Lottie Tork and Jean-Marc Teychenne
(Picture: Lottie Tork)Lottie Tork moved to the UK from her native Netherlands when she was in her twenties and, before Brexit, she had considered herself a proud Londoner.
She met her partner, Jean-Marc Teychenne, here, worked in local government before deciding on a career change and setting up the Feest Cafe near Newington Green, and the couple put down roots in Northolt where they bought a three-bedroom 1960s built prefab house.
But, and slightly to her surprise, Lottie, 52, found herself thoroughly unsettled by the UK’s decision to exit the European Union.
“I had been here for 27 years or so, I had never been without work, I had always paid my taxes and done everything by the book,” said Lottie. “Suddenly I just did not feel welcome.”
She and Jean-Marc, 56, who was teaching photography at a centre in Hillingdon, decided their best option was to decamp to his native France, and agreed that the beautiful, mountainous Ardèche region, where they had regularly enjoyed holidays, was the perfect location.
Their initial plan was to buy a rural property and use it to host small private retreats. And they found a 300-year-old former chestnut farm, which came with outbuildings plus five acres of woodland and gardens.
It took them a year to negotiate the sale, and find a buyer for their London house, but finally, in early 2020, they were ready to relocate to south east France.
They had sold their London home for around £350,000 – which was almost exactly what they paid for their Ardèche property.
But although the finances stacked up their timing was terrible. “Two weeks after we arrived France went into a really, really strict lockdown,” said Lottie. “We just soldiered on, renovating and decorating the house.”
With their original plan to host groups in disarray thanks to social distancing rules, Lottie and Jean-Marc decided to offer bed and breakfast accommodation instead.
They live in the main three-bedroom farmhouse while guests can stay in either a romantic woodland cabin, a cottage, or at their small glampsite. In total they can accommodate up to 14 people at a time.
They named the business Margot’s Retreat (@margotsretreat) and since they opened their doors, in August 2020 business has been brisk.
“We have been very busy,” said Lottie. “Obviously winter is different to summer, people come for a few days not two weeks, but we have had continuous business, mostly from French people because of travel restrictions, but also from Belgium, and the Netherlands, and – more recently – from the UK as well.”
Many people move to rural France in search of a more relaxing lifestyle. For Lottie and Jean-Marc, what with setting up and running a hospitality business and ongoing renovation of their house, they are, if anything, busier than ever.
“I don’t really have any free time,” said Lottie. “It is great, and I wouldn’t change it for the world, but it is fast paced.”
