#9 of a series. Serge, Le Sel

So, how’s business?

“Well, it’s very interesting because before Le Sel I’d never been in hospitality at all. Le Sel has been a totally different direction. I spent about 45 years of my life mainly doing interior restoration work, spending a lot of time in Melbourne, doing historical restoration, working for the National Trust and so forth. Then we came to Maldon. The interesting thing about it is that hospitality is a totally different structure, different way of working, different mindset. 

My dream was to open up a deli, and what an interesting lesson that was for me. A good lesson. When I was in interior decorating, I was only dealing with about three or four different suppliers. Now with Le Sel, we deal with 10 or 20 people or suppliers. 

Maldon is a lovely town. A very strong community. There’s always something happening in Maldon. Business-wise, at the moment we get a lot fewer people from Melbourne. Now we get a lot more from Harcourt, Bendigo, Castlemaine, and Ballarat. 

When you think about it, say you’re a family from Melbourne. If they drive from Melbourne to Maldon with three kids, plus the day’s activities, it quickly adds up, and maybe it’s become too costly.”

Time for you to turn over a letter. First one…

L. Latte.

“It reminds me when we first opened up. I had no idea about hospitality. I never wanted a coffee shop. I wanted a deli. So, I said, no coffee at all. Claudine and everybody said, “No, you’ve got to have coffee.” So, I compromised and bought a beautiful semi-commercial little machine with a lever. So, to do a coffee you had to put the coffee in, pull the lever down, count until five or 10, and then lift up the leaver, and that was the coffee. And then add the milk and the froth… I didn’t want to do it, But I was obliged to do it for the business. Today? Well, I don’t say I really love it, but I really like it.”

D. Day. 

“The days before COVID, you always knew what to expect. Wednesday would be busy. Thursday, a bit busier. Friday… So, there was a consistency. Now it’s different. Every day is unpredictable. I say to people, if we were the only ones, I’d be really, really worried. However, when you talk to the delivery guys, other business owners… they are all saying the same… can’t plan anything. I’ve known Maldon for about 45 years, and in those 45 years it’s always been an interesting town.”

N. Nationality.

“Why nationality? Because it’s a personal thing, which is hard for me because I don’t have… well, I’m not totally French, not totally Australian. I’m in no-man’s land. I’ve got no real nationality. I was born in North Africa in Algiers. I’m what we call Pied-Noir, black feet, which is a French person living in the North Africa in Algiers. To me, life has always been a challenge. So, to come back to my nationality, first we left Algiers and there was a lot of war and crime. We arrived in France, and I went to high school. I was quite bullied at school. Thank God I was tough enough to rebel and didn’t get to suffer too much. I was always fighting. I’d been ejected from school about four times because of fighting. Anyway, we came to Australia and I went to high school. I couldn’t speak much English at all. And for a year, it was really hard, but I acquired a lot of patience. Therefore, the way we’ve been brought up is to never give up… no matter what, just never give up. That’s why I keep trying new things in the business, to make the customer happy, to be relaxed and happy because life is too short to be whinging and upset.” 

A.    Adrenaline.

“Well, in business, when I struggle at times, that’s when the adrenaline kicks in. When it does, I actually can breathe a lot easier. It’s like a drug to me. The adrenaline helps me to sort things out. I just feel full of action, moving, talking. Sometimes, people think I’ve had too many coffees. A challenge can get me down for a while. But then the adrenaline kicks in, I am ready to go.

M. Marriage. 

“Marriage in all its different forms. Claudine and I are married to the business, married to Maldon, married to the local community.  Then there’s marriage itself… I’ve been married, separated. And like all marriages of all kinds, there are ups and downs… it’s about keeping it fresh, including in business. Don’t copy other businesses. Create something different – a new shop or a new idea or a new shop window or a new addition to the menu. Keep people interested. Give them more to select from.” 

O. Optimism. 

“I’m quite optimistic because I believe whatever you start doing, you’ve got to finish it. People say I’m an optimist and a dreamer. Well, I am. But I like to create something, to complete something that is important to me. I just want to be able to be happy with what I achieve. Yes, I’m optimistic, but realistic. The idea of opening this shop was optimistic, but also realistic. I have Claudine to thank so much. To me that’s what life is all about – to be an optimist, to survive, and to go somewhere. If you’re not an optimist, then there’s no adventure, no adrenaline, nothing. That’s not me. Claudine and I are totally different in many ways. Together it feels balanced. Claudine’s fantastic in creating food, and the decor, and the attention to details. Yes, I’m an optimist, but there are times when Claudine’s an optimist and I’m not. Together, we make a great team.

This article appeared in Tarrangower Times, 8 December 2023.