By Yohann Perié, private chef
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Spending 31 December at the chalet in Courchevel has real advantages: no snowy drive home, no table to book months in advance, children asleep in the next room. That leaves the dinner itself, which cannot be prepared between runs. Here is how I organise New Year's Eve when I am cooking for your week at the chalet.
New Year's Eve at the heart of the week
I do not come up to the Tarentaise for a one-off dinner, and 31 December is no exception. New Year's Eve falls within a week when I am already cooking for you: by then I know the chalet, the kitchen, everyone's tastes and the household's routine. The celebration is not a service parachuted in from outside; it is the highlight of a stay that is already running smoothly.
During the week, I cook proper holiday food: generous, seasonal, made for gathering round the table after skiing. On the 31st, I change gear. The New Year's Eve dinner is a more refined celebration meal, built around exceptional produce, with service to match the occasion. It is the night I put in that extra effort, so that it feels like no other evening of the week.
That is also what allows me to do things properly. In the days beforehand, I prepare whatever can be made ahead: stocks, bases, desserts that benefit from resting. On the 31st, all that remains is the evening's cooking, the kind that has to be done at the last minute.
A menu planned before you arrive
The New Year's Eve menu is settled in advance, as we talk things through before your stay. Tell me what you would enjoy: an ingredient you look forward to every year, a dish that is part of your traditions, what the children will eat. Some festive ingredients have to be ordered ahead; by deciding early, I can make sure they are there on the night.
Everything else comes from the valley: Savoie cheeses and Beaufort from the Moûtiers dairy cooperative, the Tarentaise markets, local producers. A New Year's Eve in the mountains can quite happily bring a Savoyard touch to one dish and the refinement of a festive table to the rest.
The evening of the 31st
The skiing does not stop for the occasion. You come back from the slopes, the children have a hot afternoon snack around four if your package includes it, and the evening starts whenever you are ready. I lay the table and serve each course plated, at whatever pace you want the evening to take. For the youngest, there can be a separate, earlier meal or the same menu adapted for them: we decide together.
By midnight, dessert has been served and the kitchen is already tidy. You see in the new year with a clear mind, without the pile of washing-up that usually waits for the next morning: the year starts calmly.
What it costs
There is no separate rate for New Year's Eve. It is included in your stay package, set out on the Courchevel page: Confort from €400 a day, Sérénité from €500, Prestige from €600, at the same rate for 2 to 10 guests. If friends join you for the evening and there are more than ten of you, I will prepare a bespoke quote.
Over New Year, three days is not enough to prepare a celebration worthy of the name: the minimum length of the stay is agreed together, depending on your dates.
As for the rest of the stay, the following are extra: ingredients, charged at cost against receipts, my travel, a hire car on site and my accommodation nearby. Ingredients for New Year's Eve cost more than for an ordinary dinner during the week, and you can see that line by line on the receipts. Champagne and wines are yours to choose and pay for; I am happy to advise, Savoie wines included.
What about Christmas?
Christmas I spend with my family. I give a great deal of my time to my clients throughout the year; that evening, I keep for my own. New Year's Eve, on the other hand, I devote to my clients, and I prepare it as the highlight of their stay.
Preparing for the festive week
A few weeks before you arrive, we go over everything together. The number of guests on New Year's Eve, which may be higher than for the rest of the week if friends are joining you. Everyone's tastes and requirements, children included. The chalet kitchen's equipment, which I check with you so there are no surprises on the first day: the size of the oven, the number of rings, enough crockery for a large table. And the wine: it is for you to provide, and the simplest option is often to bring it up with you, or to ask me for advice on buying it in the valley.
On the day you arrive, the week begins like any other, around the skiing. New Year's Eve is prepared in the background, without you having to give it a thought.
Your questions about a private chef in Courchevel
How much does a private chef cost for New Year's Eve at the chalet?
There is no separate rate: New Year's Eve is part of your stay package, from €400, €500 or €600 a day depending on the number of meals. Festive ingredients, which cost more, are recharged at cost against receipts.
Can I book a chef just for 31 December?
No. New Year's Eve is part of a stay whose minimum length we agree together, so that there is time to prepare it properly: it is the highlight.
Are you available at Christmas?
No: Christmas I spend with my family. I am, however, available for New Year week.
Can the menu include special ingredients?
Yes, provided we discuss it early enough. Some festive ingredients have to be ordered in advance, which is why it is worth settling the menu before you arrive.
What about the children?
We plan it with you: an earlier meal in the evening, or the same menu adapted for them. Nobody goes hungry.
Is champagne provided?
No. Champagne and wines are yours to choose and pay for; I am happy to advise on pairings.
Book now
This is the most important point in the whole article. I take only one stay at a time, and New Year week is one of the most sought-after in the resort. If you already have your dates, write to me using the form on the Courchevel page.
To plan your budget, read what a private chef in Courchevel costs.
