Motivational stories
Pursuing dreams in Sainte-Alvère
Hello and happy Thursday!
In yesterday’s newsletter, where I introduced myself and told you a little bit more about what you can expect from The French Life, I mentioned that I would be sharing inspirational stories about others who followed their dreams to France. I know that like me, there are many people who are considering a permanent move. Those who are pondering new beginnings, realizing that life is too short to put plans on hold. And that is the reason why I will not only be documenting my journey in exclusive posts (I’ll be sharing that first nightmare of a house-hunting trip soon and explaining what we did wrong, so you don’t make the same mistakes), but also bringing you personal accounts shared by people who took that leap of faith. It is my hope that these stories will motivate you, but at the same time, prepare you for what lies ahead.
To kick things off today, I’d like to share the story of a young, Anglo-French couple whom I met last year during a business trip to Dordogne. I still recall being in awe of their drive and determination as I interviewed them that sunny morning in November.
Enjoy the read!
Pursuing dreams in Sainte-Alvère
Only a year after opening Dix, a restaurant and chambres d’hôtes in the village of Sainte-Alvère, Raphaël Mollica and Gemma James were visited by talent scouts who were working on Gault & Millau’s Sélection 109, a guide spotlighting the ‘new blood’ of French cuisine. “I only found out we had been selected when newspaper Sud Ouest phoned months later to say they wanted to feature us,” Raphaël recounts enthusiastically. Dix was the only restaurant chosen in Dordogne, and for the young Anglo-French couple, it felt like all the work and dedication they had put into pursuing their dreams had paid off.
For Raphaël, that dream started to take shape when he was just a young boy. “I still remember the smell of garlic and shallots in olive oil as my grandfather cooked,” he recalls. “I was probably eight or nine when I decided I wanted to become a chef and own a restaurant.”
Raphaël’s culinary career began at the age of 16 when he spent five years training at Le Touquet in northern France. Motivated and eager to learn, he later traveled to England and even as far as Australia, where he had a chance to broaden his horizons and was introduced to international cuisines. Though an opportunity to start a restaurant came his way when he was in his early 20s, he didn’t feel the time was quite ripe. That all changed when he met Gemma, who, as luck would have it, had similar aspirations.
Originally from Somerset, Gemma’s marketing career had led her to Paris, where she met Raphaël in 2015. At the time, she had been craving a change of lifestyle and was toying with the idea of escaping the city and moving south. “I felt like something else was calling me, but wasn’t sure what exactly,” she explains. One of the possibilities was buying a house with guest rooms to generate income while exploring her options. Her parents had owned a bed and breakfast, so this wouldn’t have been completely new to her.
One day, about a year after they’d met, Gemma and Raphaël sat by the Seine with a notebook in hand, pondering the future and listing the things they really wanted to do with their lives. As a child, Gemma had also fantasized about having a restaurant. “I’ve always loved cooking and baking, but the dream wasn’t really me in the kitchen,” she points out. Plus, she had no experience working in restaurants. Nevertheless, it was obvious that their ambitions in food and hospitality matched up, and the idea of embarking on a new venture together took root. With courage and conviction, the search for a suitable property began.
Initially, the pair considered living by the sea in southeastern France, but high property prices and being far from family led them to Dordogne. “We came during the summer to visit my brother who had moved here a year earlier. We really loved discovering the area, but one thing we noticed was that we couldn’t find many restaurants that served the kind of food we enjoyed,” Gemma says. Seeing possibilities to offer a different kind of cuisine (one where duck wasn’t king), they decided to start looking for a place. But Dordogne is big, and the search wasn’t easy, especially since Gemma was pregnant with their son Louis.
The couple traveled back to the region several times and spent hours driving around looking for the perfect location. Though they knew they wanted to have the restaurant in the house, plans about running a chambres d’hotes or perhaps even organizing retreats weren’t set in stone just yet. It would all depend on the kind of property they’d buy. They weren’t very keen on a place that needed a lot of work either, considering the fact that they were also about to become parents.
Gemma: “During another exhausting weekend trip here in early 2018, I told Raphaël that we weren’t going to leave without finding a house this time.” It looked as though luck would pass them by yet again, but as the weekend drew to an end, an estate agent mentioned a property that was for sale in Sainte-Alvère, a pretty village situated about half an hour to the northeast of Bergerac.
