Snow Cooks

Chalet Host Cookery Courses

 

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We run practical cookery courses from June until November covering all aspects of cooking and hosting a chalet in a ski resort, 

Now Taking Bookings for 2023 Courses

Private Catering and Meal Delivery Service available during the winter months 

Simply click the button or call us on 0033 646598149 to find out availability.

Have you dreamed of working a ski season in a chalet? Snow Cooks are offering the perfect course to make that a reality!

  Or maybe you just fancy a week's holiday in an Alpine village learning to cook some fabulous dishes to impress your friends!

Working a ski season has become very popular over the past 20 years for not only the teenagers taking a year out, but for all ages seeking a change in lifestyle.  It will give you an opportunity to spend a season in a beautiful mountain resort experiencing the culture of another country as well as master the art of snowsports in a season, rather than just the one week's holiday per year you get.  You will also get to perfect your cooking skills which along with the friends you make, will stay with you for life!  Whether it be a one-off season or making the mountains your permanent home, you truly will have an unforgettable time.  

Who we are

Having spent more than 25 years running a catered chalet company and living in the French Alps, we want to inspire a new generation of keen skiers and cooks.  Our practical chalet cookery course during the months from May until November covers all aspects of hosting and cooking in a ski chalet.  With experience not only training our own chalet staff over the years, but also working as a freelance private chef and as a restaurateur in France, Mel, your tutor has a great passion for food as well as skiing which she believes to be the perfect blend to make an ideal chalet host.  Everything is cooked from scratch - using fresh ingredients.  You'll be amazed at what you can produce by the end of the week and it will give you a new enthusiasm to cooking at home. 

 

Where we are

The courses will be held in Chalet Viva, a real chalet which is situated in the heart of the lovely traditional village of Peisey Nancroix in the French Alps, at the gateway to the National Vanoise Park.  They run from May until November for the duration of a week. Take a look at the selected dates as they do not run every week. There are lots of great activities, easily accessible during the summer months, making this a really fun playground for all ages.  Mountain biking, hiking up to a glacial lake, foraging mushrooms, climbing a rock face or canoeing down the white water, there is something for everyone to enjoy, even if you just prefer to sit by the swimming pool in Les Arcs!

Why choose us

Courses are based in a typical Alpine Chalet in a French Ski Resort, you gain first hand experience not only with the cooking course but also how everything operates in a working chalet. This experience means you can hit the ground running when you take over a chalet in the alps.  Having run our own catered chalet company for over 20 years we have a long list of companies who seek staff for the winter season and some companies will visit the chalet to interview you while on the course, it's these extras that make Snowcooks the most sought after courses in the alps.

With a wealth of experience as not only hosts and cooks, but in chalet staff recruitment, we can confidently lead you to offers of seasonal employment with a chalet company.  What a great way to combine learning cooking skills, which will not only stay with you for life, but also give you the confidence to run a ski chalet at the same time as staying in a beautiful location and enjoying some incredible alpine activities such as white-water rafting or Via Ferrata.  You'll also get to meet other like-minded people, whom you may even end up working with. We offer a week long course at an affordable price which is enough time to follow a chalet menu plus learn the ins and outs of hosting a chalet.  If you have had some cooking experience, we also offer online courses based on 20 hours plus homework assignments - these have proved popular this year and students are still managing to get jobs based on doing the course this way.

If you are more interested in a holiday in a mountain village during the summer with some cooking classes rather than working a ski season, we can also offer groups a week's package.  You will get to eat the food too!

Competition is fierce for the jobs, especially since Brexit, so at least a chalet course will give you a fighting chance!  Most students have successfully secured a job in a chalet for the ski season as a result of completing the course....some are still here and others have gone on to work on yachts, barge cruises and in restaurants.  Your life could take a new direction but one thing is for sure - you'll never look back.

 

 

Course dates from May until November

Please book soon to avoid disappointment .

View cookery course dates

Family Ski

La Source

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Snow Place Like Home

Snowplace Like Home logo

Alpine Ethos

What people say about us

Thanks for all the cooking skills and top tips….they will stay with me for life!

Danny, Cheltenham

The Snow Cooks course is an in-at-the-deep-end, hands-on, practical course in a real-life chalet in the French Alps. It has given me the confidence to apply for chalet posts with excitement, knowing that I will be able to cope and hit the ground running as soon as I arrive. It’s a great way to learn about chalet cooking and chalet preparations, while having a bit of fun in the process.

Thank you Mel & team.
 

Zoltan, UK

Melanie was able to offer a high standard of tuition in an Alpine setting exposing us to local seasonal produce and a realistic idea of budgets within resort. We were encouraged to use our initiative and had help and advice on providing excellent food and maximising our skiing time as these are two of Melanie’s greatest passions.

Pip

Great to spend a week learning to cook in a real chalet in the Alps. I learnt so much and have already received an offer of employment for the coming winter season.  Thanks to you and the team   Peter

Amazing week in Chalet Viva, learnt lots of tricks of the trade and had fun in the process! 

 

Clara

Thanks to the team for a great week in the kitchen and also up the mountain.  We have learnt so much more than just cooking and are looking forward to applying for jobs in a chalet, knowing that we have the skills.

Ben and Tess

This was a fantastic course to do!  I couldn't recommend this enough. I feel way more prepared for a chalet host/chef role than I ever thought I would!  Thank you for a brilliant week. Don't miss out on this course, it will make you desperate to get straight out on a season!

Elizabeth

Just wanted to say thanks for setting up the interview with Alpine Generation. They offered me the job!

Josie

Thank you for an amazing week!  I learnt so much and am so excited for the season to start now.  I can't stop baking for my family now- they're very impressed!!

Ellie
Thank you so much for the course! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it. 
You put in so much time and effort for us while we were there to ensure we had the best of experiences with the best of people. 
 
You have given me a passion for cooking which i hope to go on and use on a Ski season but if not cookery skills for life!
Once again Thank you so much,
 
Kind regards,
 
Ethan
Dear Melanie
Thank you so much for hosting such a fantastic cookery course. I will highly recommend your course to Tito's friends' parents if they ask. He also loved Peisey and Les arcs. He wished he could have stayed few more days as he really enjoyed the mountains.
Tito was so happy with the course and he said that he learnt a lot. He went through the recipes and could not stop mentioning how delicious the meals were. He is going to buy a slow cooker and he has already mentioned at least 10 recipes he would like to make at home. I can't wait to taste them. Sophie

Just finished up the best season ever in Val. Keep doing what you're doing it's a fantastic service you're running

 

Sarah



I Just wanted to say thank you so much for running the course. I had a great time and learnt so much; it has made me even more excited to work this ski season. You were an excellent teacher

 
Alice
 
Thanks so much for a great week - I learnt so much and really enjoyed it. Also please pass on my thanks to Suze aswell - she was a great teacher
Soph

Amelia and I wanted to let you know we have officially got jobs with Skibeat!!! We both accepted yesterday.



Thank you so much for all of the help and support,

 
Jasmin

 

I absolutely loved the course and it's boosted my confidence and motivation so much, thank you too with all the help on recommending companies to apply to. I hope this might be the first season of many more! 

Your support has been so helpful when applying for jobs & I’d love to stay in touch. I still recommend people to do your course, it was brilliant! 

Becky

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0033 646598149 | talktous@snowcooks.com

SARL Ski Hiver
Maison Gentiane
Rue de la Chenalette 73210
Peisey Nancroix
France

www.snowcooks.com