Fabrice: an entrepreneur with a passion for cooking and sharing

An inspiring life story

I was born here, at the Ancenis-Saint-Géréon hospital, and grew up in Mésanger, surrounded by my two sisters and my brother. I still remember the bike rides to school and our judo sessions. Our childhood was filled with these simple, happy moments. What about cooking? I've always had an innate passion for cooking and sharing. From an early age, I was fascinated by spending time in the kitchen with my family, where I learned that cooking was much more than a simple task: it was a way of connecting with each other. I started at the age of 15 as an apprentice with a caterer in the Ancenis area, and then travelled all over the world, including Paris, where I worked in prestigious restaurants, in Corsica and abroad... I even worked on cruise ships! I've even worked on cruise ships! It's all been a rich experience, both professionally and in terms of the people I've met. Even though my work often took me far from home, I always came back to Ancenis-Saint-Géréon to recharge my batteries. This is where I found my equilibrium! I settled here for good and started a family. I've always appreciated the friendly atmosphere and the way of life here, with its lush green landscapes and the Loire River, it's so refreshing.

Was doing business in the Pays d'Ancenis an obvious choice?

It was a real challenge for me to go from employee to entrepreneur! I took my time, at least two years, to make sure that my guest house project would be viable in the long term. It's a project that began to take shape one evening during a conversation with my children. A simple but meaningful conversation. "Dad, you love cooking and sharing with others, so why not let people enjoy it?" These words resonated with me. With my children now out of the house, I started to build this guest house project in the family home. Fortunately, the support I received from Espace Entreprendre helped me enormously to structure my ideas and build a solid action plan. Exchanges with other entrepreneurs, the training courses I attended and all the personalised support I received as my project developed gave me the reassurance I needed to get started. Today, I'm sure I've made the right choices!

A place to live and meet people

I've gradually transformed my family home into the Au plaisir des bois guest house in Mésanger. My aim is to create a space that reflects my passion for simplicity and nature. I've transformed our family home into a place that I want to be as self-sufficient and environmentally friendly as possible, where every guest can feel at home. Whether it's for a night or a longer stay, I love the idea that everyone can recharge their batteries here, reconnect with nature and with each other, while savouring simple, authentic moments. The dining room and kitchen are the heart of the house, where guests can cook and share meals and moments of conviviality. I regularly organise shared meals where everyone can discover each other's specialities and chat. I think it's these moments of sharing that make the guest house enjoyable for everyone. My guest house is not just a place to stay, it's a place to live and meet people.

The kitchen, from work to transmission

Cooking is my life! I've made it my job for years in a wide variety of places, and I've loved it. Today, I share this passion through my guest house and my culinary workshops. For me, cooking is not just a question of recipes. That's why I offer culinary workshops where people learn to cook together, share meals and life stories. Whether you come as a family, with friends or on your own, you'll be cooking simple, seasonal food (straight from my garden wherever possible) that you can reproduce at home.

Your happy addition as an entrepreneur?

This region is the perfect place to live out my passion. I have a wide variety of visitors who come to my guest house. The region is very dynamic, with strong economic, cultural and tourist activity, thanks in particular to the walks and cycle rides along the Loire. My guests come for work experience, professional training, walks along the Loire, the vineyards and the local gastronomy. They love it every time! Every day, I get up with the desire to share, to welcome and to create moments of happiness for my guests. Life is beautiful when you live it with passion, and here in the Pays d'Ancenis, I've found the perfect setting to continue this adventure.

Any anecdotes you'd like to share with us?

A few weeks ago, I welcomed two people who didn't know each other at the start and who had come from very different backgrounds for different professional training courses. They ended up spending a whole evening talking and sharing their life experiences around the table. It's moments like that that remind me why I chose this path: to create a space where people can meet, share and leave enriched by new human connections.

It's a wonderful life story that illustrates how to make the leap into entrepreneurship by combining a passion for one's trade with a love of one's local area to create a unique and welcoming place. Thank you to Fabrice for sharing this passionate entrepreneurial story!