Original subtitles

I'm Dick Strawbridge and along with my wife Angel

and our two children...

Welcome aboard, maties!

..we're now five years... Woo!

..into restoring this once-abandoned chateau.

It's beautiful.

It's brought its challenges...

Oh!

..and some amazing rewards.

Thank you for my flower garden, Mr Strawbridge.

And across France, there are dozens of other Brits

who are on their own chateau adventure.

Yay!

We'll meet some old friends...

Smile! I am.

..and new faces.

These rooms really haven't been touched in 60 years.

And we'll reveal more about our own chateau life.

It is so much better in real life!

There'll be highs...

Yay!

..and lows.

Oh! Oh, no.

God, what a disaster!

As these plucky Brits...

Time is money.

..transform these once-unloved buildings into incredible homes...

I just cannot believe how much work you've put in for us.

..as well as businesses.

And get to live the dream as custodians of their very own castle.

Cheers, everybody!

Today...

Bonjour. How's my bedroom coming along?

One chateau owner's under pressure

to get ready for family get-togethers.

It's a very rewarding feeling actually, doing this bit.

A couple's search for a chateau with music venue potential continues.

This is lovely. I can...I can see it already.

String quartets or piano. It's the perfect size, really.

And it's the launch of a fine dining and floristry weekend.

OK, so we'll forget this, we'll do this later.

Oh, crikey...it's show time.

Ah! I'm not ready!

Agh!

OK.

When turning a neglected French castle into a much-loved home

and thriving business, it helps to have a vision

and a passion for the project.

But before renovations can begin,

a very important decision has to be made...

..choosing the right place to buy.

Manchester couple Joshua and Lee, who both work in finance,

have been on the hunt for their fairy tale home

since they met three years ago.

Yeah, I think we've probably looked at

every online advert for every chateau

in the whole of France.

Erm, but it's exciting now that we're really

sort of getting into the next phase

of hopefully finding that dream property.

They've come to western France to focus their search,

and hope their £450,000 budget finds them space enough

for paying guests and allows pianist Joshua to set up a music venue.

The major thing is the land and the outbuildings,

having the scope of not just having the chateau,

but also having other business potentials as well.

So far, they've seen two options.

The first chateau offered plenty of room,

but proximity to a busy road left worries about noise.

OK, this is the back of the house with the garden.

This is the back of the house, yeah. Yes, that's right.

That's why you hear the road, because it's not far from here. OK.

The second chateau, though over budget,

had period features that hit the mark.

This is amazing, the floor is incredible

and the windows, so bright, the light coming in,

it's...it's really nice.

Now, there are two more chateaus lined up to see.

The first is a four-bedroom 19th-century beauty

on the market for £370,000.

It's located in the centre of the village of Argenton-l'Eglise...

Good morning. Morning.

..where they're meeting agent Tamasin.

It's beautiful.

Well, I'm glad you like it on this gorgeous morning.

The chateau was built for a local landowning family in 1872. OK.

So this was the sign of their wealth.

There's a lot of history with the house.

Yes. Yeah, there is a lot of history. Yeah.

One and a quarter acres of land comes with the sale

which includes outbuildings as well as a gite,

plus a private stretch of canal.

Now, to see what's on offer inside.

Come on in to the main hall.

That's your classic entrance into the middle,

so the rooms go to the left and to the right,

and you go from one room into the next, which is called "en enfilade."

Yeah, it's lovely.

Typical French hallway, isn't it? Yeah.

With the doors either side, like you said.

OK, so we're into the salon.

The drawing room.

Beautiful fireplace, wow. Yeah.

The colour's lovely in here as well. Actually, it's quite my taste.

Lovely chandelier there.

A lovely chandelier would be fantastic there, wouldn't it?

As long as the electrics are in good order,

light fittings can be sorted out.

More important to keen host Joshua is the size of the chateau kitchen.

OK, so we've got the... OK.

Lovely big eat-in kitchen.

Yeah. It's beautiful.

This is what I imagine a big, French, country kitchen to be like.

Yeah, yeah. It's a good size, it's lovely.

It's mains water. There's also a well here,

so you can water the garden without worrying about your water bill.

Oh, that's very good.

And the central heating, is that...?

Yeah, it's oil-fired.

They're asking the right sort of questions.

The cost of central heating is very important,

and it's good to know what you've got.

First impressions, it's a handsome property.

The only thing is the location.

