Golden Trout over the years
Family stories.
The story of the Golden Trout is one of those whose accent already transports us elsewhere. A tale that is passed down from generation to generation. All you have to do is close your eyes and listen...
Located on the village square, the first Trout is the meeting place of Vers and its surroundings. There, life is made and unmade. Each event finds its place there, the Coque, the traditional Easter cake, is honored there, the opening of the fishing season is the occasion to open a bottle there. In Sunday best, families and friends treat themselves to a Sunday meal where they have fun, discuss, argue, sometimes get angry only to better reconcile. If there is a banquet, it is often at the Trout that they feast. After saying "I do," the bride and groom come to toast their happiness with their guests. And then the café is where the first telephone was installed, where the first television in the village broadcasts in black and white.
In the 1950s, a guinguette and a dance hall had the local people of Lot spinning to the sound of the most renowned accordionists: Edouard Duleu, Yvette Horner, and André Verchuren.
A second life
Finding itself slightly cramped, the small roadside restaurant moved into the Chartreux house in 1991. A second life thus began. In 1993, the hotel rooms received their own toilets and bathrooms. Four years later, the bar and reception room, where breakfast was served, moved into the restaurant's extension. In 2005, La Truite made itself at home by purchasing the "Les Chalets" hotel and restaurant. In addition to the 18 rooms, 16 more were added overlooking the Vers. That same year, a pizzeria took up its summer quarters for the first time opposite La Truite in the former "Chalets" bar. It was in 2014 that it moved into the restaurant's former kitchens.
In 2009, 4 bedrooms, including 2 studios for people with reduced mobility, were added to the small house by the stream. La Truite continues to become more beautiful and comfortable.
In 2014, the idea of building a gym took shape. Completely redesigned in 2024, this space dedicated to exercise, floor sports, fitness, boxing, and relaxation is nonetheless a charming place.
It is with this same aim in mind that the 1989 swimming pool with its azure curves gave way in 2017 to the elegant Lot stone pool, which is ideal for both relaxation and swimming lengths.
Building yourself day after day
Each step, each change in the Trout is thought through and analyzed. As if the first question were, "Are we going to betray the Golden Trout, the Lot, and its land full of riches?" Every material, every stone, every tile, every metal, every wood must honor the golden fish and respect its region.
Everything is thought through. Ask Evelyne and Patrick all the "whys...?" that come to mind, and they'll be able to tell you.
This is how they sometimes manage to imagine the impossible and make it a reality. As proof, the balconies and their incredible view of the old stone bridge which offers the aparthotels a unique spectacle of the waterfalls, the Vers, while preserving the calm and serenity of the rooms.
Passion in heritage
La Truite is an old lady who continues to rejuvenate because year after year, its owners take care of it.
How difficult it is to imagine this small roadside hotel when you see La Truite today
Jeanne Vayssieres, Cécile Esperet, Marie-Louise Rigal,...
So many strong women, owners over the years, even centuries, who, if they could return one day, would fill the air with emotion upon seeing what has become of La Truite, their Trout. Without betraying its past, without denying its Lotois roots, on the contrary, La Truite today is more proud than ever of its origins.
But let's go back to the last century. When Janine, worthy heir of her aunt "Mané," meets the lover who will change her life, a young cabinetmaker born in Cabrerets. This couple will be at the origin of a true "Marcenac" dynasty, which will revolutionize the history of La Truite.
By giving birth to Marie-Christine and Patrick, Janine and André Marcenac are far from imagining what their Golden Trout would become. If Marie-Christine leaves Vers for Bordeaux, it is not without leaving a part of herself, of her childhood, there. A loving land that undeniably cherishes her forever. A love that she passes on to her daughter Chloé. Patrick, for his part, remains without even asking the question. Trout is part of his DNA. Step by step, he becomes a Chef and graces the plates with his unforgettable recipes. In 1986, a certain Evelyne from a family of restaurateurs passes through his village, his life and his heart. She, who only thought she was passing through, stops there never to leave. And it is this encounter that will transform the Golden Trout, making it shine even more, to become what it is today. Evelyne and Patrick are the first to say it is thanks to the family spirit that all this has become possible because the Trout loves large families. This is how, in the 2000s, Evelyne's sister, Brigitte, and her son Cédric joined the banks of the Vers. The first, with her legendary good humor, welcomes guests from breakfast and takes care of their well-being throughout their stay, while the second, the true right-hand man of La Truite, never lets his left arm rest, especially when it comes to preparing pizzas. In 2012, Nathalie joined the heart of Cédric and the family, and quickly distinguished herself with her innate sense of management and organization.
Evelyne and Patrick give birth to the 6th generation:
The Souillac hotel school was their second home for several years, where they each took turns learning their trade with passion, doing internships in prestigious restaurants: Ducasse, La Baumanière, and Le Gindreau. But as soon as they graduated, they returned to the more famous Truite du Vers. We don't deny our roots. The eldest, Head Chef, saw his younger brother join him a few years later as Chef de Partie. Then the smiles of Morgan, the dining room manager, charmed Quentin's heart in 2015, and the sparkling eyes of Estelle, the beautician and SPA manager, won Thibault's in 2018. Beautiful stories whose first pages are already filled with emotion. And the new generations of Trout also have their own chapter, in order of appearance: Mattéo son of Cédric, Adrien of Cédric and Nathalie, Léna and Léon of Estelle and Thibault, Louise of Morgan and Quentin and it's not about to stop...
A story of loyalty
It is impossible to talk about Trout without its team.
30 people in season, including 19 year-round.
Fabienne, who has been welcoming guests since 2013, never losing her smile, giving them all the attention and kindness they deserve.
Fred, who has been delighting our taste buds since 1996. While his walnut tarts are inseparable from the Trout, all his pastries benefit from his expertise. As beautiful as they are delicious, they add a delicious finishing touch to meals.
Nina, always with a smile and a kind word on her lips, has been taking care of the rooms since 2008, making them ever more pleasant and welcoming. What makes her so exceptional? She never forgets your little habits and will do everything to anticipate your requests.
And of course Rémi, Méga, Ludovic, Leiny, Fabien, Mathieu, Maxime, Bryan, Antoine, Ryan, Elisabeth, Lindsey, Omkar, Nam, Donatella …
Let go
Why isn't La Truite just another hotel restaurant?
Because this is where encounters and connections are created that span the years.
The miles of traffic jams that paralyze, the noise pollution that gives the impression of hearing but no longer listening. The stress of the minutes that seem like a perpetual countdown frightening our daily lives. Never giving up for fear of being swept away in a whirlwind of problems. So, when the Trout, accustomed to calm, receives its guests with all these concerns, it begins to think differently, and this reflection naturally leads to a SPA. Like a premonition in 2020, just before COVID, the work began... slowed down but never stopped. Hammam, sauna, jacuzzi, counter-current swimming pool, sensory shower and massage room open in May 2021 for the greatest pleasure of the finally "liberated" guests.
It is caught in this spiral of well-being that the restaurant, in 2024, benefited from a nice refresh. The result is astonishing. How can we imagine that putting stones from the Lot on the floor, choosing furniture with elegant materials and lighting the walls with a soft paint would give so much luminosity? That reviewing the acoustics would allow us to savor the calm as we savor the dishes.
La Truite Dorée is a past that is written in the future and a future that is written with the past. A beautiful story that is also yours, you who read us, you who reward us with your smiles and your loyalty, you who with your good humor and your kindness are and will always be welcome.
Patricia CAMUS, from the Golden Trout
Summer 2024
