“How much further?” A map to Café Mari

Grenoble Life’s Shonah Kennedy talks to British restaurateur Steffan Edwards about setting up Café Mari, changing dining habits and serving machin anglais to the French.

Clip clopping down to the end of the small Rue d’Alembert on a cold Friday night, on the way to our office Christmas party, I couldn’t help but think “what restaurant could possibly be here?” and more importantly, “how much further?”! But then I saw the beacon of light emanating from Café Mari, which was the pre-arranged venue for the aforementioned event. Then I entered and began to drink in the cosy place, and THEN I commenced eating! What a gastronomical delight this little place has – it just needed to be shared!

Shonah: When did you come to France/ Grenoble?

Steffan Edwards: I arrived in France in 2003 just in time for the heat wave in Aix-en-Provence. I stayed there for almost two years. When my ex-girlfriend fell pregnant for the second time we decided that it would be wiser to be closer to her family (she was born here in Grenoble), so more than five years ago we arrived in Grenoble.

Shonah: What is your history in the food industry?

Steffan: My first job was when I was 14 washing up in a pub on Sundays when they had a carvery. The chef was the stereotypically fat and jovial who loved to cook almost as much as he liked to eat! From him I learnt the most important thing about cooking – you have to love to cook or you will end up hating your job and as a result your food will suffer. While I was still at school I had many summer jobs in London hotels and also an internship at the Hilton in New Orleans. At the age of 18 I knew that I was going to cook professionally.

After dropping out of university – because of foolishly taking a management course rather than a cooking course – I found my first full time job as a commis in a restaurant called Le Petit Max which, while I was there, won the Eros award from the London Evening Standard as one of the top 10 restaurants in London.

After leaving there I chose to change jobs frequently – sometimes as much as four times a year – to try to learn as much as possible about all aspects of cooking. I did stints in high class restaurants – 3 star Michelin – and also in local family restaurants. Each chosen because I thought I would benefit from them. When I thought I could learn more elsewhere I left and started looking for the next challenge.

After six years of working like this I decided to settle down and stick at a job, so I started working for Mark Hix at Le Caprice in central London. I stayed in the company for nearly three years working my way up to sous chef and also working in the two other restaurants in the group – The Ivy and J. Sheekies.

After leaving Le Caprice I was approached by a friend to help him in his new bakery – Flour Power City – to make the pastries, help with the baking and also to sell the produce at the now thriving Borough Market. After one and a half years of baking I was keen to get back into a kitchen, so I worked at the Drapers Arms – a gastro pub in Islington which was voted gastro pub of the year by the Evening Standard in 2003. That was when I arrived in France and to Antoine Cote Cours in Aix-en-Provence.

Leaving Aix in 2005 I took some time off to take care of my new born son and at the same time I started looking for a restaurant to buy.  After being let down two times for the sale of two different restaurants I went back to full time work at Le Flagrant Delice in Grenoble. While working there I heard about the sale of a small café which would become Café Mari where I have now been for more than two years!

Shonah: Since you have been working here have you noticed any changes in trends/ palates/ peoples habits in relation to eating out?

Steffan: Some of the restaurants I have worked in have really suffered because of the recession, however in the café I have not really noticed the change, mainly because my prices are reasonable and people still like to enjoy a good lunch.

There has, however been a change in people’s palates with people starting to think more about their health – looking for the healthy option which is reflected in the menus we now see.

The consumption of alcohol has also dramatically reduced in the seven years since I have lived here. Gone are the days of two hour lunches with lots of wine to help wash down the food!

Shonah: Did you find it difficult to break into the “exclusive” French café market as a foreigner?

Steffan: It has always been a bit difficult to be accepted as a chef in France. There is still the stereotype that the British cannot cook and to convince the French otherwise is not easy. A typical example of this was when I put sticky toffee pudding on the menu. I had to bargain with my clients just for them to try it, but now when the same customers come to the café the first thing they say is: is the “machin anglais” still on the menu? It is my best selling dessert. (note from Shonah – and well worth the try – AMAZING dessert!)

