The Visa Process - Updated

Since our last blog in 2022 regarding the visa process, things have moved on a little. It remains the case that, if you hold a British passport, you will require a visa to allow you to work in France and, whilst the process is still time consuming, it has been slightly streamlined.

Steps 1 to 4 in our original blog remain the same….you’re fabulous at interview and get a job offer for the season and the company apply for a work permit for you. You apply for a visa, visit the embassy/TLS centre with your documents and then return to collect your passport complete with visa included, which is still currently only allocated for a period of 3 months.

Previously this was all that was required before venturing off into the mountains, but now you must also get a doctor’s appointment in the UK and get them to sign a ‘Fit to Work’ certificate (usually provided by your future employer). We’ve heard different stories about the ease of getting these approved, with some UK doctors happy to do so whilst others refusing on the basis that they don’t know how you will respond when working at altitude! It is also worth noting many doctors will ask for a fee for this certificate to be signed, so be prepared to pay. However once this is completed you are ready to go and start the season.

The benefit of having the medical certificate signed in the UK means it has negated the need for day trips to have a chest x-ray and medical examination out in France, so a bonus two days out on the mountain – yay!

The only appointment you will now need to attend out in France is to the Prefecture in Chambery to collect your Carte De Sejour Pluriannuelle (CDS), which entitles you to complete seasonal work in France for 6 months a year for 3 years.  It is worth noting that some companies/chalet hosts choose not to chase up the appointment to collet this card but, in our opinion, it is worth you getting as it will make it a lot easier to do another season in France (and we’re pretty sure you’ll want to!)

Just a final reminder if you have an Irish passport (or any other EU passport) you are legally entitled to live and work in France so won’t need to go through this process, you lucky things.

The Visa Process - How to get a chalet host job with a British passport

Do you want to do a ski season as a chalet host but have heard it might be difficult if you have a British passport?  Well it’s not as straightforward as it use to be, but there is a way.  Read on to learn more about the process and our own experience of going through it.

Since the UK left the EU, you now need a work permit and a work visa to work in France. This is not a particularly quick or easy process to follow and there are no guarantees of success, but there is a route. Here’s how….

1.       First things first you must apply and get offered a job. Doing a chalet hosting course will help so be sure to check out our Fresh Tracks Online Courses running this year. Once you’ve got an offer then the company will sort out a work permit for you. This winter we got a chalet host job in La Plagne and, apart from providing a few bits of basic information and making sure our passports were in date, the company took care of sorting out the work permits for us.

2.       The next step is to apply for your long-stay visa.  This requires an online application and a trip to the TLS centre either in London or Manchester. We were fortunate to have advice and support from our managers on how to navigate this process and they coordinated the appointments.  However, these are fixed dates so you must be prepared to travel regardless of your personal situation.  For us this meant an overnight trip from Cornwall up to London for an early morning appointment.

3.       Next you visit the TLS centre to show your documents and hand over your passport. Expect a long wait here alongside many other people going through the same process. Our advice is to take a book and some food as you’re not allowed your phone and there are no refreshments on site. After our paperwork was checked, panicked passport photos re-taken, and payments made, we had our biometrics’ taken (fingerprints and eye scans) before we handed over our passports and were sent on our way.

4.       Your visa is then processed and issued, and you are instructed to collect your passport from the TLS centre.  Luckily our managers were able to arrange a third party to do this on our behalf as another trip to London would not have been cheap!  Once our passports had been posted back to us, we noticed they had only been issued for 3 months and thus expired mid-season at the end of Feb, not particularly helpful, but apparently the norm. This initial temporary visa at least allows you to get out to resort and start work.  

5.       Once out in resort your company should assist you in the process of applying for a visa extension as it’s just as much for their benefit as yours. For us this required an initial trip to Chambery to visit the Prefecture, again a date that we could not pick or change, so required some flexibility in terms of working days/hours. A temporary extension is then granted, and you can finish working the rest of the season in France.

You now have the choice to either end the process and finish the season on your temporary visa, an option if you don’t intend to work back in France in the foreseeable future, or you can continue the process and apply for your “Carte De Sejour Pluriannuelle”, a card which entitles you to complete seasonal work in France for 6 months a year for the next 3 years. 

