Gourmet in the snow

Chalet cuisine used to conjure up images of hearty cottage pies and stodgy lasagnes cooked by fresh-faced students who were just getting to grips with boiling an egg. Twenty years ago, it was a standing joke that you would probably be helping the person running the chalet to cook. But while some tour operators are still employing spotty teens with very little experience, smaller chalet companies have realised that today’s discerning holiday maker is looking for top quality cuisine in luxurious surroundings.

Since the celebrity chefs arrived on the scene in the late 80s/early nineties, food has been fashionable and British cuisine has steadily evolved and improved, while the British public has become addicted to glossy recipe books and luscious food magazines. This new attitude to food has raised people’s expectations and canny chalet companies have realised that to stay ahead in the increasingly competitive winter sports market, the key is to focus on top-end accommodation and fabulous food.

‘We know that our guests expect high quality food,’ explains Helen Raemers from The Alpine Club (www.thealpineclub.co.uk) in St Martin de Belleville. ‘Many of them are city bankers and lawyers and they are used to dining out in the best restaurants. They are used to exceptional food that is beautifully presented. We recognise that and know that they want an equally impressive gourmet experience when they are on holiday.’

‘This is why our policy is to employ qualified fine dining chefs, rather than seasonal staff who’ve been sent on a quick cooking course. We are passionate about food. It is one of life’s greatest pleasures to experience wonderful food with friends, cooked by people who have a passion for food as this really shows through in someone’s cooking. We want to delight our guests and exceed their expectations and by employing qualified professionals we can ensure that our guests’ extremely high standards are met, and often exceeded.’

Another Three Valleys operator who has chosen to distinguish themselves by their food is Purple Ski (www.purpleski.com). ‘Being based in Meribel,’ explains owner Karen Broom Smith, ‘which is perhaps the most fiercely competitive resort in Europe, we have found that providing excellent food has always been key in pitching ourselves above the rest. Our first chef was superb, having trained under the Roux brothers in Gavvers and The Gavroche. Fortunately, by remaining a very small operator (and also by paying and treating our staff well), we have been able to maintain this standard and have always been able to get excellent chefs, often from Michelin star or two AA Rosette rated restaurants and five-star hotels. We are one of only a very few companies who promise qualified chefs and who publish the names and resumes of their team.’

For many people, a gourmet chalet holiday is concept conceived in heaven. Wintersports holidays are one of the few times people feel they can indulge in their passion for good food without guilt as they have been out exercising all day and can therefore enjoy a four-course extravaganza without worrying about their waistline.

Other companies have found it is the unique pairing of a relaxed, home-like environment with top quality food that has appealed the most to their clientele. ‘In the 90s, a whole new clientele of younger people arrived who had the money to stay in good hotels but didn't want to,’ says John Yates-Smith from YSE (www.yseski.co.uk) in Val d’Isere. ‘They liked to come with their friends, and didn't enjoy whispered dinners over starched table cloths. They preferred the informality of a chalet, but weren't prepared to put up with lumpy mattresses or second-rate food. The sort of people ready to pay four figures each for a week in the Alps expect good food, know good food, and are prepared to pay good money for good food. It is our most important contribution to their holiday. Blizzards may blow, the snow may melt and their boots might hurt, but we can still make dinner the high point of every day.

‘In a generation, chalet holidays have gone from innocent fun for a few quid to smooth professionalism for a grand, and the food has gone from your favourite school dinners to top restaurant standard in your own dining room.’

The trend for gourmet meals on the slopes has also been fuelled by rise in the luxury market and the perception that skiing holidays are expensive. By offering exceptional cuisine, chalet operators have found that it increases the value of their product and can often be a vital selling point for smaller operators who are competing with the big name package brands. This intense competition has clear benefits for the consumers. With chalet operators all vying to outdo each others products, the quality keeps improving while the prices remain keen, making gourmet holidays fantastic value for money.

Where to find out more:

The Alpine Club: www.thealpineclub.co.uk; info@thealpineclub.co.uk, 0044 7977 465 285.

Purple Ski: www.purpleski.com; karen@purpleski.com; 01885 488799.

YSE: www.yseski.co.uk; sales@yseski.co.uk; 0845 122 1414

6 December 2006