Shonah: What is a “typical” meal at café Mari?

Steffan: There is no typical meal here. The plat du jour changes every day with dishes coming from France, Italy, the UK, India, China and even Thailand. There is a small menu – three starters, three mains and four desserts – which changes seasonally and has its foundations in classic bistro cooking with a slightly modern edge.

Shonah: Why did you open café Mari?

Steffan: I had always wanted to run my own restaurant even from my first time in a kitchen but I wanted something small to start with, which I could run by myself and have relatively small charges. Café Mari fitted the bill perfectly.

Shonah: How can people find you/ contact you?

Steffan: I am at 116 rue d’Alembert, 38000 Grenoble. Telephone: 04.76.96.29.55. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 3.00pm.

I also have a facebook page for the café – Steff Cafemari. I will start updating this more frequently.

Shonah: Can people organise private parties to hold at the café?

Steffan: I cater private parties for 10 to 24 people. Normally I will meet with the host of the party beforehand and we will discuss the style of food they would like, the budget etc. Then I send off some propositions and they choose the menu that they want, at the price they want.

Shonah: Any future plans for the café or expansion?

For the moment I have no concrete plans, but I would love to introduce the French to the idea of gastro pubs. I think the French already like pubs, but I have yet to see a pub serving food here and I am convinced it would work. Watch this space!

John Evans

Shonah Kennedy interviews the eponymous founder of John Evans Anglais, Grenoble’s long-standing language school.

Who is John Evans? This was the question chorused at a TESOL event my collegues and I attended when we had to announce where we worked. This questioning of a company with such a positive reputation and which has been in the area for over 30 years surprised me, and prompted me to ask John to do an interview for Grenoble Life. It only took six months, but I am very happy that he finally said “yes”!  So, I’m extremely pleased to present the below interview with John Evans, of John Evans Anglais.

Shonah: How and when did John Evans get started?

John Evans: Everything got started in 1981 when I decided to resign from the school where I’d been working for four years  and simply set up in business as an independent, freelance teacher. It was only in 1991 that I hired my first full time teacher – who is still with me – and new teachers have been steadily joining us ever since and we now have a team of ten teachers.

Shonah: Why did you decide to go into business for yourself, rather than work for one of the other numerous schools in the area?

John: As I’d been working in a school for four years, I just felt that I’d gone as far as I could go and that the time was right for a change. I don’t remember having had a burning desire to be an entrepreneur but I did like the idea of being independent, choosing  the way I worked and the teaching methods I used and not having to be answerable to anybody – apart from my customers. On top of that, running a small business has given an extra dimension to my professional life and – as much as I enjoy teaching – I like the business side involving managing a team of teachers, maintaining our relationships with our customers and even the administrative side.

Shonah: Over the years you have been in business, what major changes have you seen in the industry?

John: In my opinion, the biggest change of all has been in the shift from working with private individuals to working more and more with professionals and companies. No language school today can survive if they don’t have a solid customer base among local industry and if they don’t provide the solutions that the professionals need.

Teaching English 30 years ago was very general and language based whereas today most courses have to be customized and adapted to the specific needs of each trainee or group of trainees. The result for the teacher is that they also need to understand how companies work.  However, it does provide for greater job interest when you find yourself working with people from all fields of industry and in different company departments.

The other major change on the teaching side has obviously been the arrival of new ways of language learning thanks to new or improved technology – telephone lessons, e-learning, computer based exercises and all the possibilities offered by the internet with podcasts etc.

On the purely business side of things, there has been a shift in power within companies themselves and we now find ourselves dealing more and more with purchasing departments rather than training departments. Purchasers are looking to find one language provider for their nationwide needs and that is why I’m now a member of Canspeak – a nationwide association of independent language schools. As a result we can provide our customers with a global solution while, at the same time, retaining our own identity.

