Meet your hosts...
Stéphane Pruvot
le Grand Cerf, Marquise
Beneath an archway and through the courtyard, follow the aroma of wonderful cooking to enter this charming auberge. Through the gleaming window, the kitchen is displayed for all to see.
Stéphane Pruvot is an active member of Toques d’Opale and Cote d’Opale Gourmande associations of top regional chefs.
From the age of just 7 years, Stéphane set his mind to being a chef. His studies led him on a grand tour of Restaurants across France and he became chef at the celebrated Cote St. Jacques at Joigny at the age of just 22 years.
In 1991 Mr. Pruvot took over le Grand Cerf at Marquise, an old post house just 15 minutes from Calais. With humour and panache, Stéphane practises moderm cuisine using fresh local produce. Notable dishes include crab on filo pastry with essence of shellfish, braised cheek of beef with beer and cumin and exotic langoustines in tempura and fennel Tandoori, Indian style.
Maude et Hervé Gobert
La Ferme Ste. Austreberthe, Marant
Six years ago, Maud and Hervé Gobert moved to the country. She was an auxillary nurse. He worked in civil engineering. Hervé dreamed of becoming a farmer, Maud pf welcoming visitors to a B&B.
Characteristically, they seized the opportunity to do both!
In 2001 they bought a farm in the little village of Marant, near Montreuil-sur-Mer, and started a new life. They opened the first room the following year and they now have two others and they serve wholesome table d’hôtes dinners. Maud milks the cows and runs the business while Hervé is devoted to working the land.
But Maud and Hervé offer more than just board and lodging, they offer a break in a warm and quiet place and a taste of farm life. Maud has even been trained in Ayurvedic massage so that you can completely lose sense of time. Don’t look for a TV set, there are none and anyway the show is live on the farm. They wouldn’t let you miss the birth of a calf!
They make a point of honour to share breakfasts and dinners with their hosts, which is also a way for them to break the ice. As Maud says “we stay at home but we are travelling through the stories that our guests share with us”.
Franck and Isabelle Smal
La Corne d’Or, Arras
In January 2006 Franck and Isabelle Smal opened the guest house La Corne d’Or to everyone who wishes to discover the beauty of Arras’ squares.
A simple enough fact but it took a real labour of love to make their dream come true!
The name of the house dates back to its origins in 1394. This private mansion somehow escaped the ravages of history, the most recent of which were the World War 1 bombings which devastated almost the whole town of Arras and the army occupation during World War 11.
Like a string of families before them, it was spring 2004 that Franck and Isabelle fell in love with the house. Although, in a way, the house chose them as the extent and urgency of the renovation work set them an amazing challenge! After over a year of trials and tribulations, their hard work paid off and the mansion has now returned to its first vocation: offering board, lodging and a warm welcome to the weary traveller.
Each of the five bedrooms has been furnished in accordance with the spirit of the house but Franck and Isabelle have managed to marry the charm of antiques with the contemporary comfort their guests deserve. Their B&B is a place of cultural exchange. The walls are loaned to artists of all origins for temporary exhibitions.
You’ll be charmed, not only by the house, but also by its delightful occupants!
Delphine Lariviêre
La Maison Carrée, Lille
Originally from Lyon and an engineer by profession, Delphine Larivière changed her career and opened up her bed and breakfast accommodation in Lille. The large house dates from 1926 and is a delightful blend of modern and contemporary styles. Simply by following the lady of the house and listening to her you will find yourself transported into a totally different world. The lounge is dominated by a light covered in handwriting which serves as a visitor’s book on which guests can write about their stay.
Upstairs, explains the lady guide, “each room has its own heritage and story to tell”. And Delphine adds: “the things with which our guests are surrounded have a family connotation”. The intermingling of modern and contemporary styles brings out the authentic character of the Maison Carée.
Just like a museum, the guests admire the contemporary paintings on the walls. The bathrooms are every bit as surprising, combining modern with the traditional. In one of the suites a claw-footed bath is much coveted by guests. “Some people reserve the room just for that”, Delphine confides.
In the suites on the other side of the courtyard the décor is of the theme of the sea and sailing. Globes, sailors charts and Windsor-style furniture all recall long sea voyages. With rooms perfect for a family or a group of friends, hosts and guests alike steer a course for restfulness and sheer bliss. Some say that the Maison Carée is more like a museum. Well, perhaps, but with the warmth and friendliness of the people of Northern France, in addition.
Luc & Chantel Vancompernolle
The Grange de St. Hilaire, St. Hilaire Sur Helpe
“We parked our bags in this lovely Avesnois countryside after having lived in Roubaix in Greater Lille. We wanted to change our way to change our way of life and get to meet people. So we rolled up our sleeves and converted our 18th century barn into five bed and breakfast rooms. We wanted to create an authentic and welcoming atmosphere, “says M. Vancompernlle”, “and we took our inspiration from the Nordic countries. My wife took care of all the little nooks and crannies and decorative touches”. In the lounge, you can imagine yourself having long discussions around the fireside sitting on the wrought iron-bench seating. Your eyes stray over the thousands of little decorative features: wreaths of flowers, candles, a set of drawers for spices and a low table full of surprises. “I get satisfaction from providing good service”, says M. Vancompernolle. The Vancompernolles are always ready to bend over backwards to assist their guests. At weekends they arrange carriage rides and all-terrain biking trails in the lush green countryside of the Avesnois. There are also no less than 93 walking trails on offer; all these outdoor activities make a stay at Saint-Hilaire a lively and attractive one! To put guests in even more of a Scandinavian mood, an outdoor sauna is due to be installed as well! Here in the middle of the Avesnois that will certainly transport guests to another world!
Thierry Beine
Auberge de Bon Fermier, Valenciennes
Thierry Beine, one of Valencienne’s emblematic characters, welcomes you with his warm and friendly “Hello”. In his hotel-restaurant, once a 17th century coaching inn, everything is a reminder of an earlier age. At the inn, you fancy that you can hear the clatter of clogs in the cobbled courtyard as in the medieval times. The chef prepares his grilled pork, a house speciality, not to mention typical regional dishes such as the famous langue lucullus, a skilful combination of smoked beef and foie gras for which Thierry is quite rightly renowned. He often visits the UK where he organises cookery demonstrations.
The hotel side of the establishment has 16 rooms and is equally authentic and cosy. In it s maze of corridors you feel immersed in the historic and mysterious atmosphere and could easily imagine bumping into a knight in armour, or the house ghost! According to its proprietor, the ancient Auberge du Bon Fermier is indeed haunted. But, fear not, according to Thierry, “the phantom is harmless and only plays pranks”. “ If he resticts himself to leaving a lucullus under my pillow, that would be great”!
