The Domaine de la Grande Bauche hosts seminars, plenary meetings, general assemblies, product launches, after-works, company dinners and weddings for up to 100 guests. The estate is a former farm in Pont-Saint-Martin, in Loire-Atlantique, about 15 minutes south of Nantes, with a restaurant, a reception building and 2 hectares of grounds.
Seminars and company events
For companies, the estate offers rooms suited to seminars, end-of-year meals and product launches. The meeting room has a video projector, and a sound system with a microphone is available for plenary sessions and general assemblies. The 2 hectares of grounds, the pétanque court and the organic micro-farm give space for breaks, outdoor lunches and informal team activities. Lunch can be served by the estate's own kitchen, which also runs the restaurant.
Weddings and receptions
The estate presents itself as a venue for country weddings, as well as birthdays, baptisms, engagements and communions. A couple can use the indoor room, the marquee and the terrace in the same day: ceremony or cocktail outside, dinner under the marquee or inside. The team is present on the day to answer the couple's needs, and the 2,000 m² vegetable garden and the educational mini-farm give guests, including children, something to see between the meal and the evening.
Rooms and capacities
The estate states a reception capacity of 100 people. The spaces are an indoor room of 80 m², an outdoor marquee of 150 m² and a terrace. The terrace is given as 120 m² on one page and 200 m² on another. The building has a professional kitchen. Parking is listed for 50 cars on one page and 80 on another, so check the exact figure if most guests will drive.
Catering
The estate runs a bistronomic restaurant with a creative cuisine based on local and seasonal produce. The menu changes every Monday and draws on world cuisines. The team favors local producers in a locavore approach. Lunch and dinner menus are served to the public, and the same kitchen caters for events held on site. The estate also organizes themed evenings, such as a New Year's Eve dinner.
History and setting
The reception building dates from 1658, and its visible roof timbers from 1720. La Grande Bauche was a working farm for more than 350 years, and the current team wants to keep that spirit alive with values of sharing, conviviality and respect for biodiversity. Today the estate combines an organic educational micro-farm, a 2,000 m² vegetable garden, a restaurant with a sunny terrace and the reception spaces, all on 2 hectares of countryside.
Getting there
The estate lies in Pont-Saint-Martin, south of the Loire, about 15 minutes by car from Nantes and close to Rezé and Vertou. Nantes railway station and Nantes Atlantique airport are the nearest hubs; guests coming by train will need a taxi or a car for the last stretch. The estate has a large car park on site.
Practical points
The estate has no accommodation, so guests who travel from far away will need a hotel in Nantes or the surrounding towns. For a wedding or an evening event, ask about end times and noise rules for the marquee and terrace, and confirm whether the menu, drinks and staff are quoted together.