Shonah: Who are your main clients?

John: We have very different clients ranging from large, international customers such as Becton Dickinson, Soitec, Avery Dennison, Rolls Royce and Alcan to medium-sized companies like Petzl and EFD or scientific research Institutes and also small companies or start ups like Spartoo.

Shonah: How can somebody contact you?

John: First of all, it’s easy enough to find out about us by looking at our website and anybody can get straight through to me at the office 04 76 48 22 35.  Whether they’re looking for training courses or a teaching post.

Shonah: What are the future plans for John Evans?

John: There are no predefined plans as such. We just try to keep on doing what we do best and to keep on giving our customers the best possible service. Until now, this has always proved to be a successful recipe.

Shonah: Do you have any advice for teachers starting out in the industry, or those that have been in the industry for some years, but need some inspiration?

John: I think the first thing I would tell any young teacher is to “be yourself”. Every teacher has a different personality and teaching style but I think it’s important to cultivate that rather than try to fit into a mould or do things that you are not comfortable with. Listen to your trainees and try to deliver what they want and expect and ask them for regular feedback so that you can constantly “fine-tune” your courses. Be interested in your trainees and try to motivate them as much as possible. You mustn’t forget that some trainees are not always happy to be having language lessons and the day somebody tells you that you are the one who has made language learning an enjoyable experience for them – it’s the best compliment anyone can pay you.

One final thing – don’t be afraid to make mistakes! We’ve all made them and we’ll all continue to make them but as long as we learn from them, that’s all that matters. It’s also important to remember that it’s impossible to make all of your customers happy all of the time and that your own teaching style will suit some people but not others.

Shonah: Any anecdotes to tell after so many years here and doing what you do?

John: When I look back on 30 years of teaching I think that the most rewarding part of it has been meeting people of all ages and from all walks of life. I’ve worked with people between 15 and 85, from every walk of life and with extremely diverse backgrounds. Many of the people I have worked with have become close, personal friends and it has meant that teaching is not just “a job” but a very rewarding and fulfilling experience.

Free toilets in France tend to serve only 50% of the population

Finding public conveniences in France not up to much? Grenoble Life’s resident Australian Shonah Kennedy reports from the front line.

Having arrived at Paris Gare de Lyon an hour prior to the TGV leaving, I decided to try out Le Train Blue café express.  This forced lunch time also coincided with a call of nature. Perfect – delicious lunch in an iconic café (well, the express part) and the thought of clean facilities to use – free of charge too – or so I thought. I was assuming a little too much.  After going down the steps, I was greeted with a barrier that asked me for 20 centimes. I thought this must not apply to sit-down diners, so I asked my friendly waitress and her answer was confusing to me. Having thought I misunderstood, I repeated my question in a different way, but I received the same answer. I took my 20 centimes, placed it in the slot and was allowed entry into the exclusive world of European facilities – or lack thereof.

I have a social problem when it comes to needing the bathroom in France. And, may I just point out here that I have lived in different countries in Europe and seemingly this is a Europe-wide problem. However, now that I am living in France, this is the country I am picking on – I drink a lot of water.

Prior to leaving the house every morning I drink one litre of water and my ritual café au lait! My difficulties begin about half an hour after I lock the door and leave my clean, reliable facilities far behind. Perhaps it is all psychological as I don’t see others with that grimaced expression on their faces looking beseechingly up and down every street in search of the elusive cubicle. BUT, here we can remove almost 50% of the population as there ARE public urinals (as unhygienic as they look) scattered around Grenoble for those more vertical in their activities. THEN, to add some sort of insult to the matter, I have also seen a number of doggy toileting areas. 

What about the female of the species? Why is it we must pay for the privilege of hovering above a bowl? AND, may I interject here and say even though we do pay (and up to 70 centimes in some places – I get desperate) it does not guarantee the cleanliness of the area or the provision of paper.