With us hosting events outside,

maybe the neighbours would get a little bit...

..annoyed with the noise.

Not sounding very positive, but who knows?

There's still upstairs to see.

Around 200 miles south-east is Chateau Le Mas De Pradie.

The 17-room property sits in a 15-acre estate

and comes with outbuildings, including two gites...

..a pigeonnier...

..and a barn.

Last occupied by renowned French artist Bernard Dufour,

it was bought three months ago

by artist and interior designer Julia for £278,000,

who has slowly been transforming it into her home.

My background is, um, as an artist,

and I've bought a property of an artist here

and it's just really nice to keep that going.

The property has huge potential.

I'm gonna be gardening, I'm gonna be decorating, doing the place up.

Located 68 miles from Toulouse,

with the help of her visiting sisters,

Julia's already transformed the kitchen...

..and the dining room.

This place felt like home straight away

and even my sister Melissa has commented that,

even after we'd been here only a couple of days,

we both actually said to each other,

"This feels like we've always been here."

It really does feel like home.

Her sisters are returning to the chateau later in the year

for a big family Christmas and are keen

to find out if the guest rooms will be ready.

Hello! Bonjour! So, how's it all going, Julie?

How's my bedroom coming along?

I'm going to start painting very pale pink

that's going to look amazing with this wallpaper, which I've ordered.

You're really into the wallpapers all of a sudden, aren't you?

I know, they're exceptional.

Oh, there's not parrots in every room?

It's not parrots. OK, good.

Cos you can't have parrots in every room.

No.

Fantastic, can't wait.

Bye! Bye! Bye!

Bye! Bye!

The goal is, they're all coming out with their families for Christmas

so I want to get their rooms finished,

I want to get as much as I can done with the chateau

so it's looking as good as possible.

Julia needs to crack on if she's going to get

her sisters' rooms finished in time.

But there's an even more urgent job

she needs to get done before their stay.

The septic system I have here,

it overflowed a few weeks ago.

Not pretty.

I had to get a man in to pump it all out.

He kept pointing at my house saying, "Big house,"

and then pointing at my system saying, "Little system,"

and then laughing.

With four bathrooms, as well as a kitchen to cope with,

an overflowing septic tank is no joke,

especially as Julia will be opening her chateau to paying guests.

The original tanks that are here are not compliant

with today's systems and regulations,

so I knew it was one of the first jobs that had to be done.

New two-metre-tall tanks are due to be installed.

The tanks are much bigger than I expected when I saw them delivered.

They're huge.

And there's another problem.

The local area's known for an extensive, prehistoric cave system,

and Julia's chateau estate is right on top of it,

meaning the local authorities have asked for a change of plan.

They had a concern about the drain water coming out of the septic,

they don't want it draining down into the caves,

and cave paintings is what they're actually concerned about.

There are some amazing cave paintings down there.

So, obviously, it's very important to preserve these things.

They've found skeletons down there,

they've found pottery down there, they've found artefacts,

so there's...amazing history in these caves

that they need to preserve.

To play her part in preservation,

Julia suggested re-routing the expelled water away from the cave.

So, instead of running down here, which is the obvious place,

cos it drains downwards,

we're going to need to take it across into that paddock.

So, we've had the water people here and the grotte people here,

they've all agreed on what we can do,

and it has to be signed off by the head person,

and I think the mayor has to sign off as well.

We are hoping nothing else is gonna go wrong

and they don't change their minds,

who knows?

With the new proposal in the pipeline,

let's hope there's no more unwelcome escapes

from the chateau waste water system,

and Julia can lay her groundwork soon.

Coming up...

Welcome!

..Tim and Margreeth call on the professionals

for their flower weekend menu.

I'm really learning a lot with this.

It's my favourite thing, watching other cooks work.

And eating. Yeah, and eating.

And Joshua and Lee unearth the good...

Lovely light bathing in through the window,

it's very nice.

..and the not so good.

A hole. Surprise hole.

In Northern France

is the magnificent 19th-century Chateau des Lys.

With over 50 rooms, it's situated in a 15-acre wooded estate.

Tim, Margreeth and their son, Joe,

have lived here for six years.

They're still growing their B&B and events business

and getting to grips with their massive home.

It depends how you count it.

I counted... I think I had about 84 rooms.

And I had about 12. You... THEY LAUGH

Counting how many kitchens there are. It's an interesting question.

