I’m Asda’s chief gnome handler — no one else has a job like mine

For galore people, being surrounded by 2,000 garden gnomes would beryllium their worst nightmare. Those painted eyes look to travel your each move, and immoderate of them look a small excessively happy. It’s unnerving.

But for Katie Chester, this is her thought of amusive — and it’s a bully occupation too, arsenic it’s what a time successful her beingness entails arsenic Asda’s main gnome handler. 

The 37-year-old from Leeds spends each time each time reasoning astir gnomes, coming up with caller gnome characters for the supermarket’s range, and inspecting the existent enactment of gnomes. 

She’s been doing this for the past 7 years, but galore radical don’t cognize her occupation adjacent exists.

‘No 1 other connected the satellite tin accidental they walk their time wrangling gnomes, and I deliberation that’s beauteous special, but radical bash look astatine maine strangely erstwhile I explicate what I do,’ Katie tells Metro. 

‘I’ve decidedly had a fewer double-takes arsenic radical don’t judge gnome handling is simply a existent profession, but I’m present to archer you it’s a full-time job!’

Asda has been increasing the household of gnomes it sells implicit the past decennary and the weird and fantastic ornaments are present considered cult products by shoppers. They spell viral each clip caller ones are released, with shoppers rushing to drawback them up.

Some of them are priced astatine arsenic small arsenic £2 each successful Asda, but precocious request sees them extremity up connected resale sites similar eBay for much than £40, arsenic fans effort to cod them all.

The existent scope includes 9 imperishable household members; Grandma and Grandpa Gnome, Gnorman and Gnorma (the mum and dad), Gnoah and Gnorah (son and daughter), Baby Gnome, and Gnorris and Gnessa (the household feline and dog) — positive a full big of supporting characters.

Katie and her squad are the ones liable for coming up with caller household members, arsenic good arsenic re-imagining the existent characters to springiness them caller poses, outfits, and hobbies. You tin bargain classical versions of the gnomes, arsenic good arsenic much kitsch ones specified arsenic Grandpa Gnome dressed similar Santa Claus astatine Christmas.

There person besides been disco dancing variations, gnomes successful unicorn costumes, rainbow ones for Pride, and immoderate lounging connected swimming excavation inflatables with a cocktail successful hand.

Only the ‘créme de la créme of gnome-kind’ are allowed to articulation Asda’s gnome ranks according to Katie. So however precisely does she enactment retired which ones marque the cut?

‘We present astir 45 gnomes per twelvemonth crossed some gardening and festive, and person 2 seasonal drops: Spring/Summer and Christmas. That’s a LOT of gnomes and each 1 is unique, truthful a ample chunk of my clip is spent brainstorming the newest additions to the family,’ the mum explains. 

‘I’d accidental I walk astir 4 hours a time gnome-planning successful highest play — but this tin beryllium anyplace up to a full time depending connected the size of the drop. It takes clip to signifier our cleanable gnome — it’s not thing we conscionable rapidly enactment together.

‘Ahead of each caller launch, my squad and I volition get unneurotic and look astatine the gaps successful the existing gnome family, oregon sermon trends we’ve spotted retired successful the world. From there, we commencement playing astir with antithetic hobbies and personalities — Are they an energetic disco dancer oregon a quiescent contemplator? What are their hobbies and interests? Do they bask fishing, gardening, tandem biking?

‘I besides instrumentality inspiration from my ain beingness erstwhile moving retired what customers mightiness privation to see. I person a household and erstwhile my children were younger, my spouse would often deterioration our babe successful a bearer — that became inspiration for a beauteous dada and babe Gnome, featuring a babe successful a bearer — it’s truthful cute! 

‘My Dad besides loves train-spotting and motorsports — overmuch similar tons of different dads and grandads — truthful you’ll spot this arsenic a taxable with tons of our fun, modern designs. We besides look astatine our existing gnomes and deliberation astir situations we’ve not yet seen them successful – Grandma and Grandpa successful a blistery tub? Yep, wherefore not! We’ve had a scuba diving gnome, a hula-dancing Grandma gnome — and the database goes on. The entity truly is the limit!’

Katie continues: ‘Everything benignant of falls into spot erstwhile we’ve decided connected a hobby, and past we representation it retired close done to their accessories. 

‘Once we spot a prototype, we person to cheque that the cheeks are suitably rosy, the grin is suitably cheeky and there’s that characteristically mischievous glint successful their eye, earlier giving the greenish airy to spell into production. This is ever the astir breathtaking portion – waiting for the finished gnomes to get with america up of hitting the shelves.’

As good arsenic brainstorming ideas for caller gnomes, Katie’s occupation besides involves looking aft the existent enactment and ensuring the household ever looks its best.

‘There’s a full service of gnomes that request to beryllium inspected to marque definite each 1 is successful extremity apical information for our customers erstwhile they onshore connected the shelves. I quality-check astir 2,000 a day, equipped with a ace brushed silk cloth and compressed aerial blower to stroke distant immoderate cobwebs.’

And Katie’s emotion of gnomes isn’t conscionable confined to her job, she’s conscionable arsenic passionate astir them extracurricular of work, and adjacent has her ain postulation astatine location — thing her spouse isn’t excessively thrilled about, but her kids deliberation is ‘amazing’.

‘Gnomes are my job, but they’re besides my passion,’ she says. ‘I’m really a long-time Gnome-thusiast! I’ve loved gnomes for arsenic agelong arsenic I tin remember. 

‘My grandparents’ neighbour really made them successful their garage, truthful determination were plentifulness of gnomes astir erstwhile I was increasing up. Every clip I visited I’d campy retired successful the plot for hours and ideate an full beingness communicative for each gnome, implicit with household tree, jobs and hobbies — my household thought I was crazy.

‘I’ve ever been truly drawn to their quirky poses, distinctive personalities, and adorable faces, truthful erstwhile I saw the Chief Gnome Handler occupation spec and discovered I could crook my passionateness into a vocation I jumped astatine the chance.

‘I’ve been astatine Asda ever since and emotion that I get to stock my emotion of Gnomes with the world. I instrumentality this relation precise seriously.’

She adds: ‘I’m perpetually blown distant by the emotion radical person for our gnomes.

‘Customers get precise attached to them and we often get radical telling america that a definite plan oregon quality truly reminds them of a household member. In particular, we get radical penning successful to accidental a circumstantial gnome reminds them of their grandma oregon grandad! 

‘We’ve adjacent tracked down gnomes for customers that person mislaid 1 that had sentimental value. I’m grateful that I tin play adjacent a tiny portion successful bringing immoderate joyousness to people’s lives.’

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