So … in my quest of need I have found some amenities – and at times free – I would like to share with you.

You can of course boldly go where many people have gone before and risk the cafés/brasseries. This can be done by walking in as if you own the place – or are at least dining there. This plan is often foiled when you get that lost look on your face and it is evident to all that your only intention is using the bathroom* and you aren’t dining there, had no intention of dining there and probably never will. Or you could be completely honest and ever so sweetly ask “Puis-je utiliser vos toilettes s’il vous plaît?” Be prepared for holding on just a little longer, however.

Then there are the chain restaurants/coffee houses. The only reason I ever walk into these places is on the off chance the big burly guard is not standing against the wall asking to see your receipt, so that you have the exclusive right to use their second rate facilities. Normally you can see if he/she is on duty before you get so far into your mission you have to explain yourself to the self appointed toilet* bouncer.

There are a number of so-called self-cleaning toilet cubicles found around Grenoble. They do cost – normally 20 centimes (that you need the exact change for) – and from experience I have only used one that looked like it had been doing its job properly (on the North East corner of Place Du Dr L. Martin). Sadly the others I have tried: next to the merry-go-round in front of FNAC; behind the market at St Claire Les Halles; and at Leader Price in Seyssinet, should be relieved of their self-cleaning duties due to a job not well done.

Then, there is my find of the year – The Bibliothèque Municipale de Grenoble. On the first floor, on the left hand side there is a toilet. It is guard free, does not require any donation and normally there is paper! However, do take hand sanitiser as the soap is usually missing. But, it is a toilet. It is in the centre of town and it is relatively clean.

I hope there are others out there who share my European social inadequacy and can help with any alternative treasures they have found when nature calls.

*Australian English = toilet; American English = Bathroom (When visiting America I received some vulgar looks after asking where the toilet was!)

Guida Bulba: Corps & Voix

Grenoble Life’s Shonah Kennedy meets Guida Bulha of Corps et Voix, a trainer and consultant in oral communication.

As a teacher I have the privilege to meet a vast array of people.  I am constantly amazed, entertained and, more often than not, pleasantly surprised.  One of the people I had the pleasure of meeting was Guida Bulha of Corps et Voix.  Below Guida explains what she does, how she does it and what benefit it could be for you.

Shonah: How do you describe what you do?

Guida Bulha: Well, I am a trainer and a consultant in the oral communication area – working the body and the voice.

Shonah: What does the process do for people?

Guida: This helps people to speak with greater confidence and conviction, and communicate more effectively in both business and social environments.

Shonah: What have been some benefits for past clients?

Guida: To develop their self-esteem has permitted some of them to find new customers.  For some public speaking with more confidence and for others to find jobs, etc.

Put simply: to develop their skills in their professional field.

Shonah: How did you start in your business? What is your background?

Guida: I began my career as a language teacher and translator; after that, I worked in several companies. Today I bring together my experience in international business, communication and marketing, and my experience in the voice field.

Guida Bulha working with a client

Shonah: When did you start doing this line of work and why?

Guida: I started in April 2008. More than ten years ago, I participated in a vocal workshop. There, I discovered that the voice – my passion – was much more than a simple emission of sounds. The voice is “something” fragile and powerful. It was a great surprise for me. Therefore, I decided to push my discovery further and I undertook training in this area.

Shonah: What is the link with workshops or training sessions – such as public speaking, telephone interactions, front-line workers, sales, team building – and the body and the voice?

Guida: People who work in these areas use their voices to communicate.  You know, the most important part when you communicate is the non-verbal language, and that the voice is embodied in … the body. To equilibrate these three parts of communication. I mean; the body, the voice and the word, are fundamental. If you want to be heard and understood.

Shonah: How long have you been in Grenoble?

Guida: I have been here for 19 years. I saw the mountains and I fell in love.

Shonah: How do you help people to help themselves?