We took the decision to continue the process and apply for this….and so the process continues…

6.       If you are going for your Carte De Sejour Pluriannuelle then a series of appointments are now required:

a)       Firstly, an appointment is necessary to have a chest x-ray. For us, our employer arranged for this in Albertville, so it was another trip down the mountain which was somewhat frustrating for what was a very quick appointment, but at least gave us a chance to get a McDonalds!

b)      Next up was a long and laborious trip to Grenoble to have a medical examination which consisted of a doctor checking your chest x-ray and the odd prod and poke to make sure you’re in general good health (thank god they don’t check chalet host livers!).  The doctor then issues you with your medical certificate.

c)       A visit back to the Prefecture to collect your Carte de Sejour Pluriannuelle is the final hurdle.  The card replaces your temporary extension, and you are given a card valid until the date you initially started the process, so for us it is now valid until Feb 2025.  Our experience of this last appointment was far from fun, queuing alongside hundreds of other seasonnaire’s despite it simply requiring handing over the doctor’s medical certificate, returning your temporary visa and proving you have paid the fee.  

We anticipate that this will be the process that anyone with a British passport who wants to work in France will have to go through, but things can change, and this was the first time it has been implemented so your experience may be different. 

A few final points to highlight are that in general the process is long, laborious and comes at a cost.  We were lucky to have a supportive employer who helped coordinate and arrange the paperwork and appointments but be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting around for things to be processed and issued.  With regards to costs, again this will vary depending on your employer and what they are prepared to offer.  The cost of the visa is somewhere around £100, and if you go on to collect your Carte De Sejour Pluriannuelle this cost us £75.  Best bet is to check out what companies are offering you in terms of support and re-imbursements of costs and don’t forget to include other expenses such as travel and accommodation which you may incur. 

For us, although we continue to reminisce about how lucky and simple things were pre-Brexit, now, with the opportunity to continue to work as chalet hosts in France now for the next 3 years, the process has been worth it.   

10 Ultimate Alpine Dishes to Try Before Your Season

Who doesn’t enjoy some traditional mountain cuisine? Often rich and moreish, it’s exactly the kind of food you need after working hard on the slopes, in the cold and at altitude.

To decide the top ten, ultimate Alpine dishes, we looked to the big five European ski destinations to determine the answer. After careful consideration, we choose two of the top dishes from each country.

If you’re looking to try a ski season, firstly, good choice and, secondly, trying some of these dishes beforehand is a great starting point to really capture the Alpine essence. So, checking them out now gives you a head start and will get you in the skiing mood. There’s links to recipes for each dish.

France

Tartiflette

We’re starting off with a very well-known Alpine dish, tartiflette. When researching for this article, tartiflette consistently came up as a ‘must try’ mountain meal. The dish hails from the Savoie Region in the French Alps and is a true authentic Alpine delicacy.

The dish is made with reblochon cheese, potatoes, lardons and onions arranged into layers in a large dish and baked in an oven until bubbling with a thin crispy top. To best accompany the tartiflette, the French would insist on a salad, gherkins and charcuterie, which we would agree with! Tartiflette is indulgent, rich and delicious and a must try if you’re in the French Alps! Recipe

Diot de Savoie

This second French dish also originates from the Savoie Region, clearly the people of the Savoie know what they’re doing when it comes to food!

Diot are pork sausages pronounced ‘deeyo’, they come in many varieties, the most common, natural and smoked. They’re made with fatty pork, seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Although not sounding terribly exciting, they’re rich in flavour and incredibly moreish.

Diot de Savoie is a very popular dish in the French Alps consisting of natural diot in a thin white wine sauce with onions and served with potatoes, lentils or gratin. It’s scrumptious, packed with flavour and full of Alpine cuisine authenticity. Recipe

Austria

Beef Goulash

Goulash soup actually originates from Hungry but has become a beloved traditional dish in Austria and can be found in almost every Alpine restaurant. Austrian beef goulash however is quite different from the Hungarian version, it’s much thicker with a rich gravy more stew like and only contains beef and onions, unlike Hungarian goulash.

Beef Goulash cooks for around three hours, making the meat incredibly tender and the gravy full of flavour. The dish is the ultimate warming food and just what you’d fancy in front of a roaring fire after a long day on the mountain. Recipe

Kaiserschmarrn

This next Austrian dish is a sweet one. Kaiserschmarrn, also known as Emperors Mess, gets its name from the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I who loved this desert, so much so they named it after him!

