This weekend, The Sunday Times listed their top 5 areas of France, giving a great review of the Vallée d’Abondance including Abondance, Chatel, Lac des Plagnes and Col du Corbier- all our neck of the woods! Great to have some publicity for the area, we are so lucky to live here given how much there is to do and see nearby.
Don’t forget, the alps aren’t just about the skiing!
As Suzie is commended so regularly by all our guests on her culinary expertise and fares she has decided to take her skills in a new direction…. Coming this winter throughout the Abondance Valley!
Chalet Chatelet would like to invite you to an evening of table d’hotes in the comfort and warmth of our stunning chalet! 3 courses at 25EUR per person, up to 15 people. Using fresh, local, organic produce, our experienced chef and host Suzie makes french classics and family faves with a gourmet touch.
Le Chatelet Cuisine is also offering chalet hosting and local delivery service throughout the Abondance valley. Chalet hosting includes 4 course evening meal at 35EUR per person with full service at the table (min. 4 people) or 2 courses at 17.50EUR per person (min. 4 people) delivered straight to your door.
Over the years Chalet Chatelet has quietly become a haven of creativity, with an eclectic display of sculptures, paintings and sketches filling our home grown collection. Suzie has created a vibrant living space, acquiring works from emerging talent alongside several pieces from acclaimed International artists. Quirky, modern paintings stand out against the whole log walls; the result is an interesting contrast to the captivating landscape sitting right outside the chalet, and it’s not hard to be inspired by both.
During the summer months, we welcome artists to stay at our residency, where we encourage and invite artists to explore their ideas and take inspiration from our setting. Check out the Facebook page Le Chatelet Artist Residency and on the Chalet Chatelet website Artist Residency for more details.
Suzie Immediato
Jeremy Annear
Charlie Swan
What a blustery start to the winter season! The snow has begun to fall over Bonnevaux today with a bitterly cold, gusty wind. The village has gone in to hibernation mode already, fires are definitely on and everybody is staying indoors.
We were recently approached by Canopy and Stars to make an original, short film about the chalet for their website. In the new year, a professional film maker will be staying with us for a few days to film the chalet in the snow. We’re really looking forward to being able to show off how special the place is and exactly what we have to offer.
(Screen shot taken from Canopy and Stars, header photo credit John Merrix)
Suzie’s Chocolate Chip Cookies (be warned 🙂 this recipe makes a million cookies)
3 eggs
250g Butter
350g Caster sugar
250g Brown sugar
600g Plain flour
350g Chocolate
1 ½ Tsp Vanilla essence
1 ½ tsp Salt
1 ½ tsp Baking powder
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare a tray with baking parchment.
Mix together the butter, sugar and eggs until you have a smooth batter and add the vanilla essence.
Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder.
Dice the chocolate into chunks and stir into the mixture.
Using a tablespoon, place walnut sized dollops of the mixture onto the tray and flatten slightly.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until they start to golden.
Once you’ve removed from the oven, leave to cool down before transferring to a cooling rack.
We are running a stall at this years Christmas Market in Abondance on 28th and 29th November! Head down to catch up with Suzie and Pascal, they will be offering a selection of delicious homemade cakes along with the usual: the infamous Chalet Chatelet chutneys and jams!
For the chutneys this year, the apples came from chalet’s very own garden and the figs came all the way from Provence! Homegrown, organic and homemade, they are the perfect accompaniment for a Christmas cheeseboard or your Boxing day leftover lunches.
Back at the Christmas market in 2005 just before the chalet was completed, Suzie set up shop with a few of her own paintings! Several of her pieces were inspired by the beauty of her new life in the mountains and she brilliantly captures in oils the enchanting nature of the valley.
Since Chalet Chatelet was built in 2004, we can see that package ski holiday companies and enterprising individuals have flooded the market with carbon-copy chalets using terrific branding and astute advertising. It’s a bit like the gastro pub or trendy wine bar movement. Yes, it works and it’s a money-maker, but sometimes it feels contrived and uninspired. Of course these holidays suit a large range of people, from enormous groups to twenty-something party people, but the vast number of alternatives also makes it harder for smaller, family run businesses to stand out amongst the crowd. Is there still space for wholesome family hospitality in the ski industry offering accommodation in a peaceful, traditional French village? If you’re after a home away from home, impeccable service and a personal touch, then Chalet Châtelet might just be for you.
Suzie, a Brit living in France since 2002, and her French husband, Pascal, own our unique family eco-chalet, nestled on the edge of a small mountain village in the Portes du Soleil. We are strategically situated on the only road that connects the two valleys of Chatel and Morzine/Les Gets so all resorts are accessible by car. Suzie designed the chalet herself, and along with Pascal, they chose an incredibly beautiful site with stunning views to build their whole log chalet. Using the method of construction of bygone days, they incorporated natural materials and insulation, solar panels and log burners. Keeping in mind their philosophy of sustainable tourism, they did not compromise on the comfort of their guests.
Everyone in the family has played their part in the chalet’s creation and you can feel that when you sit in the living room surrounded by all the art and sculpture they have donated. Suzie’s two sons were brought in to help, tiling bathrooms, laying floors and even designing the website. We strive to make it an amazing holiday for our guests, the family often doing a ski season or taking over in the summer. Suzie cooks delicious favourites with a gourmet touch using her many years of experience, serving all the meals for guests in between managing bookings and housekeeping. Pascal entertains with anecdotes from their building days and snippets of local history whilst also acting as chauffeur to the slopes. They are both on hand 24/7, whether you need information about the nearest skiing or winter activities, or just a friendly natter in the kitchen.There’s a reason why chalets like ours are special. You are staying in Suzie and Pascal’s home; they are real people and they really care about your stay.
VIVE LA FRANCE
CHOUETTE BLANCHE
VIEUX CHALET
Remembering warmer times earlier this summer when our views looked like this. But very much looking forward to this….
Welcome to the new Chalet Chatelet blog! Over the coming weeks we’ll be posting lots of exciting and interesting things about the chalet as well as all the latest news and information. We hope to show you the day to day goings on and give you a feel for what the chalet truly represents and means to us. For now you can check out our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages as we start to introduce you to the beauty of Chalet Chatelet!
Get in touch with us at chaletchatelet@gmail.com or +33 4 50 73 69 48 for more details on prices and availability this season.
Chalet Châtelet 