Durrant & Daughter are a professional and reliable, family run plastering business serving Radstock, Midsomer Norton, Bath, Bristol, Shepton Mallet, Frome, and Wells. We take pride in offering top-quality workmanship and high levels of customer service, ensuring a clean and tidy finish on every project
Lottie Durrant is a talented female plasterer who, at just 20 years old, runs her own highly successful plastering business. Her journey into the world of plastering began unexpectedly during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, Lottie was studying Carpentry at Bath College, but when the college closed its doors due to the pandemic, she found herself stuck at home with little to do.
During this period, Lottie’s father, Jon Durrant, who has been a plasterer for many years, was still able to work due to COVID distancing regulations. With some spare time on her hands, Lottie decided to join her father on the job. A quick learner, she initially helped with tasks like sweeping up and cleaning tools. But before long, her father handed her a trowel and a small wall to work on. His advice was simple but encouraging: “There’s nothing you can do to that wall that I can’t put right.”
Lottie soon mastered the use of the hawk and trowel and began plastering walls independently. The original plan was for Lottie to return to Carpentry once the pandemic was over, but she had been bitten by the plastering bug and wanted to continue. To commemorate their time working together during the pandemic, Jon and Lottie decided to create branded workwear coats with the logo “Durrant & Daughter” and the tagline “A family business established in 2004” (the year Lottie was born and began her unofficial “apprenticeship”).
After working together for several months, Jon and Lottie decided to participate in the BBC show DIY SOS. The project involved renovating a youth center in Southmead, Bristol. While working on this project, Lottie had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the industry, including British Gypsum’s top plasterer, Master Plaisterer Paul Mulinganie, along with his team of British Gypsum-qualified plasterers—Bradleigh Hancock, Scott Morgan, and Leigh Griffiths—and DIY SOS presenter Chris Frediani. Inspired by Paul’s guidance, Lottie enrolled in a 6-week “site-ready” plastering course through British Gypsum.
Lottie’s passion for learning didn’t stop there. She and her father also enrolled in a lime plastering course run by Cornish Lime. Later, Lottie was awarded a prestigious Worshipful Company of Plaisterers bursary for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) lime plastering course. The course tutors—Master Plaisterers Sean Wheatley, Michal Wolf, and Keith Langton—were so impressed with Lottie and her father that they invited them back to assist with the next course.
After completing both the British Gypsum and SPAB courses, Lottie gained practical experience working with several local building firms, tackling plastering projects and even learning roofing techniques. She also had the opportunity to work as an ornamental plasterer with the renowned Bristol-based firm Hayles and Howe.
Feeling confident in her skills, Lottie decided to bring “Durrant & Daughter” back to life. Together, Jon and Lottie focused on expanding her expertise and strengthening her abilities. Today, Lottie runs the family business, overseeing site visits, advising clients on both gypsum and lime plastering needs, preparing estimates, completing the plastering work, and managing the business side of operations, including marketing and invoicing. Even in the normally quiet months after Christmas, Lottie is booked up well in advance.
Lottie’s work has continued to make an impact. She has participated in two more DIY SOS builds, in Leeds and Kidderminster, further honing her skills while giving back to the community. She is also a regular guest on The Plastering Show on FixRadio, alongside Chris Frediani and Bradleigh Hancock, where she discusses the challenges and triumphs of being a female plasterer.
Lottie continues to share her passion for plastering and teaching other as a regular assistant tutor on the SPAB lime plastering courses.
Lottie would like to express her gratitude to everyone who has helped her along the way, including the UK’s first female plasterer, Steph Leese. Through her journey, Lottie hopes to inspire more women to enter the plastering trade and break down barriers in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
Lath and Plaster 