VIP SKI Blog

Everyone loves a bourbon; everyone loves Meribel. It’s the chocolate crème sandwiched between Val Thorens and Courchevel, sitting pretty at 1750 and regularly found with a dusting of crunchy powdered sugar (or snow).

Courchevel looks almost too pretty to eat. The sunsets here will paint the sky a fetching shade of pale pink to match the glasses of rosé which comes out the moment it turns sunny. Big sunglasses, faux fur and tight ski pants are de rigeur; if the Pink Panther himself went skiing, it would be here.

Sugar, butter and flour is all there is to the crumbly Scottish classic. Why’s it so good? Simplicity. Our Alpe d’Huez chalets are similarly blessed with a heady altitude and great location close to the efficient lift network. It’s as simple as that. If Alpe d’Huez has an accent, it would speak in the same soothing tones as David Tennant or your favourite Scottish grandma.

They might not be much to look at, but they certainly pack a punch in the flavor stakes. La Plagne may still be recovering from its unfortunate run-in with the 1970’s, but look past the architecture and you quickly discover that the range of slopes more than make up for it.

At primary school, it wasn’t a party until the Fox’s Party Rings made an appearance. These sugary little circles of fun are shorthand for a good time. Everyone has a favourite colour, but if you’ve had enough post-ski jaeger bombs you’ll soon find that they all taste the same. A party ring and a disco nap will give you all the energy you need to tackle St Anton’s huge ski area and correspondingly huge party scene.

The next valley over from St Anton is Lech, home to the world’s fanciest ski hire shop and the prettiest vistas in the Alps. The mountains here are so perfect that they could have been iced each morning by Mr Kipling himself.

No one really knows where Lotus biscuits come from, but you’re always undeniably pleased when they make an appearance on your saucer. St Christoph is similarly unassuming, but the altitude and proximity to the lifts of our new hotel is sure to take the biscuit.

It’s no surprise that our favourite resort is king of the biscuits. Snow in Val d'Isere is as thick and smooth as the chocolate coating on these delicious snacks. You’ll have to hurry if you want to get your hands on one, though, as we’re selling out fast. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

If all this talk of biscuits has made you hungry for a holiday then check out our latest special offers for savings in all resorts, including double saver week offers in Val d’Isere, St Anton, La Plagne, Meribel, Courchevel and Morzine when you book before the end of July. You’d be crackers to miss out!

Selecting the wines for each winter season is a task Pip, our Operations Director, and Alys, our Stores Manager, look forwards to every year. Thankfully the job doesn’t fall solely on their shoulders; they are ably assisted through the whole process by Xavier Rousset, our wine-consultant extraordinaire and qualified Master Sommelier.

Xavier was the youngest Master Sommelier in the world when he passed his exams in 2002. His career has had too many highlights to mention, but some particularly notable experiences include a period as head sommelier at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons under Raymond Blanc; opening his own Michelin-star restaurant in Marble Arch and running The Blandford Comptoir in Marylebone. Safe to say, he’s a giant in his field and we’re very lucky to have his expertise onboard.

Over the course of a long summer afternoon Xavier, Pip and Alys test each wine up for selection, imagining how it would taste in the snowy surroundings of a cosy chalet in the depths of winter. Did you know that wine has been scientifically proven to change taste depending on the circumstances in which it’s drunk? From the size and shape of the wine glass to the accompanying meal, to factors as obscure as the type of music playing in the background and the time of day, wine can take on different tasting notes at the drop of a hat. All our house wines are selected to appeal to a wide variety of tastes, so you can be sure there’ll be something to tickle your fancy. We’re assured that all the samples are spat out until the final selection has been made, at which point Xavier allows a celebratory glass (or three).

If you’re marking an extra-special occasion then a wine from our upgrade list could be the perfect addition to your evening meal. The selection on offer varies from resort to resort but tends towards wines made by established French houses, with the odd Italian or Spanish wine thrown in for spice and variety. Wines can be pre-booked before you arrive or, should you fancy, ordered during the week.

If there was any doubt about your enthusiasm for wine, the numbers speak for themselves. Last season VIP SKI guests managed to drink their way through 35,000 bottles of wine, which works out at a staggering 175,000 glasses. That’s enough to fill ten and half swimming pools. Hic. If champagne’s more your thing, we managed to pop over 3000 bottles of bubbles over the winter. That isn’t even counting the celebratory prosecco on a Friday when we hit our weekly sales target.

Our sales team are well-versed in wine and would be happy to chat through the wine list with you, as well as book any of our service or wine upgrades. Contact us on 0208 875 1957 to chat red, white or rosé. 

Joachim, also known as Joe, started his career as a chef 10 years ago. Since then, he has worked in a range of restaurants, including a prestigious Michelin star establishment. His love of food and determination to provide outstanding hospitality lead him to direct a successful business offering high-end catering for weddings, corporate functions, festivals and events. We were thrilled when he accepted the job with us in St Anton this winter.

Joe is delighted to be a part of the training team this summer and will be leading our Chalet Host cookery courses on 23 & 30 June. The course covers all aspects of life as a chalet host, in a real chalet environment.

The course is delivered in the Alpine resort of Morzine. Based in one of our luxury chalets (with a hot tub!) it provides the perfect learning environment; you’ll be cooking in a chalet kitchen, at altitude, and with similar hours to that expected of you in a chalet host role.

All participants of the course will be offered the opportunity to interview for a chalet host role with us for the 2018/19 winter season.

Alongside Joe, the course is delivered by experienced chalet hosts offering you their knowledge and guidance in a relaxed environment and with a maximum of 8 participants in any one session. It is designed to encourage you to interact, ask lots of questions and learn, not just about cooking but also life in general as a chalet host. 

£645 per person in a shared twin room

£745 for single occupancy of a double room

Please note that flights are NOT included. We will be providing a return transfer service so do ask about this upon booking.

Places are limited so do get in touch if you have any questions regarding the course. Call our team on 0208 875 1957 or email ski@vip-chalets.com

Click here to read more about what’s included and to read the full course details.

- 1 x 1.5kg boned leg of lamb
- 3-4 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, diced
- 30ml butter
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
- 500ml red wine
- 500ml chicken stock
- 1-2 tsp corn flour

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 5.

2. Rub your leg of lamb all over with olive oil and salt and pepper and place in a roasting tray. Roast for about 1hr 30minutes in the preheated oven, basting occasionally.

3. When the lamb is cooked, remove from the oven, cover with foil and rest for 20-30 minutes.

4. While the lamb is resting, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the shallots, tomato, peppercorns and rosemary for about 2 minutes, until the shallots are softened. Add the wine and reduce to a third. Add the stock and allow to reduce again, then thicken with corn flour if necessary. (Make sure you cook it for at least 10 minutes after adding the corn flour to cook out the floury taste.) Strain the sauce through a sieve, season to taste, then serve with the sliced lamb. 

Serve with roast potatoes, cauliflower puree, roasted root vegetables and green beans

We've got a handful of rooms left in Val d'Isere for this weekend from £1200pp. We also have some availability for holidays on 8 April from £700pp. Click here to see our special offers for upcoming weeks.

Good Friday: Open 10am – 5pm
Saturday 31 March: Open 10am – 2pm
Sunday 1 April: CLOSED
Easter Monday: Open 10am – 5pm
Tuesday 3 April: Normal office hours resume.

Don't forget, you can search live availability and book online using our website. Our team will confirm your booking as soon as they are in the office.