Whether they manufacture biscuits or preserves, are involved in salt mining or ship building, the local industries and craftsmen of Brittany open their doors to share their manufacturing secrets with you.
1. Maison Brieuc: we want something to get our teeth into!
So what’s this special ingredient? Whatever in the story of Maison Brieuc (right next door to Saint-Brieuc itself) raises and browns cookie and shortbread dough this much? And kouign dough too, straight out of the oven – after all, you’re not thinking of bypassing Breton patisserie’s star turn, are you? All will be revealed when you set out on an hour’s guided tour of their factory. Sourcing secrets, pastry chefs’ skills… and a tasting session, of course. Excellent!
You cannot mention Guérande without a reference to salt! This flagship product of the French gastronomy owes its fame to the salt workers’ know-how. Following a tradition dating back centuries, these artisans harvest, sort and sieve, by hand, this precious mineral, fruit of the ocean and the wind across 2,000 hectares of marshland. Let’s head for Terre de sel, a subsidiary of the “Salines de Guérande” cooperative for a guided tour at the heart of the salt marshes.
Do you know that the region around Roscoff has got the highest concentration of algae in the whole of Europe? It counts more than 800 species out of which 12 have been deemed fit for human consumption. A gold mine for the Algoplus company, founded in 1993 by Monique Poulet and Michel Perzinsky; two individuals passionate about the sea who are convinced of the gustatory merits of algae. Today, they can be found in rillettes (a coarse pâté), soups and a range of mustards. Why not use the guided tour of the artisanal sea canning factory to learn more about the transformation of algae and the job of the goémonier (seaweed harvester). A tasting session will evidently feature on the menu!
The canning factory of belle iloise opened its doors in Quiberon in 1932, ready to transform the fish freshly landed on its neighbouring shores. Today, according to the season, sardines, tunas and mackerels are still worked by hand according to traditional craftsmanship. It is the best method to preserve the taste of fish. You can watch the workers of the sardine canning factory hard at work during a guided tour of the current factory workshops. The visit will end with a tasting of its products, which are distributed across a network of 92 shops.
The France and the Normandie, the behemoths Queen Mary 2 and Harmony of the Seas… Legendary ocean liners and all of them “made in Saint-Nazaire”. A visit to the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard takes you right into the heart of a city within the city. Watch the gigantic gantry in action as it lifts ship sections as big as buildings. Ultra-impressive! Given the size of the site, the tour starts by bus from the submarine base. A guide on board tells you all about the innovative equipment and eco-friendly products… The last half-hour gets you right up close to the various boats and slipways in person. Unforgettable!
