A weekend at this remodelled 17th century manor will make you fall in love with the Pas-de-Calais promptly.
Oh France, I was in love with the idea and the reality of living here — enamoured by the colourful trappings of culture and nature unveiled with every region I’ve visited — and that besottedness was amplified with a recent trip up north to the Pas-de-Calais department.
With so many aces up its sleeves — from beautiful beaches to UNESCO world heritage listed sites, the region draws in millions of visitors. Especially the British and the Flemish, simply because a tunnel and a strikingly long border (respectively) are shared between the two lands.

I spent a day soaking up the history of Arras and its chalk caves — The Carrière Wellington — turned quarry tunnels used to house 20,000 soldiers during WWI, and then moved on to the glorious countryside to experience the regenerative hospitality of 2 MICHELIN key, Chateau de Beaulieu. By the time we had pulled up to the pearly gates of the establishment, we were fatigued and semi sapped of enthusiasm from the maddening bus-train-Paris-metro-car transfers we had to endure whilst traversing from the Loire.

Owner/Chef Christophe Dufossé and wife Delphine were there to greet us, and in that moment of warmth, you choose the estate tour over the gloriously plush beds — a proven wise choice later on.





We traversed the outskirts of the fruit and vegetable farm, danced in a dappled forest with trees rustling in winds thick with floral scents, pulled in to an animal farm chock full of pigs, goats, geese and rabbits, luxuriating underneath the late afternoon sun — before making a pit stop in the sparkling clean bread/pastry kitchen where Christophe pulls out a baby pink treat from a stainless steel drawer. A strawberry marshmallow as peace offering for the little, as I got around to exploring the 8000-bottle strong wine cellar. Head sommelier Stéphane Chavaudra has definitely been keeping busy.
Why Book?
Simply because this estate is one of the most intimate labor of love I’ve ever witnessed, created by one visionary with little more than a desire to get the details right, return back to his roots and nurture the environment. Chateau de Beaulieu is radical in its efforts to live and breathe permaculture, it tackles problems of supply chain by basically building an all-encompassing ecosystem — fuelling itself, to almost full capability. This impact, it’s visceral. It’s physical.






This is the place for those have a penchant for living the ‘slow life’. With help from the friendly, but non-intrusive staff, trade frenzied activity of modern living, for walks through the 9 hectares estate. Its’ terrain spans mature closed canopy forests teeming with aviary life; vegetable gardens that whisper delicious promises of tomatoes, fennel, peas and butter beans; sweet smelling strawberry fields and a pond flanked with gentle reeds and a stunning water feature that bends with the passing winds. There’s mystery in the air that makes you feel as though you’re on a transformative adventure with nature.
The Backstory

Christophe Dufossé left home in Calais to work in the hospitality business — only to return, 39 years later, with wife and business partner Delphine in town, to buy over this 17th century manor. The result is Chateau de Beaulieu, whose guiding principle is ‘to create an ecosystem, try to be self sufficient and achieve a sense of serenity.’

And unlike so many extravagant projects caught up in the paradigm model of greenwashing, Chateau de Beaulieu does it in the most virtuous way possible — 3 full time gardeners who handpick all produce during harvest time; natural uncontaminated watering systems; a Noah’s ark of farm animals rescued from a life of abandonment and abuse; and a waddling of ducks that are the true permaculture superstars, with pest-busting on their resumes next to ‘looking cute’.
The Chateau
Conceived as a shrine for history, luxury and a place where you can truly let your personality shine, the hotel dons a soothing neutral palette sharply polarised by colourful details that appeal to its multi-generational clientele. There are 28 rooms including 10 suites, all fully air-conditioned, most of which overlook the tranquil gardens, and many kitted out with king-sized beds, rain showers (or bath tubs should you prefer), separate living spaces with transformative sofa beds to accommodate small families.





The hotels’s on-site spa collaborates with SOTHYS Paris, and its treatment menu runs the gamut of Indonesian ancestral massage to youth intensive face treatments that promises 50% more firmness to your face. The wellness area also includes a 20-metre long indoor pool, a sauna and a Turkish bath, for those who enjoy keeping active as they travel.
Food and drink

Creativity and resourcefulness are the essence of the kitchen. The farm-to-fork dining concept grows 80% of its fruits, vegetables and herbs on-site and complements this with a carefully curated selection of produce from ethical farmers in the Hauts-de-France region. Expect a legion of chefs, pastry chefs, and a butcher, because zero-waste policy, duh.

Far from a marketing ruse, Chef Christophe Dufossé’s efforts have been recognised with a Michelin star in 2022 shortly after opening, and then followed up by a second Michelin star and a green star the year after.








The 7-course seasonal menu is structured in such a way that encourages diners to muse about ingredients from beyond the extravagance. Example, a rumination on white asparagus from Pont d’Achelles is first presented on a mirror lake of lemon gel and then, in ice cream form topped with a crisp salad punched with pickled bear paws garlic from the garden. Save room for the impressive petit four trolley — the finger-sized opera cake is to die for.

Those who crave something more casual will appreciate the brasserie Côté Jardin, a 60-seater eatery which uses the same producers as its more uppity neighbour. Here you can enjoy homely plates including the egg mimosa, 7-hour braised lamb accompanied with white beans laced with lovage. Although in summer, you’ll most likely find guests spilled over the terrace enjoying wood-fired cooking on an OFYR Barbecue fire pit.
Château de Beaulieu by Christophe Dufossé
Address: 1098 rue de Lillers, 62350, Busnes
Instagram: @chateaudebeaulieu_cdufosse
Text: Sihan Lee
Photo courtesy: Sihan Lee