Straight from the soil

Brittany cultivates many fruit and vegetables such as cauliflowers, artichokes, Paimpol beans, the pink onions of Roscoff and the famous Plougastel strawberries.

Cauliflowers

This vegetable has wonderful nutritional values and is nicknamed ‘flower of Brittany'. Low in calories but rich in minerals and vitamins, these cauliflowers are always on local market stalls in season, usually in the traditional white colouring.

There are a great many recipes for dishes using cauliflowers.

Artichokes

There are many varieties of artichoke, and the one most commonly eaten in France is the Breton artichoke. It can only be eaten cooked, never raw.

Paimpol beans: ‘Le coco de Paimpol'

This is a white bean, famous throughout France but especially in the southwest. They are harvested by hand between July and October.

They are very versatile and have a smooth, creamy texture.

The pink onions of Roscoff

This unusual pink variety of onion is a speciality of Roscoff. It has a unique flavour and cooks down to a soft texture. It is rich in vitamins, especially Vitamin C.

It is thanks to Roscoff onion sellers that we have out stereotype of Frenchmen on bikes with strings of onions around their necks - they used to come to England and sell door to door!  

Plougastel strawberries

This local strawberry is picked from mid-March to the end of October and is very rich in Vitamin C.

Also in our markets, you will find tomatoes, melons, courgettes, aubergines, green beans and fresh peas among other local produce.