New food markets in France

[Joanbunting Profile]

We have just got a brand new fresh food market in town and went to invetigate yesterday as quite a few friends are very enthusiastic.

Sorry that this is in French but the pictures give an idea.
https://www.lsa-conso.fr/fresh-le-nouve ... ais,274772

At first glance it is impressive, but when you take a closer look I am not so sure. orThe fruit and veg do indeed look good but they have little indication of source other than country and you have to put them in plastic bags.
The fish and meat is all pre cut and again in plastic trays, not possible to have them cut to oredr - because there are no experts in the store. the floor staff seem fairly knowledgeable.
The checkouts are really impressive you put the containers on the left, the assistant weighs them and she put them on the right to pick up. The queueing system is as remember Matallan. One queue and you are called to the till.

I still prefer my local butcher and market.

[Pampy Profile]

It looks virtually the same as the Makro that I go to.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I see it is called Fresh, and is the small store offshoot of Grand Frais.
Ian in France used the big Grand Frais quite a lot, but I think often for things that would not be local, like Seville oranges and Sicilian lemons And (a few years ago) things like fresh curry ingredients - ginger etc

[Renee Profile]

Joan, I do like the way that the shelves are constructed, so that you can see clearly what is on each shelf. I don't have a local butcher, so rely on supermarkets around here, but do have the occasional visit to Chorley.

[Alexandria Profile]

Yes, it does look somewhat a bit like Makro, except the Makros in Spain, have a Fish Monger, a Butcher, a Cheese Monger and also a fruit & vegetable section, where you can select your own fruits and veggies unpackaged.

And moreover, all is marked (labelled or marked ) as to origin and status ( Bio or Local Sustainable ) ..

I honestly prefer Le Mercat de La Boqueria and know most of the Stall Owners, and frequent often, when home and when not, my husband does .. We like the quality of the raw materials and the fact that they do not carry Gmo or false goods. It is actually, a farmer´s market and 80% of the goods are Iberian Peninsula cultivated excluding exotic type fruits or veggies and herbs or couscous which is sold in Oak Barrels by the weight you need. The fish & the shellfish are wild & fresh, from the fishing boats, and placed on ice in sea wáter for travel to destination of the Market ..

Many of the top chefs for example Albert Adria, purchase at Le Mercat de La Boqueria on a wholesale level ..
Since my parents and I have businesses, we also have a "wholesale" status number as well ..

I like the face to face contact with my Mongers & Vendors .. It creates " more empowering communications " and can be a true marvel of learning ..

Have a lovely weekend ahead ..

[jeral Profile]

Joanbunting, I see what you mean about ubiquitous black package trays, which apparently aren't recyclable due to the black carbon content.

It does seem to be more a supermarket shed (as we call them) than a market, so does it sell what many people want? Probably yes, as pre-cutting, weighing, pricing and packaging done industrially offsite is cheaper for the "See it, buy it" and "In and out quickly" customer market. It surprises me that the checkout isn't self-checkout, or maybe I should say yet.

A question might be whether it will replace (squeeze out) local shops or markets.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I'm a supermarket shopper, so it looks good to me.

We do have the bath road = 2 butchers, natural grocery store, baker, fishmonger from the West Country visits 3 times a week, froot n veg etc.
I can make japanese, vegan, french, seasonal, fishy, and so on, all from one classy road 2 mins walk away.

I really should use it as my main provider.
Honestly, Gill !!!

[Renee Profile]

Honestly Gill!!!

You are so lucky having those places nearby and on one road. I find supermarkets a bit of an addiction and I always find bargains!

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

The thing is, I shop every day on my bike with a backpack.
It's so easy to swing by waitrose, fill up, and pedal home. In/ out. Habit.

The bath road, is a meander on food with my rolser shopper.
Requiring thought and planning.

[Pampy Profile]

Yes, it does look somewhat a bit like Makro, except the Makros in Spain, have a Fish Monger, a Butcher, a Cheese Monger and also a fruit & vegetable section, where you can select your own fruits and veggies unpackaged.

The Makro that I go to has butcher's/fishmonger's/etc counters but also has pre-packed products for those who want them. And it has a fresh fruit and veg section where you can select your own.

[Joanbunting Profile]

I do appreciate the idea that I can get curry/West Indian ingedients at Fresh and I will sourced whole fish - probably use it for those. But. for example . if today I wanted some fresh whole, wild and identifiably sourced whole fish, in this case sea bream, I know I would have struggled. However the fish monger in the market had exactly what I wanted and that's where I got them, prepared as I wanted.

[Alexandria Profile]

Joan,

Wild fresh Sea Bream is really not in season during August .. The true sea bream belong to the family of The Sparidae, which is strongly denoted in the Mediterranean as you know. Called Pagre in French and Catalan, & Besugo in Spanish ..

It shall be in season at the end of September, early October ..

It is a common wild delicacy in Spain for the Christmas Season ..


Along the Cádiz Coast, particulary Rota, there is a fish called: Hurta / Urta or Pagre Rayé or Sar Royal, and Red banded Sea Bream in English.

However, this is a "Rock Fish" and is indigenious to the Rota, area of Cádiz along the Atlantic Coast ..

It is from the Pagrus Auriga family and is an exquisite delicacy .. Can be spelt: Urta Roteña ..



Have a lovely summer ..

[Pampy Profile]

If you're referring to black sea bream, it is in season now https://www.mcsuk.org/media/seafood/Buy ... Season.pdf

[jeral Profile]

Our fresh fish monger has sea bream at the moment, as do some supermarkets, so it must be available "reliably sourced" seasonally in seas somewhere otherwise none would have it.

[DEB Profile]

Sea Bream can be farmed. I expect that is where it is coming from at the moment.

[Alexandria Profile]

Black Bream ( Spondyliosoma or Cantharus ) called Chopa in Spanish, Griset in French and Cantera in Catalan, is NOT Sea Bream ( Sparidae or Pagre in French or Besugo in Spanish ) ..


The colors of these 2 species are as different as night and day as well as the texture & taste ..

[Pampy Profile]

Black Bream ( Spondyliosoma or Cantharus ) called Chopa in Spanish, Griset in French and Cantera in Catalan, is NOT Sea Bream ( Sparidae or Pagre in French or Besugo in Spanish ) ..

The Marine Conservation Society calls it Black Sea Bream, so I'll go with their definition, thanks.

[Alexandria Profile]

Pampy,

To each his own ..

My father and grand-father are in the fishing industry ..

Have a nice summer.

[Pampy Profile]

The Marine Conservation Society is the UK's leading marine environment, not-for-profit organisation. It works for the increased protection of the seas around the United Kingdom, via the creation of well managed marine protected areas - so I should think they know what they're talking about.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Don’t forget that Joan’s fish is more likely to be from the Atlantic than the Mediterranean. Seasons will be different.