One, two, three... About six? ..four.

Yeah, five, six, seven kitchens.

Yeah.

Located an hour from Calais,

this year, they've turned their library into a new events space...

It's got the wow factor a bit, hasn't it, this one?

Definitely.

..and created a potager garden

to grow produce for themselves and guests.

It's very exciting.

You just really feel like you're getting there.

The first harvest is needed for the launch

of a £450-a-head flower weekend,

when 14 guests are booked for floristry workshops

and fine dining in the renovated library.

So, what do you think?

Oh, it's looking lovely.

It's looking really good.

Tim's the chateau's regular chef,

but to take things up a notch,

he's calling in the expertise of a local professional

to help with a five-course meal as a culinary highlight.

He's one of the best cooks I've come across for a long, long time.

We'll be designing the menu together,

and he'll probably teach me how to cook stuff I don't know how to cook.

They've travelled five miles to meet Chef Etienne

at his restaurant in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme

for some ideas on how to use their bumper crop of pumpkins.

Voila! Wonderful.

Yes.

Un potiron de notre jardin. Voila. Oui.

We can make a lot of things with that. We can make soup, for sure.

Then we can add some mussels,

because I think that's the best season for the mussels now.

Wow. And when I see the colour,

I imagine the mussels with the duck.

Etienne's also giving them a lesson

in how to prepare the rest of the meal.

Follow me. We're gonna make...

..a starter. So, we have wonderful tomatoes here.

Beautiful. Aren't they lovely?

We just make a small tomato sauce, but it's very tasty.

Then we have an organic goat's cheese.

Tim wants to feature their estate-reared ducks

in the main course.

Etienne's demonstrating how he cooks individual portions of meat

in his kitchen.

So, we're just gonna put some salt...

..and we're gonna cook it slowly.

The fat's gonna melt a bit... Yeah.

..and it's gonna become crispy.

Yes. And this is the same technique you're going to use for the duck?

Yes. Yeah.

So, now you can see that the fat is crispy.

Wow. Wow, that's perfect.

Looking good.

Here, we have some flowers of oregano.

I'm really learning a lot with this.

It's my favourite thing, watching other cooks work, you know.

I really like that. And eating. Yeah, and eating.

Getting perfect dishes out to 14 discerning diners

is no mean feat

and Etienne won't be there for service on the night.

And after, we're just gonna finish the cooking in the oven.

Still with the herbs and garlic.

While the meat finishes cooking,

Etienne shows them how to prepare the tomato starter.

So, here we just took off the skin of the tomatoes.

Then, we have some basil. Wow.

Take the flowers out.

You can add some crunch.

So, just some seeds that we're gonna add to draw out some crunch.

It looks so amazing.

Oh!

Oh. Gorgeous. That crunch!

That's great. And in the sauce, we have what we call caillette.

It's like all the parts you don't use normally,

mix it with garlic, herbs.

French cooking is really the juice. Yeah.

When you don't have the juice, you've lost part of the taste. Yeah.

Wow. All looks delicious.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Let's hope Tim can use what he's learnt today

for the guests at the flower weekend's five-course gourmet meal.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

235 miles south-west,

couple Joshua and Lee are viewing a 19th-century chateau

with agent, Tamasin.

First floor. Yes.

Which is a bit less finished.

Close proximity to the neighbours has raised concerns,

but what about the bedrooms?

This is the main bedroom.

OK.

Yeah, yeah. This side is south-facing.

OK, so that's why it's getting the lovely light beaming in

through the window. Yeah. It's very nice.

The typical French fireplace in the bedroom as well.

It's lovely. Probably not been used for a very long time.

Not since there were staff in the house.

I don't think we can afford staff.

I am the staff. THEY CHUCKLE

I know the feeling, Lee.

On this floor, there are three more bedrooms and two bathrooms,

plus the floor above has a 750-square foot attic.

The beams are actually quite high. Yeah.

Some of them that we've seen, the beams are sort of... Waist height.

..waist height, so you can't really do very much with it.

Yeah, you could definitely add extra space up here. Definitely.

Whilst Joshua has his eyes upwards,

Lee may have spotted a downside.

I guess this is over rotten... I don't know... ..spongy floor.

..to be honest.

Yes. Yes, yes. It is. OK. A hole.

Surprise hole.

So, yeah. So, is the building being treated for woodworm?

Not that I know of, no. Right.

OK.

Very observant, Lee.

