When anyone talks about the Roannais area, the Troisgros name inevitably comes up in conversation as well as, these days, the Scarabée which is Roanne’s new venue for concerts, sporting events, exhibitions and seminars. However, it is rare that people mention the more unobtrusive Château de Saint-Haon which stands just 400 m from the medieval village of Saint-Haon-le-Châtel. Built in the 19^th century and surrounded by a hectare of grounds, it was bought seven years ago by Marie and Rémy Mach, a Catalan couple who previously owned a car dealership in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

In 2005, we opened five spacious guest rooms which have been awarded the Fleur de Soleil label because they’re beautifully decorated, with lots of character and light and they all overlook the grounds, explains Marie Mach. We’ve also done up three seminar rooms, the largest of which can take up to 80 people theatre-style or 30 in U formation. Our location just 12 km from Roanne, an hour and a half from Lyon and 50 minutes from St-Etienne means that we mostly handle groups from Roanne and St Etienne as well as a few from Lyon . The Château de Saint-Haon is the ideal venue for a board meeting that needs a private setting. Marie Mach is in charge of the catering for a maximum of 20 people. For larger groups she calls on professional caterer Dominique Lansard, who is based at Saint-Vincent de Boisset.

Marie Mach admits that she’s been bowled over by the beauty of the this little-known rustic area. There are pretty villages and stunning religious buildings around and the food is also excellent. We’re mostly targeting residential seminars because we can work in collaboration with other bed and breakfast properties such as the Château de la Motte and the Château de Bachelard both of which have guest rooms, meaning that we can offer accommodation for 17 or 18 people. For larger meetings we can also find accommodation in Renaison or Roanne .

Marie and Rémy Mach plan to make the most of the property’s various facilities in order to promote the destination and to develop the seminar business for which they can also propose a range of recreational activities such as paintballing, just 1.5 km away, mountain biking or horse riding at Ambierle, wine tasting in the Roannais hillside vineyards or cheese tasting with Hervé Mons, honoured as a Meilleur Ouvrier de France and based in Saint-Haon-le-Châtel.

Future plans include the development of the château’s cellars where it will be possible to organise local food tastings as well as the renovation of an outbuilding to create two more gîtes. In the meantime, the cost of a study day, including two refreshment breaks and a cold lunch, is 60 €. For a seated meal in the château, using the services of a caterer, you will need to add between 10 and 20 € to that price.