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6 hours ago
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Many food lovers may feel obliged to make a beeline to the south of France to sate their appetites, but there is an easier journey to make across the Channel, which is rewarded with some of the country’s best flavours and culinary experiences. A trip around the north-west regions of Brittany, Normandy and the Pays de la Loire can bring you world-class produce, unique local dishes and Michelin-star dining. All of this, along with one of France’s most interesting distilleries (more on that below), plus the chance to sample a cider brunch, as well as the wonderful wines produced in the Loire.
Brittany
On the north-west coastline, west of Roscoff, there is much to entice gastronomes. Not only is this part of Brittany famous for its gentle-flavoured pink onions, much loved by chefs and foodies, the area is also known for its superior vegetables and excellent seafood. Both are showcased in the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants such as Hotel Brittany in Roscoff, La Butte in Plouider and La Pomme d’Api in Saint-Pol-dé-Leon. For a more rustic taste of Brittany, look out for the kig ha farz, a Breton meat and vegetable stew that includes a large wheat or buckwheat dumpling: the “farz”. You can try it at Bistrot des Legendes in Meneham, near the spectacular white sand beaches of the Côte des Sables.
Also in Brittany, the stunning port city of Saint-Malo is a foodie heaven; even on one short street, the Rue de l’Orme, there is much to discover – at La Maison du Beurre, you’ll find hand-churned butter from the highly regarded Beurre Bordier company, infused with flavours such as Madagascan vanilla and Roscoff onion; next door is the Bistro Autour du Beurre Bordier, where each dish celebrates a different variety of Beurre Bordier butter.
Also on the street is the excellent creperie Breizh Café and La Maison du Sarrasin for biscuits, pasta and other products made with buckwheat – a staple of the region and the key ingredient in Breton galettes. There are other innovative uses of the grain, known in French as blé noir or blé de sarrasin; the Distillerie des Menhirs, at Plomelin near Quimper in the south-west of Brittany, was the first distillery to make whisky with buckwheat in 2002. Named Eddu, there are several different blends, single malts and ages to choose from.
Pays de la Loire
Just around the coast from southern Brittany in the Pays de la Loire region, the salt marshes around Guérande produce one of France’s most famous seasonings – fleur de sel, which is what gives Breton butter its salty crunch. The patchwork of salt marshes is a spectacular sight and you can see the sauniers – salt harvesters – at work in the shallow ponds, shaping the salt into neat piles by the end of the day. Visit the Le Guérandais cooperative to buy your own supply.
Follow the Loire 135 miles east and you come to the town of Saumur, around which are some excellent vineyards producing the renowned sparkling wine crémant de Loire, as well as reds, whites and rosés. The limestone caves in the area provide a naturally cool place for maturation. Call into the Clos Saint-Maur, a winery run since 1891 by the Roulleau family, 12 miles south of Saumur, for a tasting. On the same site is the entrance to the family’s other operation, the Cave Vivante du Champignon. The cellars are perfect for growing mushrooms and this museum-cum-farm is run by the ebullient Jacky Roulleau, who shares how they grow and the local history of living and farming underground.
Normandy
Meanwhile, in Normandy, each corner has a speciality to seek out. The Perche area of the Orne department is known for its charcuterie, particularly boudin noir (black pudding). In Mortagne-au-Perche, a charming town popular for its brocante (flea markets) and antiques (as is the surrounding area) you can also seek out top quality boudins in shops such as Boucherie-Charcuterie Herrero.
Farther north, on the Cotentin Peninsula, the speciality is shellfish – be it oysters, mussels or scallops. At the restaurant Le Panoramique, in La Pernelle – a half-hour drive from the ferry port at Cherbourg – you can tuck into oysters grown nearby off the coast of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue. As the restaurant’s name suggests, its view is panoramic, looking towards the coast and the D-day landing beaches. A visit to Normandy wouldn’t be complete without indulging in its famous apple products and a great place to stop close to Caen is La Ferme de Billy. Its brunch buffet is legendary and attracts locals and visitors alike for the chance to try copious local dishes alongside cider, calvados and apple juice. Make sure to take a bottle or two home.
As the home of camembert, the region is rightly famous for its cheeses and to taste a few, head to La Dégusterie in Pont-l’Évêque, where you can enjoy platters of some of the finest of the four AOP Normandy cheeses – Livarot, Pont-l’Évêque, Neufchâtel and Camembert de Normandie – alongside other selections. Another good place to check out before heading home is Aux Fromages de France in Caen, a family-run fromagerie with almost 130 different varieties. But if you decide to buy only one cheese, make sure it is one of their camemberts. Once you’ve discovered how good a locally made camembert can be, there is even more reason to return to this delicious area of France.
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