And woodworm isn't the only threat to untreated timbers.

Termites are something to watch for in more southerly parts of France.

I've seen enough up here, I think. Yeah.

Time to reflect on whether this village centre chateau

cuts the mustard.

It's a lovely chateau.

The interior's been done up quite well.

I think the only thing that lets it down

is the fact that it's in the middle of a town.

What we've realised now is that no close-by neighbours

is what we need,

just to ensure that we don't disturb anyone.

Looks like the couple's hunt for space and seclusion

to run their musical business venture continues.

Like most of our fellow Brits with dreams of owning a castle in France,

being able to share the adventure with others

is a big part of the appeal for Angel and I.

Smells good, looks good.

It's classed as a result.

At our place, that's also meant turning the old coach house

into a home for Angel's parents.

This is a very different building from the one there this morning.

Creating space outside has given us challenges.

Delivering materials for the new coach house patio

was a hardcore problem.

But now we're getting the gravel, the sand and the cement delivered

so we can mix it and pour it in. We would have got one of...

You know the big turning around lorries?

Just put a big tube in there, but unfortunately,

getting it in through the building and out the back

is just that little bit too far.

Putting a patio in the walled garden

wasn't something the original builders allowed for,

so the raw materials had to be lifted up and over.

But the end result made all the hard work worthwhile.

Whoa! What do you reckon?

I can't believe it!

Thank you.

Nearly 300 miles south-east,

the groundwork for Julia's sewage system upgrade has begun.

We got permission first thing yesterday morning

after being held up from last week when it was withdrawn.

Our septic tanks are finally going in.

I've been waiting for this day since I got here to get these tanks in

and once they're in, once they're working,

I'll be very happy.

with one day to go before the 14 guests arrive

for Tim and Margreeth's first gourmet flower weekend,

they still need to dress the library for the five-course meal

and harvest produce from the potager garden.

I always have healthy nerves, I think,

because I always want it to go well.

Butterflies before showtime. Yeah.

Got to cut all the flowers, cook for 14 people... Oh, no!

..five-course Michelin meal.

What could go wrong? SHE CHUCKLES

On the menu is a dish Tim's never cooked before -

pumpkin and mussel soup.

So, I'll take this big one.

That one, yeah. And then there's a huge one over there as well.

Oh, man. And there's two here

and I think there's another one somewhere in the middle of here.

Well done.

That's about 15 kilos, I think. Wow.

OK, well, let's try and wheel them back. Yeah.

It's probably about 30, 40 kilos on there. I imagine there is, yeah.

Let's hope they've got all the ingredients for a successful meal.

Chef Etienne has come to the chateau

to make sure Tim has the know-how to take charge of service later.

Voila.

Starting with a quick way of plating up the duck

for the main course.

So, you just have to follow the bone in the middle

and we're gonna work it in fresh figs' leaves

and like that you can warm it up in the oven. Right.

And serve it like that.

The soup will showcase the home-grown pumpkins...

This is my pumpkin, this is!

That he's chopping up there. Look at that!

..with some going with mussels for the soup itself...

..and more being roasted to use as a garnish.

It's... Already, it's a pretty complete dish just in my head. ETIENNE LAUGHS

It smells great. Yeah.

Instructions given...

I know what I need to do.

It's going to be fine, to be honest. OK.

You're gonna do a great job. Thanks, man. Thank you very much.

Tim's now on his own,

with an ambitious menu to deliver for the first time.

The library is looking the business.

Expert florist Laura has done arrangements for Hollywood films

and celebrity weddings.

She'll be giving the guest workshops

and has already waved her magic wand over tonight's dining room.

Most things have got something to do with books,

because it's the library, the whole theme is the library.

Showing off this beautiful, beautiful room.

If the £450-a-head weekend is a success,

Tim and Margreeth hope Laura will work with them again,

so a lot's at stake making sure everything goes to plan.

Hello, everybody.

Hello! Hi!

For their floral design lesson,

the guests are creating chateau foliage candlesticks

for tonight's table setting.

What we're going to do is we're going to actually make

this beautiful out of all the natural greenery and mosses

that we've got and then that'll match the rest of the room upstairs.

The library come dining room looks all set to be an oasis of calm,

but it's another story in the chateau kitchen.

I'm not quite sure how to do this,

so this is one of these things which is gonna go wrong.

Time for the guests to put their creations in place

and see the chateau's newly refurbished library event space.

