17 May 1903
François Bize (the spelling of the first
official acts) filed a request to the mayor of Talloires to open a bar with his
wife, Marie, on the small plot of land with a chalet which they owned. They had
two sons, Marius followed by Georges. Then began the Bise history.
1929
The Bise father renamed the restaurant “L’Auberge du Père Bise” while on his side, at a
very short distance from the lake, Georges and his son Fernand also took hold
of their own destiny and likewise marked the history of the village of
Talloires. In their own way.
The 1930s
Under the auspices of George, the youngest son,
and his wife, the Cottage des Marronniers was founded on the family property at
just a few meters from the Bise father’s inn.
Having a strong character and the soul of
a "chef", Georges became over the years an emblematic culinary figure
of Talloires. Great world leaders and also from the League of Nations were
usual guests and made the Cottage des Marronniers "the place to be and
eat." Talloires then became a well-known address and a popular resort for
Swiss senior officials and international figures.
1947
The family’s land was too small to
meet Georges Bise’s
guests’expectations.
By acquiring 1 hectare and a half on the lake’s shore, next to to the Bise
father’s
inn, he finally had the space he needed to expand his business. One of his
sons, Fernand, displayed an enthusiastic passion for the family business.
Bright, but atypical, he abandoned the Hotel School of Paris for a less sacred
but just as noble path of learning…
Point, the Claridge, The Savoy in London,
Taillevent, The Carlton In Cannes saw him pass through their kitchens.
Experienced and still passionate for the family business, he returned to Talloires
to perfect his training "on the field" for 11 years with his wife
Céline in the Bise manner.
1960s
above the bay of Talloires shined a true
constellation of stars, unique in France… that bore the village to
the firmament of gastronomy.
1968
Georges died in the spring on 23rd
April. Fernand then immediately took over the reins of the family kitchen, both
literally and figuratively.
Behind the kitchen pianos, he perpetuated the 2
stars obtained by his father and gradually expanded the walls of the establishment.
With one idea in mind: modernize the Cottage Bise without betraying
the"family and friendly" spirit which had made its reputation.
With Fernand, the art of hospitality was at
its peak. Multilingual and accustomed to big hotels and wealthy clients, he
knew how to receive royal or industrial families, film stars and scholars with
ease. From Rainier and Grace of Monaco to the Duke of Bedford and not to
mention John Rockefeller and Dupont de Nemours, he made Talloires one of the
references for the elite and who’s who.
And since the 1990s…
A new "wind” has blown on Talloires and
has brought its stone to the foundation. Jean-Claude, Fernand’s son, studied at the
Lausanne Hotel School from 1981 to 1985. He then had his first experiences with
prestigious names:”Hôtel de Ville de Crissier”, under Chef Girardet and the Mandarin
Oriental in Geneva, two popular Swiss establishments among food lovers.
At the head of the Cottage Bise since 1992
with his wife Christine and their son Nicolas who came in 2016, he and his
family strive to keep the family and friendly spirit intact which made the
estate’s
fame while providing an essential modernity and a standard of comfort to seduce
an increasingly demanding clientele. Major construction work, expansion of the terrace, renovation of the
rooms, creation of the pool in 1993, seminar rooms that have been tailored to
new technologies…
A
lot of improvement and work takes place every year. It is without doubt one of
Cottage Bise’s
fountains of youth: never quite the same, yet never quite different and always
in the spirit of the times.