Guida: I help them to find – or to be conscious – that they have in themselves the resources to communicate. I accompany people to find the confidence in themselves.

Shonah: What are your plans for the future? 

Guida:  Well, I want to develop in other directions. I think particularly in the English speaking community. I want to propose to them workshops and training sessions to improve French or to improve their skills in public speaking or other themes. In French or in English. It is also possible to work the voice to sing or to speak. Just to find the pleasure to be confident.

Shonah: Thanks so much to Guida.  If you would like to contact Guida for further information you can do so through her website at Guida Bulha Corps et Voix.

Guida Bulha in action

Still searching for the right path in Grenoble?

Grenoble Life’s Shonah Kennedy shares her experience of coming to the city on the “coat-tails” of her husband and discovering she was not the only woman in Grenoble who had temporarily placed their life on hold to be with the man of their dreams.

Heading back to Grenoble after a mini-break in Switzerland I wondered why I felt a little apprehensive. Then it hit me. I was going back to Grenoble AND going back to work! That is right – after what seemed like a formidably long time – I have a job! So, on the return journey to Grenoble, and inevitably to work, my thoughts were consumed by the metaphorical journey I took to get to where I was … it felt like a round-the-world trip, with multiple stopovers!

Until I had coffee with a lovely American girl, I felt that I was on the aforementioned sojourn alone – I imagined I had been the only one ever to have temporarily placed my life on hold to be with the man of my dreams, to live his dreams for a while, as mine simmered on some distant stove-top. However, as we chatted it emerged that she had decided to take a slight detour from the road she was traveling on when her husband received a job offer here. I felt relieved – even though she had been through many of the bureaucratic and emotional ups and downs that I had had to endure – as I was not alone anymore. Actually I would come to learn that the round-the-world was almost over-booked!

Even though my dear husband was very supportive and really encouraged me to get “out there” and look for the job I now have, and be able to write about it here, I really felt as if I had started this metaphorical travel with no preparation – I hadn’t purchased the latest guide book, I didn’t know the sites to see and I didn’t even think to take a language course … so when I ended up on the road, I felt as nervous as if I was going to hitchhike solo the whole way, and just hope that I arrived at the destination I was intended for.

After the coffee with my, now, dear American friend I started thinking there must be others out there like me, wandering around in the wilderness of a round-the-world which wasn’t entirely self motivated. In fact, I found a conglomerate of women living lives they would otherwise not have expected.

Now I have a job, in a profession I adore, and feel a somewhat useful part of society my lost days are few and far between. However, I have spoken to some women who still feel lost, after many years of being here. The decision was not entirely theirs in the first instance, to move to Grenoble, they “followed” – for want of a better word – their husbands here and have never really found their Grenoble feet. These women left good jobs, independence and a place where they felt at home to be with the one they love, but sadly the love of the town has never found them.

Then there are the women who have had a wonderful transition (are these the ones who acquired an upgrade to first class on their round-the-world, I wonder?!) and have not felt as if they have given up their path in lieu of their partner’s, but more taken a segue for a limited period and see many positives in the entirety of the adventure – new place, new language, new friends and an experience they would not otherwise have had.

After speaking to many women (and I know I keep mentioning women, it is not that I assume this situation only happens to women, but during my discussions on the topic of partners following partners, I only heard two separate rumours about men who came to Grenoble because their wives had jobs here) being in Grenoble for many different reasons – marriage, husband’s job, husband’s contract, boyfriend’s research etc. – I came to the conclusion that even though we are all on the same metaphorical journey we will all come home with different travel stories. Some may suffer from travel sickness, while others don’t. Some are in first class, while there are many of us in an overcrowded economy. Some get the interactive TV screens, while for some it is offline for a while, and they must wait for it to be reset. Whatever the situation the journey itself is seemingly memorable.

I would like to thank all the women who shared their stories with me, and I would like to make you aware that each of you has enhanced my round-the-world more than you will know!