Last bit done. So pleased with these.

Look at them. Come in, come in, come in.

So, if you want to find your own space.

There's another table here.

There's going to be a table over there, by the looks of it.

There's up here. See, up on the shelves.

It looks fantastic.

It's just how I wanted it and everybody's just been amazing.

I'm so pleased, I can't tell you.

Teacher and students won over by the workshop aspect of the weekend,

the pressure's now on Tim to seal the deal

with a show-stopping meal,

as Margreeth keeps everyone in good spirits.

We're going to have some bubbles outside,

cos it's a lovely, lovely evening.

I've got some bubbles. Hostess with the mostest. Cheers.

Cheers, everybody. Thanks for being here today, guys.

It's been lovely. It's been a lovely day.

Let's hope Tim can remember his professional chef lessons.

Nearly 300 miles south-east,

Julia's new septic tank system is in.

Pipes running from the tanks into the basement

are being linked to take waste water from the bathrooms and kitchen.

It's only one, yeah? Yeah.

Because there's been a lot of disturbance

to put in the new system,

Julia has decided to completely re-landscape

to create a good first impression.

We're going to create a terrace

going off the corners,

so two lovely half circles will run off the corners and back.

So, we'll have a lovely big terrace area in front of the house.

I will be planting around the edges

and then planting down.

I can't wait to get this soil in around here,

so I can landscape.

This front's looking a little bit more dressed up now.

It's going to have its terrace area.

A little bit more formal,

which is what I was trying to achieve.

It's not just the outside that needs work.

In the bedroom that she's preparing for sister Melissa,

Julia's ready to put up the wallpaper she's been keeping

under wraps.

The wallpaper is gorgeous.

It looks very luxurious.

It's called Paradise

and I really hope Melissa will like it.

I've highlighted the apricot down the side of the wall,

so we're gonna see the edge of that,

so hopefully the idea is when the wallpaper's up,

it's gonna look like a Chinese screen dropping down.

Julia's first ever attempt at hanging wallpaper

is now on show downstairs in the dining room.

With some experience under her belt,

she's beginning to look like a dab hand.

I think this is the hardest bit,

is actually wallpapering the whole long piece

and then having to lift it to the wall.

It's actually also really hard to see where you've glued.

Last time, she was very aware of air bubbles.

It's a very rewarding feeling, actually, doing this bit.

Julia's improved her technique to get a good, even bond

between paper and wall.

This is looking good.

Oh, my God. It's so beautiful.

I think it's gorgeous.

Melissa's room is coming together

and outside, with the terrace laid,

furniture creates an alfresco dining space.

I'm happy with it.

And creating the symmetry is really important.

Yeah, slowly we're getting there.

She stills needs to create flowerbeds and areas of foliage,

but it's a great foundation to work from.

190 miles north-east,

Joshua and Lee are still looking for a chateau

with the right location and space to run a music venue.

They have one more viewing.

Hi. Hi. Hello.

Hi, again. Good to see you again. And you.

Agent Tamasin will be showing them around a four-bedroom manor house

that's on the market for £460,000.

The house has been renovated completely.

It's double-glazed.

It's got all comforts. All right. It's got electric heating throughout

with solar panels, which bring in over 1,000 euros a year

in selling the electricity back to the grid.

OK. Which is great. That's great.

An income! That's an encouraging start.

Now to see inside.

A stained glass window.

That's beautiful. Yeah. And it's a lovely floor, as well.

Yeah, the tiles are beautiful, aren't they? Yeah.

Next, it's into the first of two reception rooms on the ground floor.

OK.

They have it as a dining room.

Could be a living room as well. Yeah. One of the reception rooms.

They've kept the traditional feel, but made it comfortable. Yeah.

With the couple keen to host parties,

a large entertaining kitchen is high on the wish list.

Into the kitchen.

Ah.

Which is full of original features as well.

That's beautiful.

It's a lovely mixture of the old and new in here, isn't it? Yeah.

They've kept all the features, but then it's a very modern kitchen

and it's lovely. Yeah.

So far, so good.

I wasn't really sure what to expect,

but it is a beautiful property that has been really well renovated.

It's very interesting.

With such a positive start,

the couple are curious to see all four bedrooms on the first floor,

which have en suites.

It's currently being used as a B&B.

It's beautifully decorated, isn't it?

Yes, there's a really nice feel.

It's gorgeous.

