But First - Coffee

But First - Coffee

 

An insight into the Delicious Mountain thought process on the very important question of coffee.

 

 

There are so many details in our lovely catered Chalet La Chouette in Meribel that have required consideration, debate and finally decisions; from where we buy our towels, to which wine supplier(s) and then matching the vino to suit the menu, to where to buy the parts for the Land Rover - every little thing has been carefully thought of.  Coffee is no exception, it has prompted hours of research and chat and we're sure we've got it sussed now so that it is the best it can be for our guests enjoyment.

 

Coffee has come to play a big part in our lives, traditionally a nation of tea lovers, England is well and truly embracing coffee and the coffee shop culture.  In Britain each day around 70 million cups of coffee are consumed.  Coffee shops have provided a cool, inexpensive and informal place to hang out and we hope to recreate some of that atmosphere in our contemporary, luxury chalet.

 

 

Before last winter season, after much research and discussion, we decided to buy a bean to cup machine for our guests to serve themselves coffee.  So we pour the beans into a hopper at the top and, at the touch of a button, the machine does everything else.  We chose a Franke Saphira machine for its rave reviews and robustness  and we are pretty sure the guests last year were very pleased with the choice, it certainly was a talking point! 

 

During the inter-season and summer months this year, discussion has moved to improving the beans that we put into the machine, for an even better coffee experience.  Samples have been arriving, and much bean grinding, blending and tasting has been going on at Delicious Mountain HQ.  I have to admit, that it really is Stu who is the coffee fanatic (luckily for our guests) and whilst I love the smell, I am not a fan of the taste and certainly can't handle the effects.

 

Finally we have chosen to use a predominantly Sumatran blend of coffee. Sumatran coffee is harvested in a unique/low-fi way, the beans are handpicked, then semi-washed and semi sun dried.  Then, as they move from the mountains to the port (often a journey starting with horses at elevations of up to 5000ft) they continue the drying and maturing process, typically giving them a complex, chocolaty, spicy flavour.  This low-tech method of farming means that naturally the beans are a little more expensive than some but we think totally worth it. The small scale production has meant that the farmers have had to come together to earn a living and so their product is truly cooperatively farmed.

Our home blended espresso mix is roughly 75% Sumatran pure Arabica and 25% Indian Cherry pure Robusta. We will get our coffee freshly roasted  from a French supplier and delivered every other week in the winter season to ensure that its as good as it can be and all our effort is shown to it's best advantage. 

We are pretty confident that we have the best coffee of any catered chalet in Meribel, but that's what your expecting right?

 

Early Season Snow Conditions in Meribel

Happy New Year to you all!!!!



Festive table at Chalet La Chouette

We have been busy bees at Delicious Mountain these past weeks with our very first guests arriving on the Friday 6th December ahead of opening day in Meribel, so they could get first lifts on the first day! We are now entering the New Year and after the Christmas festivities we are looking forward to sharing a great 2014 with you.

Groomers on the first day - 7th December

The snow conditions have been in the news recently so we thought we'd spend a few minutes on that as the theme of this blog post.

15th December - looking good up there at the top of Tougnete!

At the time of writing the cumulative snow  at top station in Meribel is 90/110cm and with over 2000 snow canons the pistes are in pretty good shape-not as good as they could be or will be ,but 95% of the runs are open (600km of runs in total in the Three Valleys ski area) there is still too much to take in on a weeks holiday.

27th December - view from the balcony looking down the valley

The very sad news that Michel Schumacher is in a Critical condition after sustaining a head injury whilst skiing in Meribel has hi-lighted the typical early season snow conditions we have at the moment. And although his injury could have happened at any time during the season, regardless of snow fall, a lot is being made of the snow coverage in the U.K. Press. We are in fact plumb average for snow depth at this time of year, with more on the way.

I'm writing this a few days after Mr Schumacher had his terrible accident and I feel slightly bad because quite possibly at the time of his fall I was enjoying some of the best powder turns I've ever had. The lesson, if there is one, is that you must always take care off-piste as a fall, is a fall in unprepared snow with all of the hazards that make it appealing waiting to bite you when you make a mistake.  Our thoughts are with Michael and his family and hoping he makes a full and speedy recovery.

So with a mind to move forward and leave the sobering reminders of our chosen sport behind and cast an eye to what we expect in the next week or so as far as snow fall is concerned. The beautiful white stuff will be gently floating down after New Year's Day with a forecasted 15cm to help turn our dreams and hopes into glorious moments of poise and turns of technical perfection.



All the best to you all for 2014, Peace and Love, Health and Happiness, Lou and Stu

Apres Ski - Our guide to the ski party in the snow around Meribel

Après-ski has become a very important part to most people's catered chalet holiday and a good resort should always include a fair selection of bars offering this end-of-ski-day/ last-run indulgence.  So what is it? Well the phrase translates literally into 'after ski' and it is the term given to the activity of coming straight from the mountain around 4.30-5pm and into a bar for a drink - quite often there will be a live band or musician and what ensues is a late afternoon/early evening boogie!

