THE DEUX-SÉVRES MONTHLY
French Adventures...
The Icing On The Cake If you meet Tracy Latchford, you will remember one thing about her – a beaming smile! I have known her for 10 years , and it is rare that you see her without her trademark smile on her face. She moved to her new home outside Argenton-‐les-‐Vallées and her family were the only British in the area. It is hard to imagine now, but she faced the daunting task of setting up home, running a business plus putting her son into school where no English was spoken. Their new home, while not a restoration project, presented a few difficulties in the colder months. Poor insulation, ill-‐fitting doors, a draughty cellar and a grumpy central heating boiler found the Latchfords shivering their way through the cold months of their first winter. Tracy decided that the only way to make a success of her new life was to put her best foot forward, so she soon set about the challenge of integrating into her new life in France. She wrote role plays when going out to speak French – it was up to her to bridge the language gap in any way she could. Her first contacts were through a small drinks evening she organised for her near neighbours and then, treading more difficult ground, speaking to the parents at the school gates. Despite the limited French she spoke, she slowly won over the cautious and curious, making friends wherever she went. Although she has adopted a positive attitude, she admits to the usual frustrations we all experience with French bureaucracy. Husband, Steve, set up as an artisan, which presented many obstacles, but chipping away at the endless paperwork finally paid off. There were low times towards the end of their second year too. Returning from a skiing holiday in the French Alps, they found everything in seasonal “lock down”. The family found it hard to adjust to quiet days, evenings and weekends at home – the meagre offer of entertainment of the summer months literally disappeared and they were left week after week to entertain themselves. They considered a move to the Alps where winter was as vibrant as summer. However, this moment soon passed when Spring came around once more. Tracy decided to join the Association Parents-‐Élèves (APE) at her son’s school and was soon pioneering new ideas to raise funds. The annual Marché de Printemps had little or nothing for children to enjoy, so she suggested a “squash and fairy cakes” stand which was an instant success, along with a treasure hunt game to amuse the youngsters while parents browsed the other stalls. Her coup d’état came in the form of turning the annual dinner-‐dance into a themed night, where Country ‘n Western and 80′s Nights saw her in charge of decorating the hall to the effusive approval of the French parents.
Her role as mother, home maker and collaboratrice for Steve’s business lasted for seven years, at which time she started to trawl around for a new challenge. She could speak French, her home was well on its way to being just the way she wanted it, the business was established and the boys were settled in school. So, what new challenges lay ahead? Her infamous “bake-‐offs” making literally hundreds of fairy cakes, set her mind into action... Nudged on by friends, she did battle for the second time with the local Chambre de Commerce at Bressuire to register as an Auto Entrepreneur. She spent a fruitless fourteen months trying to register her cupcake and baking business with them, all to no avail. Undeterred, she turned to the CCI at Niort, who were more receptive to her creative approach. Once again she triumphed over “the system” and Tasty Treats was launched in September 2012. She sells a stunning array of cupcakes, cookies and larger cakes in Thouars market on Friday mornings. She proudly boasts that the majority of her clients are French and she is building up a steady stream of regular clients. Left: A stand of ‘Tasty Treats’ at Thouars market.
She admits that there is a long way yet to go, and she is researching new avenues to sell her baking goods, which look promising. As to the future – what does it hold for this new baker on the block? “Maybe a Salon de Thé“ she muses. Tracy is constantly reviewing Above: Tracy in her kitchen h e r f a m i l y ’s g o a l s a n d aspirations, and she openly and actively considers every option. Her advice for making a go of life in France? “Learn the language and put yourself out there”. It worked for Tracy and her family, so it can work for you too! Contact Tracy at www.tastytreats.fr
Tracy feels that the high point for the family came five years after moving over – all the people she had painstakingly spoken to had suddenly become closer, and now the family were being entertained in the homes of their new group of good friends. Tracy had her second child Sam in France and has nothing but praise for the French health system – she noted that babies were “born to order during business hours, and not on weekends”, as babies in France are routinely induced if they do not oblige this rule which may not suit all prospective parents! Wri<en by Helen Aurelius-‐Haddock. h<p://haddockinthekitchen.wordpress.com
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