Firstly tell us about Châtel and how you have ended up there?
I started skiing when I was 5 years old, and we skied every year as a family. Then when I was about 15 my parents bought a tiny little ski flat here in Châtel, which was a brave move as it wasn’t very well known then. But we all fell in love with the place, and haven’t looked back since. For me the Portes du Soleil is one of the best ski areas in the world, I have skied here for 20 years I and still find new places to explore. It’s also got something for everyone; from easy greens through the trees, to big powder bowls for the fearless. And what makes the resort of Châtel really special is that it’s still a traditional working farming village, with an all-year round community.
After university I joined the rat race, as most young people do. My wife and I had great jobs working in the fitness and marketing industries, but we’d always wanted to live and work in the mountains. So one day, while sitting in another traffic jam on the M25, we just said ‘”right, let’s do it!” Within a month we had bought our first ski chalet business in Châtel, and started packing our bags!
That was 8 years ago – tell us what has happened in that time?
?We ran our first chalet for 6 years and although the seasons were hard work (normally 16 weeks back to back without a day off!) we really loved the experience. Taking guests skiing is one of the best bits, as you encourage them to try stuff they probably wouldn’t do without you - and on the whole they come back buzzing!
Delicious food and drink is another big part of our holidays and Autumn is when we design our menus and spend time choosing great wines to match the food with our fantastic sommelier Paul Boyer. Admittedly this is one of the easier jobs in the year!
Ultimately we just love making sure that guests have fantastic holidays. At Chalet Blanc we had guests that stayed with us 5 years running, and have now become great friends. That’s really rewarding.
Apart from running the chalet during this time (and Jo and I having two children – Charlie and Joshua), I also found the time in the summers to train as a carpenter, and have been fortunate enough to work on some amazing properties - culminating in building our new chalet – Chaletneuf du Tenne.
Tell us about Chaletnuef du Tenne – it looks amazing!
My parents had been looking for a building plot or an old farm to renovate for quite a few years and then a local agent showed us the plot of land at Tenne and we all knew it was perfect. It was pretty much the highest constructible plot in the area with breath-taking views over the town, the Abondance valley, and across the border into Switzerland. After two years of hard slog from the local architect and trades, plus my input into the majority of the carpentry, the chalet was completed last year - much to the delight of the whole family. The aim throughout the planning and construction was to blend this new build into the local environment, and we really believe this has been achieved with the sympathetic use of materials and traditional exterior Savoyard style. Inside though we wanted to create a truly modern and luxurious space - with indoor pool, open plan living areas and large bedroom suites, two of which feature very popular ‘kids dens’.
What’s different about your holidays?
We own the company and we run the holidays! Jo is the guest contact before arrival and she organises all the ski lessons and childcare requirements, plus making the delicious afternoon cakes during the season. My sister Florence is our chalet girl, my mum is always busy behind the scenes, and I oversee everything from airport transfers to serving canapés!