Having accommodation that's good to go

as part of an established B&B business is a big plus

and outside, in the private two-acre grounds,

the outbuildings offer something else that could hit the right note

for their music venue plans.

The really interesting thing about this place

is that the owners are very much involved

in an association that promotes and encourages music

in the area. Really?

OK. And they host concerts in the barn.

Wow.

So, the contacts are there

and the precedent has been set, if you like.

OK.

That's amazing.

So, this is where they hosted their concerts.

Lovely. I can see it already, how you could set this up really nicely.

Yeah, I mean, just, the size is perfect for chamber music,

which is what I had in mind, so... Right.

You know, string quartets or... Yeah.

..piano and two or three other musicians or a singer.

It's the perfect size, really.

Great. Gosh, yeah.

I'm a bit blown away, sorry. I've just gone a bit quiet.

THEY CHUCKLE

It's everything that he wants, basically,

so you hit the nail on the head.

I think, yeah.

Minor emotional moment there, sorry.

It's all right. I deal with this twice a day.

It's fine.

Looks like after three years of searching

Joshua and Lee might have found the one.

This property has been a real surprise

and a bit of an emotional journey.

I just felt a real emotional connection to this place.

Erm...

So, yeah. I'm just a little bit overcome at the moment.

I think it's a property that we've both felt an attachment to

and an emotion over.

I think if Joshua had his way, he'd be here next week.

Thank you very much for showing us round. It's been a great pleasure.

An experience. Thank you. Thank you.

This sounds very promising.

Fingers crossed it goes well

and there's a possibility of a moving-in date on the cards.

Coming up...

..Julia crosses the finish line

getting the bedroom ready for sister Melissa.

There we go. I think we're done,

so I hope she likes it.

And the flower weekend's five-course fine dining...

Dinner is served.

..sees Chef Tim feel the heat.

There's the mussels. There's the pumpkins.

Oh, no.

Back in southern France, Julia is putting the finishing touches

to her first guest accommodation,

where she plans to host sister Melissa on visits to the chateau.

It's getting the right combinations of colours

and things that I know Melissa likes

but also things that are going to go well with the room.

All right, so, I'm gonna put some gilding wax

on top of these little "finnacles."

Julia's adding her crowning glory to the four-poster

that once belonged to her father.

I love this stuff.

The interior designer and artist has some of her own ceramic creations

to add to the room.

These are three of my vases.

'95 is when I made that one.

So, a long time ago.

This one would have been around the same time.

And then this one, I made just about two years ago, I think,

not very long ago at all.

She's promised her sisters there'd be no more parrots.

There we go. I think we're done.

Perhaps those are lovebirds.

I'm very happy with how this room's come out.

Really soft and subtle, so I hope she likes it.

When Julia moved into her chateau just four months ago,

nothing had been touched for almost half a century.

What was a shabby shell...

..is now an elegant bedroom,

combining family heritage, with her father's four-poster...

..and the chateau's artistic history.

Melissa, she's waiting until she comes

out at Christmas with the family,

and she's going to have the reveal of the room then.

It's her Christmas present to see the room finished.

It's another feather in the cap for the chateau renovation.

The kitchen is ready to cook up a storm.

The dining room is set to host memorable meals.

And she's started re-landscaping work outside.

Julia's achieved an incredible amount already.

I think that's pretty good, for four months.

A lot has happened.

She's now set a target of six months

to get her accommodation ready for paying guests

and events to generate income.

By Easter, I will have my two-bedroom cottage

and the one-bedroom cottage ready for rental.

So, we'll have the function space in the large barn for events.

I wish you every success, Julia.

And if what you've done so far is anything to go by,

I've got every hope you can hit your deadline.

It's been a wonderful experience,

it's the best thing I've ever done.

Almost 400 miles north,

the guests at Tim and Margreeth's first-ever gourmet flower weekend

are enjoying pre-dinner drinks,

whilst behind the scenes,

Tim is focused on plating up the first course,

ready to serve.

We are...

..making these little amuse-bouches.

So you've a bit of radish, bit of sour cream, some fish eggs.

So, the happy accident of missing a few

and getting them slightly off-centre

means that I can scatter them about the plates

for people to munch later.

Combining polished presentation with speedy service

is a real art in a professional kitchen.

I don't wanna fall behind.

I've gotta get... Crack on and make sure that

everything's ready to go when they're ready to go.

