Hello there,

One of the things I have loved most about traveling over the past 3 months has been meeting up with people in different corners of the world and hearing about their life stories. I’m fascinated by their back story and how they have followed their heart and their passion and made a bold life change.

You may remember from a previous blog we visited our friends Andy and Lorraine in Chatel in the French Alps? I wanted to share their story as I have watched them in their evolution from working in banking in Sydney (where I met them) to owning and running a boutique ski lodge in Chatel, France, serving the most delicious gourmet food. Every meal is made from scratch with love and passion and is highly considered.

We visited their beautiful ski lodge in the summer and enjoyed hiking in the mountains and exploring the quaint villages in the valleys below. I made a Turmeric Chai cheesecake at their beautiful boutique chalet. Chatel Cannelle transforms in a magical winter retreat when the snow arrives. You can find out more about the lodge HERE.

Have you ever daydreamed of another life? Another job? Doing something you are truly passionate about? I am always moved by people who have made their dream into a reality and who feel truly fulfilled by what they do. Here are a few questions I had for Andy and Lorraine…

1. How did your dream to run a gourmet ski lodge in the French Alps evolve?
Moving from the UK to Australia was definitely the first step. It made us realise how much we loved the great outdoors, which is much more difficult to experience when living in London compared to Sydney. That was the start of our dream to live in a calmer environment…with a big kitchen and a garden. The idea of running a catered ski lodge just seemed to fit – we love to cook, meet people and ski!

It didn’t happen overnight. With both of us from a project management background, it was all thoroughly thought through and researched. We took 2 years to find our dream chalet. Now, 5 years later, having seen many different chalets in the area, we still go home and love ours the most.

2. What passion has been bought to life by what you do now?
Making things. All sorts of things. Tables, kitchens, soft furnishings, pieces of art, lighting, quirky things around the chalet. We always had ideas but never the time in our old jobs and it is so nice to spend a few days, upcycling a piece of ‘junk’ found at the rubbish dump or creating something from scratch from good materials – free trade fabrics or wood destined for a fire. There is such a sense of pride when asked “Where did you buy this?” and to answer, “I made it”.

3. What brings you your greatest joy?
Waking up early, walking outside our home and seeing mountains at 2,400 to 3600m around us, feeling the fresh clean air and then thinking, “We are so lucky to live in this amazing place”.

4. What has been the hardest thing about following your dreams/passion?
We really struggled with this question! We earn less and we can never escape the business (emails = bookings), but neither of us is bothered by these things. So, we decided the hardest things we’re giving up beautiful Asian cuisine in Sydney (the French really don’t understand Asian cuisine: a Pad Thai and a Ramen are exactly the same here) and watching a film in English at the cinema.

5. What advice would you give someone looking to make a lifestyle/career change?
Only one thing…do it! A big surprise to us is how many people tell us how brave we were to make the jump from corporate jobs to lifestyle jobs…we never felt brave, we just thought, let’s try this and see what happens. You will never know if you don’t give it a go…

CHALET CANNELLE BLACK BEAN VEGGIE BURGERS

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

 
The burger night is a favorite for our regular guests – everyone gets to pick their own toppings to make their own special burger. Vegetarians aren’t left out at Chalet Cannelle and this recipe was created by us after trying quite a few and finding most of them having either a dry or mushy texture. The best thing about this recipe is that you can really taste all the ingredients – nothing gets lost. If making your own bun, add roasted and black sesame seeds on the top.

A huge thank you to Andy and Lorraine for sharing their journey and their delicious black bean burger recipe with us. Do make sure you check out Chalet Cannelle here.

Did you enjoy this article? Would you like to hear more about people following their passion (and sharing their delicious recipes)? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Simone