November 1st 2024.
Katie's job is truly one-of-a-kind. While for many people, the thought of being surrounded by 2,000 garden gnomes may sound like a nightmare, for Katie Chester, it's a dream come true. She spends her days as the chief gnome handler at Asda, where she is responsible for creating new gnome characters, inspecting the current selection, and basically living and breathing gnomes all day long.
Despite her love for gnomes, Katie admits that some of the painted eyes can be a bit unsettling. They seem to follow your every move, and some of them are a little too happy for comfort. But for Katie, it's all part of the job, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
At 37 years old, Katie has been working as a gnome handler for the past seven years. However, many people are surprised to learn that her job even exists. "No one else on the planet can say they spend their day wrangling gnomes," Katie shares with Metro. "And I think that's pretty special, but people do look at me strangely when I explain what I do. I've definitely had a few double-takes as people don't believe gnome handling is a real profession, but I'm here to tell you it's a full-time job!"
Asda has been steadily growing their family of gnomes over the past decade, and these quirky ornaments have become cult favorites among shoppers. Whenever new gnomes are released, they go viral, and shoppers rush to get their hands on them. Some of the gnomes are priced as low as £2 at Asda, but their high demand leads to them being resold for over £40 on sites like eBay.
The current range at Asda includes nine permanent family members, as well as a variety of supporting characters. Katie and her team are in charge of not only creating new family members, but also giving the current ones new poses, outfits, and hobbies. You can find classic versions of the gnomes, along with more kitschy ones like Grandpa Gnome dressed as Santa Claus for Christmas.
But that's not all - there have also been disco dancing gnomes, gnomes in unicorn costumes, rainbow gnomes for Pride, and even gnomes lounging on pool inflatables with a cocktail in hand. It's safe to say that Asda's gnome range is anything but ordinary.
However, according to Katie, only the "crème de la crème of gnome-kind" make it into Asda's ranks. So how does she decide which gnomes make the cut? "We introduce around 45 gnomes per year across both gardening and festive, and have two seasonal drops: Spring/Summer and Christmas," she explains. "That's a lot of gnomes, and each one is unique, so a large chunk of my time is spent brainstorming the newest additions to the family."
Katie spends about 4 hours a day in peak season brainstorming new gnomes, but sometimes it can take up an entire day depending on the size of the drop. "It takes time to shape our perfect gnome," she adds. "It's not something we just quickly put together."
To come up with new gnome ideas, Katie and her team look at the gaps in the existing family, as well as discuss current trends. They also draw inspiration from their own lives - for example, Katie's partner would often wear their baby in a carrier, which became the inspiration for a dad and baby gnome design. They also take into consideration their existing gnomes and think about new situations to put them in, like Grandma and Grandpa in a hot tub.
"Everything kind of falls into place once we've decided on a hobby," Katie says. "And then we map it out right through to their accessories. Once we see a prototype, we have to check that the cheeks are suitably rosy, the smile is suitably cheeky, and there's that characteristically mischievous glint in their eye before giving the green light to go into production. This is always the most exciting part - waiting for the finished gnomes to arrive with us ahead of hitting the shelves."
The gnomes at Asda have gained a lot of attention on social media, with people sharing their excitement over the new designs. Some have even started collecting them, and it's no surprise considering the love and care that goes into each one. "There's a whole army of gnomes that need to be inspected to make sure every one is in tip-top condition for our customers when they land on the shelves," Katie explains. "I quality-check around 2,000 a day, armed with a super soft silk cloth and compressed air blower to blow away any cobwebs."
But it's not just a job for Katie - it's also a passion. She has her own collection of gnomes at home, which her kids think is amazing but her partner may not be as thrilled about. "Gnomes are my job, but they're also my passion," she says. "I'm actually a long-time Gnome-thusiast! I've loved gnomes for as long as I can remember. My grandparents' neighbor actually made them in their garage, so there were plenty of gnomes around when I was growing up. Every time I visited, I'd camp out in the garden for hours and imagine an entire life story for each gnome, complete with family tree, jobs, and hobbies - my family thought I was crazy."
Katie's love for gnomes is evident in her work, and she's grateful to be able to share that love with others through her job. "I'm constantly blown away by the love people have for our gnomes," she says. "Customers get very attached to them, and we often get people telling us that a certain design or character really reminds them of a family member. In particular, we get people writing in to say a specific gnome reminds them of their grandma or grandad. We've even tracked down gnomes for customers that have lost one that had sentimental value. I'm grateful that I can play even a small part in bringing some joy to people's lives."
So, would you buy a gnome from Asda's unique collection? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to share your own gnome stories with us!
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