Boulangers et Boulangeries

Most villages have a boulangerie. Ours in Cravant is a 10 minute walk from the house in the centre of the village. However since we've been here, there have been three different boulangers. Part of the difficulty it seems, is that the owner of the building keeps pumping up the rent, which puts a constant squeeze on the very small profit margin a boulanger can expect to make. In the last couple of years, with all the changes, a question mark has arisen over the quality of the bread  and has put some locals off. When we first arrived, Isabel and her husband were running the boulangerie in Cravant  He made it, she sold it, they were just great, involved with village life, all their produce was excellent and so they built up a good trade. But they then left to be nearer to her family, and our boulangerie hasn't been quite the same since.

We do still go once, perhaps twice a week, like yesterday morning. Or rather Mike went (I was working in the garden, in case anyone was thinking I was still in bed!!) and got some bread and croissants. To begin with we only ever bought from the Cravant boulangerie.  But for a while now, we've also been going to the one in the next village, Panzoult, which is about a 5 min drive away. It's very good across the range and unfortunately also has very nice things to go with mid-morning coffee!  

Our regular food shopping is done in Chinon, which usually includes bread. We buy from three of the boulangeries in Chinon, on a regular basis. All bake fresh on the premises. There are in fact, five. Each one offers slightly different things. Usually on market morning (Thursday), we'll go in early for breakfast (coffee and croissants), which are baked fresh once a week by the mobile market boulanger who has a regular pitch. The second boulanger has a boulangerie in the Place Mirabeau (just round the corner from the market area). They do a range of macarons, tartelettes, gateaux, patisserie, chocolates and bread including La Parisse - a delicious mixed grain baguette.  The third boulangerie is a couple of roads up from Place Mirabeau, in a slightly older part of town. They produce a good range of baguettes, but also bake specials. For example La Ficelle which is a long and very narrow baguette, ideal for apèros . You slice it thinly and add a little savoury something on top. Their brioches are just heavenly. They also bake a range of savoury breads, olive, jambon, tomato and various other combinations of flavours, all of which are excellent. We sometimes have their savoury tartelletes for lunch, or split some up for an apèro mouthful. 

Gradually we've reverted to the old-fashioned shopping style for everything. Pre-super-markets in other words, when local shops supplied all that you needed.  If you've the time there is a market on in a village somewhere nearby, every day of the week. It's such a pleasure to go round, seeing what's there, trying different things out. But it is hugely beneficial, not only because you can buy local fresh produce all the time,  for us it's also helped develop our contacts, understanding and appreciation of the life here.