Postcard from the Auvergne
My favourite auberge and the small French town which should be on your bucket list
If anything was going to revive my passion for France it was going to be the Auberge de Chassignolles. Those of you who go there regularly might wonder how I could possibly have fallen out of love with it but over the last few years the things that enchanted me back in the ‘80s and ‘90s (principally small country restaurants) have become harder and harder to find.
Chassignolles though, a tiny hamlet with an improbably large inn up in the wild hinterland of the Auvergne has always been a special place for me since my late husband and I discovered it some 17 or 18 years ago.
At that time it was run by Harry Lester who made his name at the Anchor & Hope then taken over, due in fair part to our lobbying, by my friend, chef Peter Taylor, formerly of Riverstation in Bristol.
Only open from April to October - the winters up there are pretty brutal - each season sees a different chef though the format of a four course fixed price supper has stayed constant.
Since the early days it’s always been a mecca for natural wine lovers. Harry was an early adopter, setting up an import business called Gergovie Wines which houses the much loved London natural wine bar 40 Maltby Street.
The list at Chassignolles has been taken to another level by the new aubergiste, as she rather delightfully describes herself, Poppy Saker.
There used to be an annual fête du vin which we always tried to be there for but this year it was a one day affair to raise money for the local winemakers many of whose vineyards have been disastrously affected by spring frosts…
If you’ve got reservations about natural wine - and I know some of you have - you should witness the sheer joy of an occasion like this. Drinks beforehand, trying different wines - unmarked so it wasn’t about the label but the taste. Huge communal tables laden with sharing plates. (I’ll tell you more about the food in the next post because it will provide inspiration for the rest of your summer eating)
Afterwards there was boules then a band of winemakers who called themselves Les Volatils struck up and played a set that wouldn’t have been out of place at Glasto. No-one trying to impress, just sheer exuberant fun.
Even if an event like this is not taking place there’s the awesome beauty of the place. The towering trees of the surrounding forests, hedgerows full of wild flowers. The views over the countryside unchanged, I’d be willing to bet, for centuries. The solid 12th century church whose bells boom over the village every half hour though fortunately not in the middle of the night.
So what about the French town and restaurant that should be on your bucket list. (Sorry to tease but specific recommendations are what my lovely paying subscribers get for their money. Do sign up if you’d like them along with my top supermarket wine and recipe tips.