The story of the indomitable louisa trotter, the former scullery maid who left her mark on turn of the century england as the finest cook in london and the reigning mistress of hotel bentinck, as her own mother remarks, louisa has done very well. She's moved up in the world. The bentinck is no fawlty towers. Louisa, based on the real life rosa lewis, the proprietor of the fashionable cavendish hotel, presides over her domain with a stiff backed iron rule. She is, as one of her staff remarks, a tough customer ... A woman with spirit. Louisa's troublemaking brother inspires mutiny among the devoted staff, and louisa is besieged by mysterious love letters. Darkening the horizon is the deepening shadow of world war i running time 1260 minutes region region 2 release date 06 07 2015