A relentless visionary
Or: How to Push the Boundaries of What's Possible
This wonderful story begins in 1984 when Patrick Duler, a spirited 24-year-old, inherited a neglected family estate, the Domaine de Saint-Géry. Seventy hectares of fallow, poor soil on dry, rocky slopes, and a main house overgrown with vegetation—a place that was in danger of disappearing and that no one wanted.
It was here that he decided to live and open his restaurant, to breathe new life into the estate, the land of his childhood.
A wild adventure begins in this freezing winter, with a leaky roof, frozen sinks, and just one fireplace warming the main building.
Yet Patrick persevered and opened “La Petite Auberge” on his own, serving his first astonished guests local specialties such as garbure, tourin, foie gras, duck breasts grilled over an open fire, and traditional pastries. At first, during the winter—especially when temperatures dropped to –20°C—customers were few and far between. He took advantage of this to complete his Professional Certificate in Agriculur
e on an accelerated track (one year instead of two) and thus become a farmer, all while keeping the restaurant open in the evenings and on weekends.
His goal is simple: Patrick wants to grow everything he serves at his restaurant himself, convinced that by controlling the production process, he can guarantee the excellence of his products. He hands out flyers at a traffic light in Cahors to build his reputation and works tirelessly, driven by a deep conviction, to grow everything he serves at his restaurant himself. He plants his vegetable garden, revives the breeding of the Gascon black pig, fattened his first ducks, plants hundreds of truffle trees on this stony plateau of Quercy Blanc, and opens his first guest room to accommodate visitors.
Against all odds, under the skeptical gaze of the locals, he cultivates and harvests, all while renovating the estate’s buildings. Fortunately, some encouraged him, including Alain Dominique Perrin, CEO of Cartier International and owner of Château Lagrezette in Cahors, who was enthusiastic about the estate and introduced it to his friends.
Soon, through word of mouth, La Petite Auberge became the go-to spot for foodies in the region. The food is excellent, the ingredients are top-notch and prepared with care, and the owner is a truly passionate and fascinating character.
Sharing the vision
Or: How to Embrace the Pioneer Spirit as a Couple
In 1991, Patrick met Pascale, a client and the young daughter of a neighboring château where he hosted events. He shared his passion and ambition with her, and against all odds, she decided to join him in his ambitious project, convinced as he was that excellence stems from complete control over production and that this estate could thrive and
operate independently. Together they developed this pioneering “farm-to-table” philosophy that guarantees health and preserved flavor. The land at Saint-Géry, free from any pollution, is farmed organically—no tilling, no monoculture, but rather mixed planting and biodiversity everywhere, even in the wild vegetable garden.
This approach to “sustainable development”—well ahead of its time—has given rise to an exemplary ecosystem that functions almost entirely autonomously. Wood gathered from the 20 hectares of forest heats all the buildings; hedges are planted to restore the bocage landscape, preserve biodiversity, and prevent soil erosion
. The “Source aux Loups” spring supplies water to the estate. It also irrigates the orchard, vegetable garden, vineyards, olive groves, and stony truffle fields on the estate, as well as the lawns in the garden.
At the same time, Patrick and Pascale are working to restore the manor house and renovate the century-old outbuildings: barns, a dovecote, and the traditional Quercy-style bolets. Pascale, a graduate of the École du Louvre with a passion for art history and fine objects, has enhanced the home by decorating it with antique furniture and family heirlooms.
In 1996, a pivotal encounter with three-star chef Alain Senderens spurred Patrick’s constant drive for improvement. This marked the beginning of a high-level training program that, over the course of ten years, allowed him to perfect his mastery of haute French cuisine under the guidance of the greatest chefs, including Alain Ducasse, Joël
Robuchon, Michel Portos, and Georges Pralus, among others. At the same time, five new guest rooms were added to welcome passing travelers with a home-away-from-home atmosphere, and a food processing lab meeting EEC standards was set up in a former outbuilding. It is here that recipes featuring truffles and foie
gras will be produced, and that hams and cured meats made from Gascon black pork will be crafted without any chemical additives—going far beyond the AB certification standards, which permit the use of saltpeter and nitrite salt. A new challenge that everyone predicted would fail…
An exceptional ecosystem
Or how to take the rest of the world along… as a family
And it was amid this buzz of activity, at the heart of this estate coming back to life, and in close harmony with nature, that the family grew: three children were born—Thibault, Louis-Dominique, and Camille—who were born and raised in perfect harmony on the estate, which had become virtually self-sufficient.
Then came the years of awards and recognition: the ham was crowned “Best Ham in the World” ahead of the finest Iberian hams during a blind tasting in Barcelona; the foie gras won three gold medals at the Concours Général Agricole; the estate joined the Châteaux et Hôtels Collection chain, rated “four helmets” (the ultimate accolade!); the gourmet restaurant is awarded the title of “Table Remarquable,” and the magazine “Des racines et des Ailes” airs a 40-minute feature on the Domaine de Saint-Géry, paying tribute to these years of passionate work and this incredible ecosystem.
Today, the children have grown up and have naturally become part of this wonderful family legacy, each contributing their own part to this magnificent endeavor. Patrick and Pascale passed on to them the deep-rooted values that gave birth to this extraordinary project. Thibault, the eldest, having worked—like his brother and sister—in every role at the estate, now creates all the images and films that showcase the estate’s expertise. Louis-Dominique has just established the Saint-Géry vineyard, with 15,000 vines planted on the limestone plateaus among wheat fields and truffle groves, all while continuing his studies in viticulture. And Camille, the youngest, is working on an equestrian project exploring the interdependence between humans and horses in a dedicated area of the estate where she practices the rider-horse connection, all while preparing for her high school graduation exams.
Après presque 40 années de plantation et de rénovation, on est loin de la Petite Auberge au toit fuyant du début, le Domaine s’est métamorphosé en un lieu de villégiature raffiné et autosuffisant, porteur d’une âme et d’une histoire.
Celle de la famille Duler qui accueille toujours les bons-vivants avec la même passion et le même engagement et partage des moments d’émotions inoubliables autour d’une bonne table ou lors de séjours d’exception. Et si certains séjours s’orchestrent autour des produits de la Maison Duler, la truffe, le pain ou la diététique du cochon d’autres proposent une découverte sensible du vivant durant lesquels les passionnés de gastronomie vivent en symbiose le Domaine de Saint-Géry. Pour Pascale et Patrick, la volonté de transmettre leur vision est la même qu’au premier jour…
