One day in November 2010, when a torrential rain fell on St Rémy de Provence, Guy and Marie Gabrielle Soulérot fell in love with an old Provençal building…
Can you tell us about your background?
My husband and I lived in Paris. I worked in a large group in the gastronomy department, while my husband worked in a high-end food company, mainly for restaurants. We bought the Mas Valentine in 2013 and renovated it for 1 year. A lot of interior and exterior work had to be done, and the restaurant also had to be created, but we fell in love with the place right away.
Why this choice to undertake?
There was a lot of work, but it was a project we had been working on for a long time. It was a dream, and going back to province was very appealing to us. It’s also a very beautiful establishment with a large park, in an exceptional settings. Above all, we wanted to transform a beautiful Mas like this one, which was more or less abandonned, into a beautiful establishment. It was a pity that magnificent buildings got wrecked. There is finally the taste of the challenge, the bet to undertake.
What then are the disadvantages of setting up a business?
The amount of work is of course very important, and the responsibilities are heavy, but you have to assume your choice. We were very conscious when we comitted ourselves on this adventure, and we are not disappointed despite the small difficulties.
How did the service of Smartclic Agency helped you in your adventure ?
We knew Smartclic because its CEO, Vincent DAUMAS, is a friend of one of our relatives. The Agency realised advertising objects for Mas Valentine such as pens as well as a whole stationery part (business cards, correspondence cards…) and advertising clothes. We have always been satisfied by the services that Olivier DAUMAS from Smartclic proposed to us.
