Manning works as a personal concierge, helping busy professionals and wealthy clients organise their lives.
The 30-year-old says no two days are ever the same.
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One day she could be unpacking groceries at a holiday home in Devon, while the next she could be arranging private chefs, planning exclusive events or travelling across Europe to oversee luxury properties.
“I was asked by a client to drive a Bentley they recently purchased from the UK over to his Tuscan estate,” Abbie, from Devon, told What’s The Jam.
“The variety is probably the best part.
“I love that every single day looks different and I never really know what the next phone call is going to involve.”
Abbie launched her company, S.W V.I.P Concierge, in November 2023 after spending five years working as a stewardess in the superyacht industry.
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After returning to Devon, she spotted a gap in the market for a high-end concierge service outside London.
Today, she describes herself as part-personal concierge, part-executive assistant and part-personal assistant.
Her services range from managing luxury homes and organising tradespeople to booking travel, handling diaries, planning events and running personal errands.
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One of her most surprising services has become hugely popular online.
Abbie said: “A service that has become surprisingly popular online is unpacking food shops for clients staying in luxury holiday homes and second homes in Devon.
“I’ll either receive and unpack a pre-ordered food delivery ready for their arrival, or I can personally do the food shop myself and fully stock the property before they get there.
“For a lot of people travelling down on holiday, especially families or people staying in high-end holiday homes, it’s a huge luxury to arrive with the fridge stocked, drinks chilled and everything unpacked and organised so they can immediately relax and enjoy their holiday instead of spending their first evening in a supermarket.”
Abbie regularly shares videos of her work online, where many viewers are stunned such a job even exists.
She said: “Most people either say ‘I need you in my life’ or they’re genuinely shocked that jobs like this actually exist outside of films and TV.
“I also get a lot of people ask ‘What’s that?’
“The food shopping and unpacking videos in particular seem to really fascinate people online.
“A lot of the comments are people saying they never realised a service like that existed, but once they see it, they completely understand the appeal of it.
“And then you always get some comments telling you off for putting a food item somewhere they don’t think it should go!”
Abbie’s clients are typically business owners, busy professionals and high-net-worth individuals.
She says the role is built on trust, with clients often relying on her to manage their homes, schedules and personal affairs.
She said: “Clients are trusting you with their homes, schedules, businesses and sometimes quite personal aspects of their lives, so it’s incredibly rewarding when they rely on you so heavily.
“I also love being able to genuinely improve people’s experiences and save them time.
“Even something as simple as arriving to a fully stocked and organised holiday home can completely change the start of someone’s trip.”
The business has proved lucrative too.
Abbie says she now earns “three to four times” her previous monthly salary and has even started investing in property herself.
But the unusual career isn’t without its downsides.
She says the biggest challenge is never truly switching off.
Abbie said: “Even when I’m travelling or technically having a quieter day, I’m still checking emails, replying to clients or solving problems behind the scenes.
“Because the role is so varied, you also have to be very adaptable and calm under pressure.
“Plans change constantly and you have to be able to think quickly and find solutions fast.
“I like to keep my income private, but I can say that moving from a salaried role earning around £12-an-hour at an interim job, to yachting, to running my own business, has more than tripled the value of my time.
“It’s taken a huge amount of hard work, consistency and determination over the last two-and-a-half years.
“But it’s allowed me to build a career that’s both financially rewarding and far more flexible.”
Despite that, Abbie believes people’s fascination with her work comes from how much modern life is now outsourced.
She added: “I think social media has found it fascinating because it’s one of those services people never realised existed, but once they see it, they suddenly understand the appeal.”
