Ski Chalet Hosting School Expands
2nd April 2025 | Jane Peel, Chief Reporter
Last modified on May 16th, 2025
Two chalet hosts with 15 years’ experience in the Alps are expanding their residential training courses in the UK this year, opening up possibilities for more youngsters to work a ski season. They are also donating two places to the charity, Snow-Camp. They’ve been talking to PlanetSKI.
Rebecca Beasley and Stephen Hancock set up the Fresh Tracks Chalet Hosting & Cookery School in Cornwall in 2017.
They’ve since trained around 300 students, many of whom are now good friends who they’ve worked seasons with.
Wannabe chalet hosts can book themselves onto a course, but Fresh Tracks also works closely with the catered chalet industry.
Some companies insist that potential hosts complete a Fresh Tracks course before they can be considered for a seasonal job.
This year, they’re working with even more chalet firms and are doubling the number of 5-day courses at their base, 5 minutes from the beach, in Polzeath.
Polzeath, Cornwall. Image © Fresh Tracks
Eight specialist chalet-hosting courses, each taking eight students, will run from June to September this year.
Steve and Becky say they hope to continue expanding over the next few years.
They are currently busy travelling around the UK, giving talks at schools and colleges to encourage youngsters to think about working a ski season.
Steve spreading the word. Image © Fresh Tracks
“We do often get asked ‘do I need to be able to ski?’,” Steve says.
“Absolutely not, the job doesn’t involve any skiing. But, in terms of learning to ski, if you want to, it’s a great way to learn.”
Steve enjoying his time off in the mountains. Image © James Rushforth
Becky enjoying her time off in the mountains. Image © James Rushforth
The students stay in two properties with ordinary domestic kitchens.
Everything is set up to be as close to a real chalet hosting experience as possible.
And it’s not just about learning to cook, though the students will do that too.
Learning chalet hosting skills. Image © Fresh Tracks
They’ll make breakfast, canapés, dinner and children’s meals.
And learn how to get their cakes to rise at altitude.
“Overall, it gives them that realistic experience,” Steve says. “You can’t just focus on plating up a nice plate of food, you’ve got to plate it up quickly, get it out hot, get your portions right.”
Becky & Steve. Image © Fresh Tracks
Becky says the course is intense.
“Stamina and being able to work hard are key skills the students need,” she says.
“We start at 7 o’clock in the morning and we’re often not eating dinner until 10 in the evening.
“That intensity of still learning, still socialising with people, being active, going out in the afternoon for a surf or a walk or something, that is very reflective of chalet hosting and the need to reproduce that week after week for the whole season.
“It is a good opportunity for people to think ‘this is a bit harder than I thought it was going to be’.”
Afternoon free time. Image © Fresh Tracks
There are classroom sessions too.
The students learn to problem-solve and deal with challenging situations.
Difficult guests, maybe?
“A lot of the course is based on anecdotes from situations we’ve been in and dealt with them well – or dealt with them badly – and the lessons we’ve learned from it,” Steve says.
“But one of the biggest things we always try to get across is that, in our experience, we’ve had very few bad situations or bad guests.
“When people get what they expect, guests are actually really great. We always say that if you’re constantly getting bad guests, it might not be the guests.”
Classroom session. Image © Fresh Tracks
Last year, Steve and Becky began working closely with Snow-Camp, the charity that gives inner-city youngsters opportunities to train and work in the snowsports industry.
They donated two places on their course for Snow-Camp apprentices.
“We fully recognise that the course costs a lot of money. It’s not always open to everybody,” Steve says.
“We had two young girls who came and did the course. They were both fantastic. They fitted in really well.”
Supporting Snow-Camp. Image © Fresh Tracks
This year, Steve and Becky have agreed to fully fund another two places.
Five years ago, as the UK left the European Union, it seemed like the days of the British seasonal worker were numbered, with free movement a victim of Brexit.
Visas are now required to work in the EU, putting more hurdles in the way of those with a UK passport.
Steve agrees that it is more difficult to get a job now than pre-Brexit but says it’s a lot easier than it was four years ago.
Fresh Tracks has an online course that will take students through the job application process.
Becky & Steve at work as chalet hosts. Image © Fresh Tracks
“Ideally, people who book on the course have a job offer,” Becky says.
“Ski companies will often offer them a place on the condition that they do a course with us.
“It’s up to the ski companies themselves to decide who they want to employ so we’ll never say ‘we guarantee you a job’ because I don’t think that’s fair, but we’ll do our utmost to help them find employment.
“So our online training course covers everything you need to do from researching the companies, job applications, interview process and explains the visa process.
“We do as much as we possibly can to help them along those lines and we’re as honest as possible about the way the industry has changed over the years.
“Now, because it’s more competitive, they do have to really demonstrate they’ve got the skills to do the job and do it well.”
Steve, Becky & students. Image © Fresh Tracks
If you’re interested, or know someone who is, more information about the Fresh Tracks residential and online courses can be found here.
Residential courses are around £1,000 all-inclusive, though prices vary according to accommodation rental costs.
The ski chalet companies’ recruitment drives for next winter usually begin in May.
MORE ABOUT STEVE & BECKY
Becky & Steve. Image © Fresh Tracks
The couple have worked for several UK chalet companies over 15 years, moving around ‘to keep it fresh’.
They include: Ski Beat, Ski Vertigo, Collets Mountain Holidays, Ski-Val, Valley Fever in Chamonix and Mountain Heaven.
PlanetSKI’s Jane Peel has been hosted by them on two separate occasions in two different resorts and can confirm that anyone doing their course will be learning from the very best!
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