Have we found the brainiest chalet owner in the French Alps? Austria loving ROB REES overcame his lifelong aversion to French skiing to make a long overdue return to The Three Valleys after 27 years away with a stay with the marvelous Ski Talini
Despite starting out on skis in France in 1992, the year of the Albertville Winter Olympics, I’ve lived and breathed all things Austrian, Italian, Swiss, Canadian and Scandinavian ever since.
KNOW HOW: Daisy Mitchell, the brains behind Ski Talini
But a chance to reconnect with the Savoie finally tempted me back. Subconsciously it was probably much more to do with the fact that French international footballer Olivier Giroud dedicated one of his great poaching goals at Chelsea (I am a fan in case you hadn’t guessed) to his skiing addiction and the love of his home hills near Champery.
I headed towards Moutiers and the Three Valleys with no little trepidation. But this time I found the delightful back-door village St Martin de Belleville, oozing authenticity and not a concrete monstrosity in sight.
What was a true farming village for many years, was very late to develop tourism. Luckily it was originally excluded from the grotesque ‘Le Plan Neige’ that has blighted so many French hillsides. My perfect antidote was a few days in Chalet de La Lune, a very personal, privately-run chalet, hosted by Daisy Mitchell of Ski Talini.
Daisy is quite probably France’s brainiest chalet operator. She read Neuroscience at Oxford and now runs three comfortable yet historic chalets in the village under her own brand.
Daisy started skiing at the age of three while living in Canada, when she was part of a globetrotting RAF family. She explains: “My dad was military downhill champion so skiing was a huge part of family life. At 18, I went straight to Oriel College, Oxford via Sherborne School. But after the stresses of academic excellence, I needed a break. My first ski season 2006/7 was in Meribel as a sole chalet host for SkiWorld. I loved it but I wasn’t even thinking about it being a career plan then.”
TEAM WORK: Daisy with Balloo the dog and Doris the Defender Landrover which will transport you around St Martin
However, Daisy declined two offers from Med School, instead opting for a promotion to Food & Beverage Manager for SkiWorld’s whole chalet programme (114 chalets across 13 resorts), based in Bourg St Maurice for the season. After two more years in Courchevel running ‘high end’ chalets for a competitor, she was given all three valleys to oversee.
She said: “I decided then that I could run my own chalet company. I had an in-depth knowledge of the area and had done nearly every chalet job going. St Martin appealed as it’s renowned as an authentic village and lunch stop. Most guests who book with me now have holidayed in the other valleys before and have found us on a lunch visit.
“On closer inspection, St Martin had very few catered chalets. So a delightful village, fab restaurants and a gap in the market – it seemed the right thing to do! I then worked slavishly for just over a year on Superyachts as a chef and stewardess to get enough cash together to start my business.”
In winter 2012/13 Ski Talini was incorporated and Chalet de la Lune opened its doors. Chalet des Anges was added the following winter and Chalet Polaris winter 2015/16.
Talini (meaning ‘snow angel’ in Inuit) embodies Daisy’s philosophy of creating the sort of ski holiday that she would like to go on. ‘This applies to everything – lovely chalets with enough sofa space for everyone, appetising but unpretentious and accessible food, preceded by canapés and bubbles. The best local wines and cheeses. And those little luxuries that matter – a cup of tea in bed in the morning, our ‘ski essentials’ basket in the boot room (chocs, sweets, tissues, suncream and contact cards) and bottomless booze – counting beer tops in an honesty bar is so uncool.
Daisy adds: “All this for a reasonable price – ours are by no means cheap chalet holidays but I’m determined for everyone to leave thinking that they have had fantastic value for money.”
So my verdict:- a delightful ski base. Talini is staffed by smart, older, engaged people and dedicated chefs. The brilliant resort manager when I visited – Ryan Craig – has gone on to open the fabulous restaurant Barge East down in Stratford, East London.
OASIS: St Martin de Belleville is a lovely traditional French village
In St Martin de Belleville, there are a couple of home runs to die for back to the base gondola including the classic ‘Jerusalem’. There’s some fine dining in town for the chalet staff night off. It’s become a bit of a gastro hub too if you want to splash the cash (we tried the more modest, mainstream ‘La Ferme de Choumette’, complete with sheep and cows underneath, all seen from big glass windows down into the barn). It’s a proper French village with a Mairie and a classy museum depicting its Alpine history and Le Plan Neige. And you can take advantage of the Private Landrover shuttles around St Martin in the mornings and evenings until dinner so you can truly potter.
If like me, you fancied giving France another go, Daisy will look after you. I must now accept I have a totally Teutonic approach to my skiing but with the service I received at Ski Talini in St Martin de Belleville, even I was glad to be tempted back.
- SPECIAL OFFER: Ski Talini is offering readers of the Skier & Snowboarder magazine £100 off per person for bookings of 4+ people until the end of the season. For more info and to book call Ski Talini on this special number: 0207 164 6082 and quote Scoop100. Or email: enquiries@skitalini.co.uk
COMFORT: Part of the attractive interior at Chalet de La Lune
Categories: France, Holiday News & Special Offers