Still, unlike Mr Carson, most qualified butlers in China end up working in swanky hotels and exclusive private clubs. "We have seen the largest demand from five-star hotels, exclusive clubs and real estate companies," Fang Petersen, who runs The British Butler Institute's operation in China, said.
Xiao Feng is a potential client and hopes to use The British Butler Institute to train staff at his upmarket restaurant, Because of Love, in Beijing.
"A gap exists between China's catering service sector compared to Western countries," Xiao said. "Schools that are producing butlers will accelerate our efforts to make up for this deficiency.
"On the whole, people working in the service industry in China tend to be passive. They only do what guests ask them to do. But British butlers will prepare everything in advance and they are obsessed with details."
Real estate companies are also tapping into the market. As competition intensifies in the property sector, "promising a butler service is becoming a prerequisite rather than a bonus to sell a villa", one source, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
But there are still challenges to overcome if the industry is to expand into the "private butler" sector, even though international schools are starting to include courses in Chinese cuisine and the art of tea-making.
"It is still relatively difficult to offer a home butler service in China due to the lack of trust," Petersen, at The British Butler Institute, said. "Rich families rarely hire strangers to take care of their houses."
Cultural aspects also play a key role, according to Pu at the International Butler Academy. "Clients and butlers are supposed to be very intimate," she said. "Chinese clients are particularly strict when hiring butlers."
So far, the academy's Chengdu branch has trained only two butlers that have found positions with rich households. Part of the problem is that many Chinese clients are unsure what the duties of a butler should be.
Some simply treat them as nannies to look after their children or use them to greet guests.
"Clients usually live in big houses covering 1,000 to 2,000 square meters," Yang Xueping, training director at Meiyu Home Service, said. "So, instead of performing very specific tasks, the key job for a butler is to lead a team of four to eight people to manage the household."
To solve these problems, schools and institutes have launched promotional programs on what a traditional European butler does. The British Butler Institute, for example, has put part of its training course on Taobao, a shopping platform owned by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
"We hope to use the Internet to help more people learn about butler services," Petersen said.
The International Butler Academy of China is also moving in that direction by explaining to the country's super rich the role a butler plays in a wealthy household.
"Home butler services are targeting people at the top of the wealth ladder," Pu said. "It may take some time for China's rich to adopt it, but it is a future trend."
Fact box
The British Butler Institute
Location: Varied, depending on the business customer
Course: Selection of courses, including a one-week training program for hotel sector
Price: Tailor-made programs although the company declined to disclose its price range
Multicultural etiquette and international protocol, which involves understanding VIP and celebrity expectations. Lessons in body language, including facial and body expressions. Skills include valet services, and check-in and checkout procedures.
International Butler Academy of China
Location: Chengdu
Course: Six-week training program
Price: 40,000 yuan ($6,289)
Indepth study of the history of butler protocol. The use of modern technology to hone communication and leadership skills. Lessons in valet services, including ironing, etiquette training and cooking.
Meiyu Home Service Coalition Organization Co Ltd
Location: Beijing and Switzerland
Course: Selection of courses, including a one-month training program
Price: 47,840 yuan ($7,522)
The course involves two weeks in Beijing and two weeks in Switzerland. The program includes Western etiquette and international communication skills, personnel management and the ability to run a bar. Other lessons involve working on a private plane and a yacht as well as specialized knowledge of luxury brands. Valet skills and event planning are also part of the course.