Margreeth brings hubby a little Dutch courage

and helps co-ordinate proceedings with the evening's waiting staff.

Yeah, how we gonna do this then?

We get three waters, um, they put them on the table.

Or... I'll be upstairs.

I need about 15, 20 minutes to get all that stuff together

and then get the, um... Yeah, there's gonna be some

time between courses. So, ten minutes for the amuse-bouches.

OK. Something like that. And then...

Ten minutes after that, they come up to clear. So...yeah.

And then... Yeah, the salads are going, OK. Great.

Order of events settled, Margreeth realises she needs

to give the place settings a last-minute tweak.

Tim's changed the order of the menu,

so I have to change the order of the cutlery.

That's the way it is!

But luckily, he told me now.

The diners can be summoned chateau-style...

Dinner is served.

..to the candlelit library.

Whoa. Wow. Whoa. Oh, my gosh.

Beautiful. Oh, this is...this is a wow. Yes.

As chef Tim is feeling the heat...

Yeah, OK, so we'll forget this, we'll do this later.

Oh, crikey. It's...it's show time.

Agh! I'm not ready!

Agh!

OK.

Blissfully unaware of what's happening in the kitchen...

Can you take three each, you guys?

..the guests tuck into tomato salad,

as Tim prepares to showcase his prized pumpkins

in a soup with mussels and roasted garnish.

There's the mussels.

There's the pumpkins.

Don't want that to burn.

Patrick, if you could get me the plates, mate.

I need 14 plates. Thank you.

Good kitchen management is about priorities...

Girls, you can take up the breads, please.

..and delegation.

And, um, Patrick if you could join me with this.

Oh, no, you can't take up the breads, we're doing... Sorry.

Forget that, forget the breads, they go with the soup.

You OK with that, you guys?

Tim juggles time in the kitchen

with helping Margreeth play host to the guests.

Just to let you know, the next course is coming and, erm,

it's pumpkins from our own garden.

Everything you're eating tonight is actually very local.

It's all regional and... Organic. And organic, yes, it's...yes.

Tim's left his waiting staff to dish up in the kitchen,

then he remembers the prized pumpkin pieces for the soup garnish

are still roasting in the oven.

Oh, no.

OK, we'll just have to get it...

I can't do it, I've...burned the pumpkins, talking to the guests.

I've burned the pumpkins.

That's why I was running downstairs. OK.

OK, that's a shame.

Damn.

Um...

A few minutes' distraction can be the difference

between culinary triumph and disaster.

At least the soup itself has survived,

so the guests will never know what they've missed.

You know, if that's the worst thing that happens tonight,

that's not so bad.

Very true, Tim.

And it still looks pretty as a picture.

Guys, you've got duck in fig leaf.

I think this has to be the nicest room I've ever been in.

Cos I've never seen anything like this before,

and that's all down to Laura, so... Thank you.

Floristry and food have delivered a winning combination.

Wonderful food, wonderful surroundings,

beautiful chateau. Couldn't ask for more.

I feel like I'm sitting in a...fairy castle.

Well done, Tim. Well done, Margreeth.

Here, here.

And it looks like this event and florist Laura

are now set to return to the chateau.

We're definitely going to host more of these kind of events.

It's a great way of people to connect and get to know each other.

It's an amazing feeling because we spent six months

working on this project.

That's an efficient way of weeding!

Working on creating a new garden...

Strawberries! Hey, I love strawberries! Me, too.

..working on the library, that was a bit sad.

Oh, I can't wait for other people to see this.

..and now, it has come back to life.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, yes. it was really nice meeting you.

We celebrated all the hard work.

What a way to finish the year.

Yeah.

Tim and Margreeth, you deserve every success

after all the work you've put in.

We wish you a blooming marvellous future.

Yeah, good. Let's do it again. Next Tuesday.

Yeah. THEY LAUGH

Next week...

Oh, my goodness! Look!

..we follow another bunch of intrepid chateau owners.

It looks to be a massive undertaking.

A couple leave it down to the wire...

It should be a joyous day, right? It's the opening of our gallery.

..as they launch their new business.

She'll only get stressed, Ashley. She does.

I'm not stressed. I'm annoyed.

A family new to chateau life aim to win over the locals...

Ah, bonsoir!

..and at another chateau...

Yay!

Don't panic, but... You're going?

..the wedding hostess goes into labour.

Two seconds, I'm getting a contraction.

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