Kaiserschmarrn is a sweet pancake with rum-soaked raisins, torn into bite-size pieces and dusted with icing sugar. The pancake is light and fluffy: a carb lover’s dream and is traditionally served with a plum compote adding a complementary tartness to the sweet. Do you need any more persuasion?! Besides, if it’s good enough for an emperor, then it’s good enough for us! Recipe + Compote recipe  

Germany

Schweinshaxe and Knödel

Schweinshaxe and Knödel is ham hock or ‘pork knuckle’ as it’s locally known, with bread dumplings. The schweinshaxe is cooked on a spit rotisserie making the skin crispy and salty but beautifully tender on the inside, so it falls of the bone. It’s flavoured with herbs and beer. The knödel (bread dumplings) are made from stale bread rolls, with onions, parsley and nutmeg for flavour, they’re the perfect moreish accoutrement.

Both parts of this dish are Bavarian specialities and severed everywhere in Bavaria, they’re a key part of Bavaria’s traditional beer culture. It’s a really hearty, traditional dish perfect to enjoy on a sun-soaked deck on the slopes. Recipe + Knödel recipe  

Pichelsteiner

This next German dish is another typical, Bavarian Alpine meal; a meat and vegetable stew. Pichelsteiner is an old dish dating back to 1894, it was often cooked outside, providing an easy and tasty meal for local farmers and shepherds up the mountain.

The meat is a combination of beef, pork and mutton and paired with carrots, potatoes, leeks, cabbage and sometimes onion and celery. This simple dish is meant to warm numb fingers and toes, traditionally served piping hot on cold or rainy days. It really is the ultimate comfort food, just what’s needed on a freezing skiing day. Recipe

Switzerland

Basler Läckerli

Basler Läckerli are gingerbread biscuits. Their name, ‘Läckerli’, is a German word that literally translates as ‘delicious’, which says it all! Despite being a variation of the traditional European gingerbread biscuit, Basler Läckerli don’t contain any ginger. However, they’re sweet, spicy and have a bite. Hazelnuts and almonds provide said bite and honey, candied fruit peel, Kirsch and a variety of spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg are all key ingredients. The biscuits are glazed in a sugar icing for extra sweetness.

These sweet treats originate from the city of Basel where it is believed they’ve been making them since the Middle Ages. Basel lies like a gateway city to the Swiss Alps, hence the biscuits common occurrence in the mountains. They’re the perfect treat with a coffee in the sun. Recipe

Tarte Myrtilles

This dish might be more familiar to you. Tarte myrtilles is a real traditional Alpine desert born in the Alps. The main ingredient, Myrtilles or bilberries (like blueberries), are native to Swiss and French mountain meadows, so, locals have been utilising these berries for decades in their cooking. It’s an uncomplicated dish with a simple pâte sucrée base (sweet short pastry) that’s covered by a layer of crème patissière, with myrtilles layered on top in a dark, glistening mass.

The sweet and fruity tarte myrtilles is a must try on your next venture to the Alps, whether it’s summer or winter this desert is the perfect way to end a meal overlooking mountain views. Recipe

Italy

Mezzelune

Mezzelune, also known as Schlutzkrapfen, is a pasta dish from the South Tyrol region in Italy, home to the Dolomites. With the South Tyrol mountain range very close to the Austrian border, German and Italian are both widely spoken, meaning many Alpine dishes have an Italian and German name.

In Italian the word mezzelune translates to ‘half moon’ which describes the semi-circle shape of this pasta. Similar to ravioli, mezzelune is filled, the filling is spinach and curd cheese, also known as quark, and served in a brown butter sauce with chives and parmesan. What’s more to like than cheesy, buttery pasta?! Recipe

Hirschgulasch

Hirschgulasch is venison goulash, which is a kind of cross between soup and stew. It’s a rich, meaty, warming dish – just what’s needed to re-fuel on an icy day on the slopes.

Venison is a popular meat in the Italian mountains and used in many dishes, here it’s cooked in red wine with herbs and a variety of vegetables: carrots, onions, celeriac and porcini mushrooms. Juniper berries are also a key ingredient as they complement the venison beautifully. The dish is traditionally served with a cranberry compote and often soft polenta, which is found everywhere in Italian Alpine cuisine, here it’s great for soaking up the juices. Is your mouth watering too?! Recipe

So, there you have it, our take on the top 10 Alpine dishes. Hopefully they’ve whet your appetite and got your cookery mind buzzing! This article comes from The Chalet Company who provide fully catered ski holidays in Meribel, France and pride themselves on their top notch chalet food.

