Meet Elizabeth & Stay At Cascarot in France

Meet Elizabeth... She has a warm heart, is a magnificent host, a fabulous cook, and fell in love with a hotel called Cascarot in France which she bought, renovated and still runs today.

Cascarot is situated on the banks of the River Saone in the tiny village of Lechâtelet, about 30 minutes south of Dijon in Burgundy. Perfectly placed for wine tours, just a short drive to Dole, Beaune, Nuits St. Georges  and much more. Cascarot was built in 1848, with 2 more floors added in the 1950’s. Since Elizabeth took Cascarot over, she has renovated it considerably and Cascarot can now sleep 14 people with 4 bed and breakfast rooms, all with private ensuites, 1 apartment for 4 people and a smaller apartment for 2 people. Both apartments are fully self contained and offer comfort and style as do the bed and breakfast rooms. Meals are available with reservation throughout the summer season, April to end October. 

I asked Elizabeth to share her Cascarot story with us today, and she is going to bless us with some ongoing stories and delicious recipes when she can fit that in.  You may like to keep your eyes out for her food photography - it blows my mind!

Will list contact details for Elizabeth at Cascarot at the base of the blog, so you can check it out further.

Over to you Elizabeth...

I remember so clearly the first time I saw Cascarot, we had been in Seurre, a village about 7 kms away picking up some wine and cheese, as you do, and I glanced in the window of a real  estate office, life changing! From the moment I saw Cascarot she held my heart, in fact I think she found me and not I her.  She was a bit shabby but had lovely bones.  

The renovations were extensive and perhaps, if I had more knowledge at the time, I might have been afraid!  Ignorance is bliss they say, too true.  She needed to be dragged into the current century. Previously there were 12 bedrooms and 1 bathroom which was the first problem.  

Renovating on such a large scale is always daunting, but throw into the mix that its happening in a foreign country and you’ve got a very interesting situation. I was being shown Cascarot with the then owner, Madame Stachetti, and in very poor french I asked her if it would be a wrench selling Cascarot, her response ‘comme ci, come ca’ which translates to ‘like this, like that’. It had been in Madame Stachetti’s family for 4 generations. Some time later I showed Madame the plans for the renovations and she was thrilled and kept telling me how much her mother would love what I was doing, and how much she would have liked me.  We used to sit at my computer when she visited and talk via Google Translate, these days thats not so necessary.  She still visits regularly and brings me flowers and fruit from her garden. The renovations are still not complete, but, all of the work I really wanted done is finished. Cascarot now boasts, 4 bed and breakfast rooms, 2 apartments, 3 new kitchens, 8 new bathrooms, a renovated bar and the jewel in the crown would be the terrace alongside the River Saone.  

Boats pass by daily which is lovely to see. Running Cascarot, and all that entails is such a far cry from my previous work as a radio journalist in Perth, you can’t imagine. Daily I prepare menus, serve food and drinks, attend to clients in the various accomodation areas. I have introduced the French clientele to the joys of the BBQ, and they cook for themselves which has been a very interesting experiment, some take to it, others not so much!  Its not a long season, April through October but by the end of it I’m ready for some down time, after the spring cleaning of course.  

I split my time between families in the UK and Australia and life in France.  I think I am blessed to have been on this journey, particularly at the end of a long day I can sit on the terrace by the River and enjoy a glass of wine watching the sunset, glorious colours always….c’est ma vie en France!

Elizabeth McQuinn
Cascarot Hotel
2 Grande Rue, 21250 Lechatelet, France
+ 33 3 80 47 01 94