They had already seen a few other properties in the area that were either too expensive or too run down, but Gemma was smitten by the village from the moment they first visited. “It was the first place I instantly fell in love with,” she says. However, she was adamant that the house in question wasn’t the one. “Before we walked in the door, I turned to Raphaël and told him we would not be buying this house, and then a few days later, we actually did,” she laughs.
Raphaël didn’t need much convincing and immediately liked the property, a beautiful maison de maître which dates from 1850 and was originally the village’s épicerie (more recently used as a holiday rental). Once inside, its potential quickly won Gemma over. Not only did the house have the space they needed to realise their project, but the structure was sound and the interior would only require some cosmetic work.
Below, an image of the house as it looked in 1983 when it was the épicerie, and one of Raphaël in front of the property today.
Because Gemma was seven months pregnant when they arrived at the end of July 2018, they decided to tackle the smaller tasks (such as painting and installing new windows) first. The bigger work, which included updating the guest rooms and putting in a new kitchen and bathroom, came the following year, after little Louis was born and the family was a bit more settled. Having the final steps of the renovations filmed for the television series A New Life in the Sun, just months before the opening in September of 2019, was exciting but definitely added to the pressure. “The show aired in January 2020, and we got loads of bookings,” Gemma recalls, “but then the pandemic hit.”
Luckily, Dix had managed to draw a large clientele from the very beginning. Gemma’s warmth and hospitality paired with Raphaël’s culinary talent had proven to be a winning formula. Gemma: “From the moment we opened, the phone didn’t stop ringing.”
When you enter Dix, it feels as though you’re visiting friends. The atmosphere, laid back and welcoming, is reflected in a casual chic decor with neutral colors, tables made from recycled wood and eye-catching details such as large mirrors and tripod floor lamps. The attractive open kitchen (also used by the family) heightens the sense of intimacy and affords diners a peek into the space where Raphael works his magic.
Eating at Dix means savoring tastefully prepared dishes that are unpretentious and honor local produce. Last autumn, for example, one of the desserts on the menu (which changes regularly) was a delicate almond and fig tart crowned with a scoop of ice cream made from the region’s fragrant walnuts. Though regional delicacies are sometimes given a modern twist (the crème brûlée de foie gras served with seasonal chutney has been a huge hit), the menu also exhibits international influences inspired by Raphaël’s travels. “For me, cooking is all about feeling, and I am mainly inspired by the seasons,” he explains. “In the autumn, I love foraging for mushrooms, and in summer I look forward to using peaches and strawberries. If you start with good, quality products, there’s no need to make things complicated.”
Below, a picture of one of Dix’s dishes and of little Louis, who is a budding foodie!
That element of good taste and elegant simplicity is equally present in Dix’s two guest rooms. Gemma gave careful attention to everything from the choice of superior beds to thoughtful touches that immediately make you feel at home, including fresh fruit, a bottle of water and pleasant bedside reads. “At first, it was a bit of a challenge as I’d never done anything like this before, but things basically came together as I went along,” she explains. “In a way, I think this will be an ongoing project, though. There’s still a terrace upstairs we’d like to do something fabulous with.”
Ultimately, what makes Dix so special is that Gemma and Raphaël know exactly how to create an experience that makes guests want to keep coming back. Gemma: “We didn’t really need to do much advertising at the beginning. People found us through word of mouth. It’s very rewarding to sometimes take a moment to just look around and notice how our guests are enjoying themselves and creating memories. We have people who come in every week and others who make sure to stop by on the last day of their holiday.”
During their precious spare time, Gemma and Raphaël are also creating special memories of their own, whether relishing in the beauty of the region they now call home or gathering with friends and family. “We have made friends of all ages here and love getting together whenever we can to share a meal,” says Gemma.
Despite the hard work that comes with running the business, their leap of faith and moving to Dordogne has made the couple’s life incredibly richer. “If you step outside, especially in the summer, it feels as though you’re permanently on holiday,” Raphaël says. “Working in hospitality isn’t easy, but if it’s your dream, believe in yourself and never give up.”
All images courtesy of DIX