Callin All Gite Owners

[Lee & Elin]

We are considering moving over to France in the not too distant future and would like opinions and feedback on our idea.
Usually with Gites they are usually occupied during the summer season with about 10 people. For the holiday makers to have a night off and enjoy a meal being cooked for them, I would say would be quite pleasant.
My husband is a chef (has been for 15 years) and wondering whether there would be a call for offering his services, i.e. Preparing a meal, from a set menu at a cost per head. Or even a curry night, BBQ's or take any meal request. We are fully aware that this would only be seasonal work through the summer months. Advertising through leaflets in the Gite and word of mouth. Your honest opinion would be appreciated. As we have family in the Haute Vienne this is where we will probably settle but he is willing to travel to other regions.

[Suandpete]

    I don't think you should make the assumption that gites are normally occupied by about 10 people - particularly around this area (and we are the next department to Haute Vienne)  groups are much smaller - although ours is theoretically capable of 7 plus a baby in practice it is more often occupied by couples.  This would obviously make a difference to the viability of your idea.

[Blanche Neige]

An Eng. couple in our area offered take away / home delivery of curry type meals and offered cleaning services. They did o.k. for a while but have heard that they have returned to the U.K. now.

[Frogslegs]

Where have you got this information re 10 people??

We have a run a very successful gite business for 6 years and have offered meals in the farmhouse but had few requests from our gite guests. Guests prefer to eat in French restaurants, run by French people or they cater for themselves.

www.le-tilleul.com

 

[Turnip]

But bear in mind that many people come to France thinking that all they have to do to make ends meet is to run a gite or B+B. Therefore, you face intense competition from other B+B hopefuls and established operators. Some TV programs have a lot to answer for.

[nimportequoi]

We've never had people request meals, they prefer to do barbecues or go out to local restos. If you really want to make a business providing a service for gite guests, maybe you ought to consider an popular tourist area where people actually want to go on holiday, rather than an area where people just go to buy cheap houses.

[Jacqui Too]

Friends of ours have run a gite business with 3 gites in the Lot for 8 years now and they regularly  supply evening meals to their guests, mostly on the first night when they arrive and that could be anything up to 17 meals.

When ever we have used gites I know I certainly would have welcomed a prepared home cooked meal waiting for me on the first evening after a very long and tiring day.

Chipie

[Just Katie]

Hi,

When we holiday in France it is normally in a gite of 10 or more (and another gite for the overflow).  However, like the others have said, we normally eat out in local restaurants and, even if we choose to stay in, we draw two names out of a hat to cook a three course meal for all.

However, although I thought it was a good idea, it is more suited to people with a fast life style and no time for sourcing the ingredients and, I think people on holiday do not fall into this category.

[Chauffour]

75% of our clients have dinner on arrival, 40% have one of our italian/french gourmet dinners... and 100% have pizza!!!!

plus we cater for clients of several gites in the area.

 

 

[euro]

Hi ,

 

in your post you dont say if you are going to start or buy a gite business ?

as these are two very different things.

buying an existing gite business means you are not adding to an already saturated and sometimes unpredicatable market and the infrastructure is already there including some goodwill or bookings track record.

starting from scratch is likely to mean renovating barns or old buildings / building a pool etc which can be a major undertaking financially as well as in terms of hassle plus you will be adding another gite to a market which is not growing at the rate of new entrants.

 

Steve