Fresh Tracks Newsletter June 2021

Summer's arriving...

It's been a long time coming but with the sun coming out and exams coming to an end it's definitely starting to feel more like summer. So what does this mean in relation to chalet hosting and what's going to happen over the next few months? Let's take a look into our crystal ball and have a go at giving you the low-down....

---

Recruitment has started!

If you have got your finger on the pulse you may have seen that ski companies have started their recruitment drive. Sure it is a little later than in previous year's, but I think we can forgive them for that, given the challenges they faced last winter trying to navigate the fallout from Coronavirus and the impact of Brexit, which is still the big uncertainty. We have been regularly checking in with our contacts in the industry to gauge how they are looking to move forward. Here is what we have gathered...

Jobs for chalet host positions are now being advertised.

If you have an EU passport then 100% you should be getting on with your applications. However if you hold a UK passport things are still a little tricky. There continues to be lack of clarity and a lot of uncertainty about the recruitment of British workers as chalet hosts for the coming winter. As a result ski companies are taking two different approaches:

• many companies are being cautious and hoping they can fill all of their chalet host positions with applicants from the EU, or people who are legally able to live and work in the EU;

• a handful of other companies are anticipating that things will get sorted out over the summer to allow employment of British workers and are accepting applications from all passport holders.

What we do know is that it will be a competitive field for chalet host jobs this coming winter and so you will need to be able to show how you have the skills to do the job. Let's take a look at how you might do this.

---

How To Prepare

Now is the time for you to focus on what is within your control when it comes to finding a chalet host job, and this means making sure your application stands out. Luckily here at Fresh Tracks we've got a few suggestions for you...

• Why not start by checking out our Fresh Tracks "Getting A Job" Course. It will take you step by step through the best way to make your application from researching which companies to apply to, to how to put together your CV, menu plan and covering letter, to what to expect at interview. Or take advantage of a 20% discount and pair this up with our Level 2 Food Hygiene Course by getting your hands on our Jobs Bundle.

• Get some hospitality experience. The absolute best way to show you would be a great chalet host is to back this up with some evidence. There are loads of jobs going out there in the hospitality sector from working in your local café, to pot washing in a commercial kitchen to helping clean holiday properties. Summer always creates a massive demand for staff and this year even more so with the rise of the "Staycation". So get out there and gain some skills.

• Get yourself along to the National Snow Show which is being held at the NEC in Birmingham on 23rd/24th October. A great place to make contacts within the industry "The National Snow Show is the base for the UK’s ski & snowboard community to get together in a sociable way, gear up & plan for their next trip over a few beers at our Alpine Aprés bar." Click on the image below to find out what's on.

• Finally if you want to truly understand what it's like to be a chalet host and to give your application the best possible shot, it's defiantly worthwhile booking one of our residential courses. Not only will they give you a taste for the real thing, look great on your CV, you will learn useful life skills, make long-term friendships and have a total blast with us down in the beautiful Polzeath in Cornwall. But be quick spaces are filling up!!

---

Don't Be A Stranger

Sometimes just talking to someone helps...and we don't bite, so pick up the phone and give us a call if you have any questions (07497368663) or drop us an email (info@freshtrackschaletschool.com).

Thanks for reading.
Steve & Becky
xx

2020 - A Crazy Year!

Everyone’s saying it so we thought it was about time we did as well, its been the craziest year, with one winter season ending early and the upcoming 2020/21 dominated by uncertainty. However, as it turns out Fresh Tracks actually had a good year…say what!!

So ok perhaps our 2019/20 seasons didn’t finish quite as anticipated…shredding spring pow, drinking Aperol spritz in the sunshine and having BBQ’s whilst deep cleaning our chalets, but we had a good time up to then, and the parties in resorts when lockdown was announced will be remembered for a long time to come. For us personally the end of the season coincided with us catching the virus, but  having made it back to the UK to isolate, a loss of taste and smell at least wasn’t going to ruin any guests experience of our cooking.

Unfortunately, however Rona did put a swift end to our plans to run the spring residential courses in 2020. “Pivoting” was the buzz word being used by small businesses trying to adapt to the new normal and so that’s what we did.  After a lockdown spent transforming what we teach on the residential to an online package, and along with the rest of the nation in acquiring a zoom account, we were really pleased to run 2 weeks’ worth of courses to 27 students. The virtual courses delivered lessons which content continued to focus on how to be a fantastic chalet host and make the most of a winter season and accompanying this, students were given a 7 day self-paced cooking guide in which to practice chalet style cooking at home. The results and feedback were epic with students starting to get job offers and looking forward to the winter ahead.

