LIVING THE DREAM

After years of working in the catering industry, mainly on weekends and holidays, Ruud had a dream... one day he would like to have his own restaurant and so he set about training to be a culinary expert, which led him to work in some of the well-known eateries in the Amsterdam region and then running his own business in Burgundy.
Ruud is married to Annemiek. She has worked for years in the international conference and events sector. Despite travelling a lot for work, she still gets the itch to travel. She too had a dream... to start a new business adventure abroad.
2017 was a defining year for them both. Casually surfing the internet and landing on Facebook, they saw a B&B business for sale in the Limoges region of France.
Says Ruud: “ We decided to visit it to see if this was what we had been dreaming about”. A weekend dash from Holland into the Limoges gave them the opportunity to visit the property, but unfortunately, it proved to be too small for what they had envisioned. But the visit did help them to consolidate their thinking and their interest was definitely piqued.
Annemiek adds:” The longer we think and don’t do, then someday might become never and so our search began in earnest”.
Now, the couple would openly admit that they were not necessarily Francophiles, so they were not specifically looking in France. Their objective was to find a property that was large enough for them to live in and with the potential to run a business, but small enough for them to manage as a couple. They would visit at weekends those properties that ticked the boxes. They scoured the internet looking for properties across Europe; Spain, Italy, Austria were all considered, even properties much further afield, but it all came down to one in Burgundy, and so an appointment to view was agreed with France4U, and off they set.
July 14th is a special day in France, as many will know it is Bastille Day, a national celebration of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 during the French revolution. But for Ruud and Annemiek, July 14, 2017, was set to become a key date in their own timeline for s much more personal reason.
On a beautiful day, with a clear blue sky and warm sunshine bathing the Burgundy landscape, they drove through the vineyards to the Manoir Bonpassage. Spirits were high and the expectation was almost unbearable, and then, there it was – an impressive hotel with a large dining terrace overlooking open countryside; there’s also a delightful garden punctuated with well-established trees and a swimming pool.
“Who says dreams can’t become reality!” says Ruud.
The property is two buildings. The main house dates back to 1850 and includes a restaurant with a large open fireplace (box ticked for Ruud here). The hotel part of the complex is a former farm building dating back to 1900, which has been well converted into comfortable bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms.
“We were super excited,” says Annemiek, “in fact I would say we were over the moon!”
Located in the commune of Thury in the Côte-d'Or department in Burgundy, it is ideally located for weekend visits from the Netherlands, although its guest book includes many visitors from France, Belgium and the UK too!
Judging by the favourable comments left on numerous travel and vacation websites, everyone has enjoyed their stay and the wide variety of activities available in the local area.
“And, of course, if you just want to chill out – that’s totally OK and we’ll make sure you feel at home,” says Annemiek.
They now have four seasons under their belt. Are they glad they decided to buy?
“You bet!” exclaims Ruud. And there’s no surprise in his and Annemiek’s enthusiasm. Ruud is in his element, creating and serving delicious dishes and Annemiek gets to use her hotel and hospitality experience in ensuring the guests have a fabulous time.
The couple have been warmly welcomed by the local inhabitants and feel fully integrated into the community. While a good slice of the year is fully focussed on running the hotel and restaurant, there is still time left between November and early Spring to enjoy the local surroundings.
“It is beautiful here and right on our doorstep (literally) is the Voie Verte, a trail that reveals some stunning Burgundian scenery” adds Annemiek.
The business is doing well. Says Ruud: “We’ve definitely become attached to Burgundy and plan to stay here once we retire!”
As the song goes: “Sweet dreams are made of this! (Ed: I know this one, it’s by the Eurythmics... rock on!)
For more information about le Manoir Bonpassage, visit their website.