Meribel is famous for its après ski.   But fear not, you need not have skied all day to enjoy this particular treat - anyone can join in - the more the merrier.  There are some seasonnaires who will get kitted up in their skiing gear and either just do one run or go up on the bus to whichever bar so they look the part!  Believe me - there is no need to go to such lengths to take part! 

At the end of the day there is always at least three bars on the piste or around Meribel that will be playing live music - there is something for everyone from one man acoustic sets, to live DJ's, to cover bands.   You can find out the programs by clicking on the links below. Or in resort, the local radio station R Meribel, will broadcast a what's on guide including the most up to the minute low down on all live music both après and later in the evening.

The most famous place in Meribel is the Rond Point, or Ronnie's, sitting on the Saulire side of the valley where several runs meet, this place has been doing après since the early 90's.  It's success? well it  catches the afternoon sun on their huge heated terrace as well as all the skiers and boarders on their last run.  It's a compulsory part of your Meribel experience, along with the toffee vodka they serve.

Lodge du Village (LDV) is in Meribel Village at the bottom of the lovely blue Lapin piste.  There's a Happy Hour every day from 4pm until 6pm with all your favourite drinks from Toffee Vodka to a lovely warming piping hot Vin Chaud.  The legendary Tuesday evening Après Ski with Bring Your Sisters, Yard of Ales and horn playing from Tim will continue throughout Winter 2014!

In Meribel town, in the complex of shops and bars right by La Chaudanne you will find Jacks Bar.  There's always something going on at Jacks, from live comedy acts, games such as toss the boss and Monday - Friday 5-7 plenty of après action.

New last season was the La Folie Douce (Sweet Madness).  Strictly speaking, they operate a little before 'après' time closing at 4.30pm.  More of a late lunch and party kind of place with DJ's, dancing girls and boys and liberal champagne spraying.  Last season it opened to mixed reviews - what had kind-of happened more organically in Val Thorens and Val d'Isere with this brand was brought into Meribel - and you just couldn't help feeling it was a little forced, but after a winter?

This year, Meribel is playing host to 'Ibiza Rocks' in the Snow.  Get ready for the hottest breakthrough live acts and electronic artists plus daily après ski events hosted by the UK and Ibiza's top clubbing brands, street parties, pool parties, terrace parties, ice parties and much more!  Come and join in from 14-21st December 2013, 8-15th February 2014 and 29th March - 5th April 2014. Ibiza Rocks in the Snow.  Tempted?  We have a fabulous last minute deal for 14th December, the price has been reduced by £200 per person and our luxury chalet is now available at just £445pp!!!  

And don't forget - at Delicious Mountain we know Après is essential to a ski holiday which is why we are happy to collect you from your apres ski venue and bring you back to our luxury catered chalet :-)

Reflections on Meribel & Website News

As a resort, Meribel is rich and diverse, and every luxury chalet holiday in Meribel will be as unique as the individuals who visit this great resort. For some, Meribel offers a peaceful haven within the cosy confines of an opulent chalet, where evenings breeze by at the relaxed pace of a rejuvenating break well earned. Refill your partner's vin chaud and let tomorrow's memories take shape. 

For others, Meribel is a fun-filled party town where the night-time distractions of the resort's legendary apres ski are as much a reason to visit as the world-class skiing of the slopes above. During daytime and at night, there is no shortage of reasons to take off your skis and join the fun.

Whichever kind of holiday our guests are looking for, we're always happy to recommend the best places to visit.  For the staff night off, we recently posted a piece about the best local restaurants in Meribel - a subject we have researched very thoroughly and with well-practiced discernment.  So, if you're booking a ski chalet holiday with us this year, don't be afraid to mine us for local insights and tips.

Throughout this blog, and across the pages of our website, we try to offer as broad a representation as possible of this amazing ski resort. It's our favourite place on earth, and we try to get this across in our writing, as well as in the service we offer our guests before, during and after their stay with us in Chalet la Chouette. Whether it's the amazing food and wine, the unrivalled skiing, the good company, or the general joie de vivre which pervades this unique location, we try to put across the passion of Meribel in everything we do.  

Recently, we've been adding more content to our website to reflect all of this, and we thought we should probably let you - our dear blog readers - know about the latest content.  In particular, recognising that we are pretty biased towards Meribel, we've put together a page about what the press has to say about our town.  Have a look at this page to find out what the travel writers think about Meribel.

Other new pages:

• Luxury ski chalet holidays »
• Our friends in Meribel »
• News and information about ski holidays »

Article by Daniel Pressley