Fresh Tracks then turned its focus to the autumn residential courses, could they run or not? Despite nerves of meeting regulations and legal requirements, 5 weeks of residential courses went ahead successfully. A total of 39 students came from far and wide with positive energy and enthusiasm and just pleased to be doing something at least.  New skills were learnt, challenges faced, problems solved, and new friendships made, all with tons of laughter and a healthy dose of banter along the way. The last course finished just in time for Boris to announce the start of the next lockdown.

However, the question all of the students were asking was, will there be a winter season at all and if so what will it be like?  Well I know we’re good here at Fresh Tracks, but the honest answer is we don’t know. It will be different for sure. What we do know is that all of the students had a positive approach to the future and where not discouraged by the challenges this winter faces and continue to be inspired to find work in the mountains. Each participant recognised the invaluable skills that working as a chalet host provides and are determined that at some point to go on to achieve this dream. 

Corona aside, the ski and hospitality industries face other challenges at this time, with Brexit looming and changes in EU employment regulations, it seems they have a lot on their plate. However, if the industry can just look at these students and see the talent and passion out there, then they can use this to fuel their drive to make winter seasons succeed once again.  Winter 2020/21 will be different and for us all, but if 2020 has taught Fresh Tracks anything it is that sometimes you have to get creative and solve problems as you go, just like being a good chalet host I guess!!

Snowy intentions in sunny locations

Thinking about working a winter season didn’t put students off from making the most of the sunshine for the first round of training at Fresh Tracks Chalet Hosting and Cookery School this June. In fact, if anything, the hot weather was a bonus enabling everyone to get out and make the most of the fantastic location from which the course is run.  The students, who came from a real mix of backgrounds and with varying degrees of experiences, saw initial nerves quickly replaced by an overwhelming sense of luck at what an amazing location we are in. Located only 200 meters from Harlyn Bay, one of North Cornwall’s most stunning beaches, the venue for the course not only provides a great setting in which to learn but also in which to have an awesome time.

Busy mornings starting at 7am had students cooking breakfasts, preparing afternoon tea and prepping evening meals and where followed by practical cleaning sessions and Anna’s famous “quiz of the day”.  Informal and informative theory sessions on the essential topics of how to become the best possible chalet host were then discussed and after further cooking practice and a wholesome lunch, there was the opportunity to get outdoors. Donning our sun cream (although not so well on occasions!) and with beach towels in hand, students and tutors alike capitalised on the sunny weather and warm(ish) water to relax and unwind in the afternoons.   

Daily timetabled free periods plus a Wednesday afternoon off meant we could all get out and about and whether we were jumping of the cliffs, fishing at sunrise or sunset, eating ice creams in nearby Newquay or chilling on the sun terrace I think it’s fair to say that the summer intake of Fresh Tracks students all had a great time.

The venue provided a cool and comfortable environment in which to continue late afternoon discussions and we didn’t need to venture to nearby Padstow for a traditional Cornish cream tea when students were practicing them for afternoon tea in the chalet school.  Evenings had us munching tasty canapes and 3 course meals and whilst it seemed a little odd to be eating traditional winter menus all the meals were all tasty and delicious.  Trying to create a typical ski chalet style ambiance each evening was not so easy (no log fires required!) and with world cup fever gripping the nation, the Fresh Tracks team compromised on the dinner party theme one evening to watch England progress through to the Quarter-Finals.    

Invited guests to evening dinners enabled students to practice their welcoming speeches and hosting skills and everyone was well fed and watered, some lucky guests even joined us to celebrate the summer solstice down on the beach.  The fun mix of practical and theory sessions ensured students learnt about all relevant topics of how to be the consummate chalet host in a ski resort and emphasised the Fresh Tracks ethos of taking passion and pride in whatever it is you do.

The summer has also seen Fresh Tracks develop stronger relationships with a number of ski companies, and so with CV’s and covering letters perfected throughout the week, interviews underway, we are really excited to see our students looking forward to snowy winters in the mountains, despite it now “Not Coming Home” and the hot summer sun continuing to shine on the North Cornish coast and Harlyn Bay.