Food & Drink
At Alpine Ethos we love our food and drink as much as our time on the slopes and as foodies we understand that it’s a big part of any skiing and boarding holiday. We love hearty home cooked meals using good quality ingredients and will always make sure there is enough for seconds so you’ll never go hungry.
When you book with Alpine Ethos you can choose a catering package to suit your party. We offer delicious fully catered packages in both our Chalets as well as more flexible semi-catered and self-catered packages in Chalet St Joseph.
We really do have a passion for food and always use quality ingredients
sourced locally wherever possible. Our varied menus cater for all tastes
and we’re constantly on the lookout for new ideas and recipes to add to
our repertoire. We are also more than happy to cater for any dietary requirements
(or dislikes) and feel strongly that whatever your needs you should have
a fantastic culinary experience.
We also take great care in preparing fresh and wholesome food for our younger guests. Older children may prefer to eat with the adults and have the same or a variation of that night’s menu or alternatively we can offer yummy 2-course children’s meals served at an earlier time.
Chalets Ballenberg & St Joseph - Fully Catered
Guests choosing the fully catered option in either of our chalets can expect the following:
- Cooked / continental breakfast served each morning (continental only on 1 day);
- Afternoon tea with freshly baked home made cakes and cookies, a selection of teas and coffee plus vin chaud / hot toddies served on 6 out of 7 days;
- Complimentary pre-dinner aperitif and nibbles;
- A delicious 4-course evening meal with wine / beer, coffee and chocolates served on 6-nights out of 7;
- An honesty bar stocked with a selection of beers, wines, soft drinks and snacks;
- Complimentary luxury toiletries by L’Occitane of Provence;
- Optional social skiing; and
- Private in-resort minibus service.
Breakfast
A scrumptious and hearty cooked and continental breakfast is prepared
on 6 mornings where guests have the option of a full English breakfast
with eggs cooked to their liking, one other cooked option (e.g. Blueberry
Pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and mascarpone; Omelettes cooked to
order with a variety of fillings; or Vanilla French Toast with a raspberry
and orange compote) and a continental selection of breads, croissants and
pain au chocolat, juices, fruit, yoghurts, cereals and porridge.
Breakfast is usually served for one hour each morning at a time to suit the guests.
On one morning each week (chalet chef’s day off) a delicious continental spread is laid out for guests to help themselves.
Afternoon Tea
When guests return to the chalet after a long day on the slopes they are greeted by a delicious spread of cakes, cookies, fresh bread and preserves (on 6 days of your stay). A selection of teas, coffees and hot chocolate are also available plus vin chaud or another hot toddy for those that need extra warmth!
Afternoon tea is usually laid out from 4.30pm.
Evening Meal
The evening meal is definitely the highlight of the day and is when everyone comes together over fantastic food and wine to share the events of that day’s skiing or boarding.
To start the evening guests are offered a sparkling wine or Kir accompanied
by nibbles. Guests palates are then tempted by the delicious and varied
four-course menus served on 6 nights of their stay. Carefully selected
red and white French wines flow freely throughout the evening and for those
that prefer the grain to the grape, beer is also available. The culinary
experience is then rounded off with freshly brewed coffee and after dinner
chocolates served in the lounge area.
Dinner is served at a time to suit guests but usually at 7.30pm or 8pm.
Dinner menu one
Homemade Cod, Lemon and Parsley fishcakes with a tartar-style mayo.
Slow Roasted Pork with a Normandy Mustard Sauce served with Crispy Roast Potatoes, a Beetroot Puree and Haricots Verts tossed in lemon and hazelnuts.
Raspberry, Tarragon and Black Pepper Crème Brulee.
Dinner menu two
Baked Camembert with a selection of cold meats and an onion confit.
Pan seared duck breast with a spiced cherry sauce, served with Dauphinois Potatoes and Caramelised Carrots.
Hot chocolate fondant served with homemade amaretto ice-cream.
Chalet St Joseph – Optional Catering Packages
You have the choice of 3 catering options when you stay at Chalet St. Joseph:
Fully catered
For an additional £195 per person (£245 in Christmas and New Year weeks) you can enjoy the same fully catered package as in Chalet Ballenberg with cooked and continental breakfasts, afternoon tea and four-course evening meals with wine and beer (see above). Discount available for children under the age of 12.
