Philosophy

Solène and Nicolas are travellers. Piqued by curiosity to explore the world, understand its diversity, and draw inspiration from its cultures and cuisines, they spent time travelling the four corners of the earth until the moment their eyes were opened to a new awareness.

 

“”We often go diving, and every time we saw more and more plastic around us, and more lifeless sections of ocean floor. We were heartbroken to see these seas and their perfect balance destroyed by pollution.” —Nicolas

 

Too often, we see landscapes destroyed in the name of unsustainable tourism. Biodiversity is lost and the fragile balance of natural sites is upset. Soil is polluted and forests are erased from the map, and plastic litter pervades most ocean environments. All these things have dramatic consequences on the quality of life for all of humanity.

 

“We became aware of the fragile nature of the environment and the life around us, and of our own responsibility for caring for it. We realised that our actions have meaning, and that we have the power to help fight for the natural world.” —Solène and Nicolas

“In our search for people with the skills to help us map out where we wanted to take our business, we met with corporate yogi and interior designer Laetitia Debeausse.”

She helped us to establish our goals and develop our vision. By laying out the strategic elements we needed, together we defined our commitments and, most importantly, the means—both realistic and economically possible— to implement them. Thanks to Laetitia’s skill as a listener and her analytical insight, we were able to work at our own scale to design a solid project that reflects us, while remaining true to our original vision. This strong and coherent outline helped us re-explore the meaning of our profession, and how to apply our vision to all aspects of our activity: the site, our packages, our interiors, and our relationships with the people we’ve invited to take part in the project, including Amélie Maison d’Art, Marion Graux and Jennifer, among others. 

Laetitia also assisted us with our interior redecoration, which echoes our sense of harmony and reconnection with our natural and social environment.” —Nicolas 

“Make La Butte an incubator for a new generation of talented, visionary craftspeople: transform the profession to better respond to the social and environmental challenges of our times. Create a living space that imagines the social perspectives of the future. Use this ideal natural setting to innovate through ecology.” — Laetitia Debeausse

We are fortunate to live and work in an untouched natural setting with an incredible variety of fauna and flora. We can help to conserve and work sustainably with our environment, which is one of the wildest in France.

We can learn to re-energise through nature; to eat what nature offers us; to heal through nature; and to create harmonious human collaborations with nature. The environment here contains everything we need to create a sustainable ecosystem.

Drawing on the natural strength of the region, adapting to our times and meeting social challenges, as Jeanne-Yvonne did before us, we’re forging a path towards a new model.

A model that re-invents our profession and re-imagines our business, adapts our buildings, creates new collaborations and changes our habits, all in the name of harmonising our human activity and the environment.

 

“We’re moving towards a new type of place, a place for sharing and inspiration, connected to nature and making people feel good—we really need places like that!” — Solène

As we observed nature in Finistère and the landscapes around La Butte, we realised that their many shades of grey serve to highlight the bright sparks that draw their inspiration from this area, and in turn inspire us, like lanterns lighting the way ahead.

 

“I don’t invent anything; all my ideas come from observing the coast, the paths, the forest, the sea and the work of craftspeople that are connected to this landscape.” — Nicolas

 

We set out to meet the local women and men who share the authenticity of this region through their work, putting a passion for the thing well-made before profit.

At La Butte, we are constantly on the lookout for these bright sparks, and we have met many talented people who are gradually forming a community around our project.

Together, we are heading in the same direction, and La Butte is gradually taking on the role of transmitter, creating connections and passing on knowledge beyond local boundaries.

Our guests hail from all over the world, from every sort of background, and sometimes from urban areas far from nature. We reconnect them to natural skills and to professions that work in harmony with the land and sea. Through forging these links, we hope to inspire changes in lifestyle. Bringing people together feeds our enthusiasm!

La Butte is a way of life that we shape on a daily basis through our experiences and collective learning.

Ours is a continuing family history. Nicolas works in the Michelin-starred restaurant, while his brother Erwan manages the bistrot. Our ecosystem thrives in the harmonious atmosphere created by Solène, who unites all the elements.

La Butte is also a place where our colleagues are free to express themselves. We believe that people have incredible potential when their imagination is given free rein. Our colleagues are free to be spontaneous, to exercise their curiosity and to experiment. This process is at its best when it comes to collaborating on new creations. In the kitchen, for example, we revisit traditional recipes, adapting them to modern lifestyles and eating habits by lightening them, clarifying butter and reducing sugar. It can take weeks for that perfect balance to be struck, and then, one fine day, someone will arrive in the kitchen with the recipe for success.

 

“Our greatest pleasure is to see colleagues settle in the area, put down roots here and grow through their relationship with La Butte.” — Solène

 

Innovating through ecology also means collectively taking every chance to do things more naturally. Our permaculture garden has generated a lot of interest, and the kitchen staff and chef have completed training in naturopathy and harvesting wild food. These experiences feed our awareness, and we are striving to improve our habits. We are working towards a plastic-free workplace; eliminating vacuum-packed goods in the kitchen; using filtered and dynamised water; eliminating mass-produced ingredients and prioritising local products.

 

“We have an entire system to deconstruct and reinvent, but we can do it!” — Nicolas

All this creative energy revived the family spirit of the old guesthouse in a warm and welcoming atmosphere where our guests enjoy comfort and well-being.

Two tearooms took shape, decorated with second-hand furniture and local objects. Here, guests can relax and look through books and magazines connected to our philosophy.

In these shared social spaces, people can help themselves to responsibly-sourced coffees and medicinal herbal teas available in elegant Breton ceramics.

Gone are the room minibars, along with the thousands of items of plastic packaging waste they used to generate each year.

We keep materials in use until they reach the end of their useful life. Sheets, towels, and robes are replaced only when necessary, which means that the former La Butte logo still appears on some of our linen.

This policy also applies to the televisions in every room, which will remain until they no longer work. However, why replace TVs when all of our rooms have a view of the Bay of Goulven?

In one of France’s most beautiful natural areas, we invite our guests to feed their senses with things that can’t be seen on a screen: to marvel at the reflection of the moon on the sea, feel moved by the tides, and breathe the breezes that sweep our butte, bringing the mingled scents of salt spray and heather to your window…