Real Life: Bringing the UK to France

Heading to France for a new life is a big adventure, but you don’t have to leave everything behind – Gillian Harvey talks to British expats who have created a little bit of Britain in France about the benefits they’ve enjoyed along the way…

Starting up a British- inspired enterprise in France wasn’t initially part of the plan for these UK expats. But demand from the French, as well as local Brits, meant that a change of direction brought business success and other benefits, including more time with the family and a place at the heart of the local community.

THE BUTCHERS

When Daren and Lorraine Smith, 58 and 55, moved to France with daughter Leanne and son Joshua, then 13 and 11, it was part of a complete life overhaul. “I had run my own building company for 18 years, but the 10-hour days meant family time was almost non-existent,” says Daren. “We longed for a more tranquil way of life and moving to France seemed like a great option.

“We finally made the move to Mayenne in August 2004 and initially I set up as a builder, carrying out renovation work, plastering and window installation. A decade in and my body was complaining. I developed a bit of arthritis – nature’s way of telling me to slow down and look for something new.”
As Daren had spent the first five years of his working life as a butcher, opening a new butchery business seemed like the ideal solution. “We knew there was demand for more traditional ‘British’ cuts of meat and sausages, so felt it would be a good move,” he says.

In March 2014, the couple finally opened the doors on Elliotts’ Boucherie. “It took a while to get the paperwork sorted – we rented premises and I got a letter of knowledge from my old boss back in the UK to say I was experienced in butchery. Working with the Chambre des Métiers, we eventually got everything registered,” says Daren. Since it opened, the business has attracted customers from far and wide. “Initially it was just me and Lorraine working all hours, but over the years we’ve been able to expand and take on more staff. We now have our daughter Leanne on the team, and employ a part-time butcher and an apprentice,” says Daren.

The biggest surprise is how popular the British cuts of meat are with French customers. “We have regular French customers coming in for our bacon and sausages, but probably the most popular cut is our Aberdeen Angus beef, which we mature ourselves. French beef is a little tougher -it can come from cows that are eight to 10 years old, whereas in England we use animals that are two to three years old, and you can taste the difference.”

Unlike many businesses, butchers thrived in 2020. “We remained open and also started to do postal deliveries. We gained many more customers through the internet and demand soared. We’ve recently moved to bigger premises and the demand keeps on growing. We’ve stocked a few shelves of British groceries too, so our customers can buy in some of their favourites from the UK at the same time as they are picking up their sausages.”

While initially the business’s popularity meant the couple were putting in 10-hour days, sometimes six or seven times a week, now things are more established they have been able to take a step back. “Now there are others to help lighten the workload, hours are more regular and we have a great work/life balance,” says Daren.

elliottsboucherie.com

THE TEA SHOP

Jacqueline Purlan, 60, fell in love with France as a child. “I spent so many happy holidays here, and my father lived here for a time,” she says. When her son (Charlie, now 16) was born, she decided it would be the ideal place to raise him. “I wanted him to grow up in the peaceful environment I remembered.” Jacqui and her then partner, David, initially purchased a house in the Limoges area and set up a B&B. At first everything seemed to go to plan. “Running the B&B was lovely – we had great guests and the business did very well for the two years we had it.”

Sadly, in 2016 the couple’s relationship broke down. Newly single, Jacqui decided she needed a change of career. “I wanted to be part of the local community. I decided to open an English café and tearoom – the type of place I missed myself,” she says.

Having found premises on the high street of St-Yrieix- la-Perche, Jacqui set about raising the finances to start up her business. “I needed a mortgage, so went to the bank and created a business plan. I was also provisionally awarded a startup grant by the Chambre de Commerce.” But the grant fell through at the last minute, leaving Jacqui with premises but nothing to cover setup costs. “I was devastated,” she admits.
Luckily, help was at hand. “I’d made lots of inroads into the local community and on Facebook groups for the area. I put out an appeal and within a few days I had 25 volunteers who offered help, furniture and time. Five days later, I had a functioning tearoom!

“Château de Gâteaux opened in July 2017, with just me and one other lady on staff. We did breakfasts, crumpets, teacakes, traditional British cakes and one plat du jour at lunchtime. As well as doing the cooking and the baking, I took care of all the paperwork. And at first it was slow going. Some days we’d take as little as €20 – a good day saw us netting €100.” Luckily, they soldiered on and gradually more customers arrived. “We found out that the French were worried they’d have to speak English if they came, but they were soon reassured and word began to spread. We made it through the winter and when spring came, I felt like we’d succeeded.”

The café has now become more of a restaurant with a variety of meals on the menu, and traditional breakfasts, crumpets, teacakes (and, of course, gâteaux) available all day long. Customers are a mix of French and British, and business is thriving.

“Covid was a bit of a setback, but I used the time to create a terrace on the side of the restaurant where people could sit outside, and it’s meant that once we reopened we were able to welcome even more people.

“It’s hard work – despite having taken on extra staff, we’re still often rushed off our feet! But importantly, my son is thriving and I feel part of a great community.”

chateau-de-gateaux.fr

THE PUB

Rob and Gemma Wheeler both ran successful businesses in the UK – Rob, 43, as a barber and Gemma, 47, with an ironing business. However, when Rob’s father died in 2017, they “began to question everything”, eventually deciding they wanted to make more time for family. “I’d be up at 6am and often not get home until 7pm. It seemed as if there was no room for family life,” Rob explains.

Rob had spent many happy childhood holidays in France, and the whole family were keen campers. Opening a campsite in France seemed like the perfect choice for their next adventure. In May 2019, they made the move to a 3.5-acre plot in Margouët- Meymes, Gers, complete with stone house and attached barn.

“I also decided to keep the barbershop open in the UK at first to give us some financial flexibility,” Rob says. Sadly, in 2020 the Covid pandemic meant that the barbershop was forced to close, so the family’s focus turned to the campsite. Although business was affected by the lockdowns, they received visitors from local areas when restrictions allowed. “We had quite a lot of relatively local people from Bordeaux and Toulouse coming, but nobody from further afield.” Initially, the couple had planned to offer a very ‘French’ experience to travellers, so were surprised by the requests that many of their French customers kept making. “We were trying to offer French fayre, but people kept asking if we had British food or a British beer,” says Rob. “We realised there was a real demand for something different.”

It was this that prompted the couple to consider opening a small pub on site. “We had a barn that was more or less derelict on the side of the house, and decided to take the plunge and create a traditional British pub to give customers a real taste of Britain,” he says.

The project took 12 months to complete and while the couple came up with the design themselves, they had a team of builders and roofers to bring it to fruition. The ‘Boars Head’ (named as a nod to the local hunting) opened its doors in spring 2021.

“We stock ‘British-style’ beer from a British brewer in Périgord, offer meals and drinks and everything you’d expect in a similar establishment back home. We’re open every day during the summer and three days a week in winter.”

From the day it opened its doors, the pub has proven to be a huge success. “I am gobsmacked at how popular it is. It amazes me that this idea for a British pub actually came from demands by the French. We have lots of French customers, as well as British, and they love our roasts – although they’re still not sure what to do with a Yorkshire pudding!”

The pub is now very much a family affair, with the three children – Rocco, 15, and twins Grace and Renée, 14 – helping out at weekends, and the couple doing all the cooking and serving. The campsite is also still going strong. “We’re keeping it small, with no plans to expand, as we don’t want to end up in another sort of rat- race,” says Rob. “Right now, it’s the best of both worlds.”

campingdartagnan.com

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