Semi-catered
For £135 per person this package allows you to enjoy our delicious home-cooked breakfasts every day and 4 course dinners for three nights of your stay giving you the opportunity to sample the local mountain restaurants and indulge in a couple of extra après ski beers in the local bars on the other four nights of your holiday.
Our semi catered package includes:
- Cooked breakfasts on 6 mornings of your stay (continental breakfast on one morning)
- A delicious 4 course meal on 3 nights of your stay with wine and beer
- A selection of teas and coffees • Complimentary luxury toiletries by L’Occitane of Provence
- Optional social skiing
- A washing up pack containing sponges, washing-up liquid etc
- Private in resort minibus service to and from the slopes each day.
Self catered
we provide you with bed linen, towels, robes and a fully equipped kitchen and you do the rest. Don’t forget you can always take advantage of our freshly prepared 2 course ready meals!
Special Dietary Requirements
If you have any special dietary needs or allergies or just have a strong aversion to certain foods, we will be only too happy to adapt our menu to suit you. However, to ensure that we are able to fully cater for your requirements please do inform us at the time of booking (there is a dedicated box on our booking forms to enable details to be provided).
Children’s meals
For our younger guests aged 12 and under we offer freshly prepared 2-course children’s meals served at an earlier time to the adult’s dinner. However, if parents would prefer their child to eat with the adults this is possible and we will be happy to provide smaller portions of the adult courses, or if preferred a slight variation of the dishes can be arranged to suit younger palates.
Our yummy and freshly prepared 2-course children’s meals are usually served at 6pm however this is fairly flexible and we will be happy to alter the time slightly to suit the party.
Please let us know at the time of booking which option your children would prefer. It is also useful if you can provide us with details of their favourite foods and any strong dislikes so we can ensure they are happy and well fed during their stay.
Baby Packages
For our guests under two years of age we provide a “Baby package” within the holiday price. This includes the following:
- Travel cot & bedding
- Child friendly bowl, plate, cup and cutlery
- Highchair
- Baby bath
- Full fat milk
- Pureed fruit and vegetables
- Baby yoghurts
- Towels
In addition to our standard baby package, we can pre-arrange a variety of baby extras and have these ready for you when you arrive at the chalet. Ordering these additional items such as nappies, additional baby food, formula, creams etc could ease the pressure of packing and help make your stay more relaxed. The prices of individual items are available on request.
Oven Ready Meals for Self-Catered Guests
For smaller parties that are just occupying one or both apartments we can provide freshly prepared home cooked meals (including tempting desserts!) for you to heat and serve yourself in the comfort of your accommodation. Examples include rich and warming beef bourguignon served with gratin dauphinois and fresh vegetables, a comforting fish pie packed with cod, salmon and prawns, roasted vegetable lasagne with home made garlic bread and mixed salad leaves. Please drop us an email or give us a call for further info and prices.
Picnic lunches
Picnic lunches can be provided for all guests staying in either Chalet Ballenberg or Chalet St Joseph. They are priced at 7 Euros per person per day and include the following: your choice of salad or sandwich (choose from a selection of breads and fillings); bottled water or soft drink; a packet of crisps; and a piece of fruit or a snack bar.
Special Occasions and theme nights
For any special occasions e.g. birthdays, anniversaries, engagements etc we are very happy to arrange a cake, champagne, chocolates etc. Just let us know your requirements and we’ll provide you with a quote.
At Alpine Ethos we know that some groups love a more informal meal that lets everyone relax and have fun. We’re happy to offer options such as Indian and Mexican nights where guests can enjoy delicious fun food that many other chalet companies do not offer. If your group would enjoy nights like this let us know!
Chalet Staff Day Off
In order to give us and our staff a well earned rest we take one day off a week. For guests staying in Chalet Ballenberg or those opting for the 7-night Black package in St Joseph, a continental breakfast and afternoon tea will be laid out on this day and in the evening guests can take the opportunity to try one of the many local restaurants. We are more than happy to give recommendations on where to eat and make bookings on your behalf.