This French Life

Shoppers pay 70% more for organic products

THE cost of bio fruit and vegetables is 70 per cent more than standard items, a study by the association Familles Rurales has found.

And the association also found that the cost of non-organic fruit rose by 11.1 per cent over the past year, and the cost of vegetables by 5.5 per cent.

Familles Rurales say that if people wanted to eat 400g of fruit and vegetables each day it would cost €1.04, compared to €0.95 in 2009.

The association has called for greater transparency on prices to ensure that farmers as well as supermarkets receive a valid price for their produce.

Opening the doors at Domaine de La Gachère

Gilles Lemoine welcomed people in to Domaine de La Gachère

FRANCE is a place of clichéd landmarks: Say Provence and infinite fields of lavender will appear along with its attendant charms and sun drenched monuments, writes Helen Aurelius-Haddock.

Say Ile de Ré and golden sandy beaches and white sails draped around its chic harbours resonate in the mind's eye. Say Deux Sèvres and you will be rewarded with a blank look.

Direct sales of fruits promoted in France

IN an attempt to help fruit producers the government is to allow special sales of products over the coming days.

In a statement the Ministry of Agriculture said producers will be able to sell their stock at supermarkets, and other retail areas, between July 30 and August 8, 2010.

The products available on promotion are peach, nectarines and apricots, with promotional events set to take place to raise awareness of the sales, so it is most probably worth checking to see if your local store is taking part.

Amazon.co.uk opens online food shop

IF you can't find a particular foodie favourite in France, then a new service launched by Amazon.co.uk may be able to help.

The online retailer has opened a Grocery Store within its UK site, enabling people to buy items from the likes of Kraft, Nestle and Proctor & Gamble.

Over 22,000 products are available including Pampers, Ariel, Uncle Ben’s and Walkers as well as leading pet food products Bakers and Purina One.

Drop in on a farmers market in France

THE popular farmers' market returns to Loubejac, in the Dordogne (map), later this week where visitors get the chance to try products straight from the farm.

Every Thursday, from around 6.30pm, chairs and long tables are laid out close to the small church and people arrive with their knives and forks, paper plates and cups for a glass of red.

There is the chance to try different locally produced food, often featuring duck, chips and thick slices of bread.

During the summer season markets around this southern corner of the Dordogne will host similar events, sometimes featuring live music, but always offering a slice of real French life.

There is a Marchés des Producteurs website which looks to promote some of the events taking place across France.

Unfortunately it is not the most complete site, for example I struggled to find anything in the Lot, hopefully it will be updated soon.

Competition to win Walnut Wine & Truffle Groves book

HERE is your chance to win a copy of Walnut Wine & Truffle Groves, by author Kimberley Lovato, about some of the hidden corners of the Sorsogne.

Kimberley takes you in to the homes and kitchens of local chefs and cooks, as well as guiding you on a tour of the most interesting and intriguing spots to add to your 'to do' list when visiting one of the most beautiful parts of France.

As always competitions on This French Life just require you to leave a comment, no tricky questions here, so try your luck at winning a copy of Walnut Wine & Truffle Groves.

Discovering bee hives in the woods

IT was raining and a light mist hung in the air, with drops on the knee high grass and rain on the wild strawberries and along the bank that skirts the wood overhanging the chestnut grove. 

But summer was still in the air. Catching sight of the low backed lorry stacked with yellow and white crates in a clearing, I approached, and the driver stepped down, happy to explain about his beehives or 'ruches'.

Get to know the neighbours at a Fête des Voisins

AN increasingly popular way for people to get to know their neighbours is to arrange a Fête des Voisins get-together, this year it takes place on Friday, May 28.

Celebrating its tenth birthday, the idea was originally launched in Paris and has spread across France and to other cities in Europe, and it involves sharing some time with your neighbours.

Many mairies support the occasion, and the Fête des Voisins website offers helpful guides and downloads if you want to hold a similar event close to you.

Make Do & Cook in the kitchen to save

MAKE Do & Cook is the latest book by Patricia Mansfield-Devine, who has lived in France for more than 10 years and is the author of the Living in France book.

In her latest title Patricia offers advice and tips on preparing delicious meals, whilst keeping an eye on the cost. Here she writes about why it's time to Make Do & Cook:

As a downshifter living in rural France, I felt almost compelled to write this book.

Shoppers warned about chickens that contain disease

THE consumer watchdog, Que Choisier, is warning people to ensure they cook raw chicken properly and keep surfaces clean, after a European study found many contained campylobacter and salmonella.

The study by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) investigated slaughterhouses across the European Union and found a high prevalence of campylobacter in chickens, whereas salmonella was less frequently detected.

Que Choisier say that it is important that the chicken is cooked properly, but that the biggest threat is from cross-contamination when the raw meat is left on surfaces and then afterwards other foods are placed there without them being properly cleaned.

Brits top the French in the kitchen

HAVE the Brits overtaken the French when it comes to culinary skills in the kitchen? A survey seems to suggest so.

A light-hearted survey of readers from both sides of the Channel revealed that Brits now spend longer in the kitchen than the French, while the French prefer dining out and sticking to home grown family recipes.

These are just some of the findings from a survey conducted by BBC foody magazine, Olive, in collaboration with French title Madame Figaro.

A warm welcome from down on the farm

AFTER a hot n’ sweaty six hours in the saddle, I arrived at a faux Louis IV château, ringed by huge oaks. Stone cottages straight out of 'French Country quaint' dotted the grassy, adjacent park, writes Christopher Strong.

And set, ever so tastefully in the midst, an azur swimming pool beckoned. Cigales chattered in the pines beyond. Hey – this could be do-able!

I announced myself to the receptionist. A barely adolescent Catherine Deneuve clone. She arched an obviously artificial eyebrow, while favouring me with a smile and a “bonjour” of the same quality.

Can French bistros be saved?

CAN the classic French bistro be saved from extinction? That's the question being asked as figures show the number of establishments has fallen from 200,000 in the 1960s to 35,000 today.

The Guardian reports on how changing regulations, alongside changing tastes, has seen bistros in towns and villages pull down the shutters permanently.

Some people say that the government should step in and prop up the establishments as they play such an important role in the community.

Euro-leaf logo for bio products in EU

IF you like to buy bio products then look out for the new Euro-leaf logo will be compulsory from July 1 for all pre-packaged organic food produced in any of the 27 EU member states.

The new logo was designed by a German student in a competition that saw around 130,000 people vote online, with the winning design receiving more than 60 per cent of the vote.

The Euro-leaf logo will be able to be displayed on packaging alongside those of individual EU member states, while it will be optional for imported produce.

Using the web to boost Languedoc wine

Love La Peira - Love That Languedoc Episode 8 from Ryan O'Connell on Vimeo.

THE internet has changed the way many people do business on the web, but what abut the traditional trade of vineyards and wine suppliers?

Here Ryan O'Connell explains how he has used the internet and tools such as online video, blogs and photography to promote his parents' vineyard in Languedoc, Ryan writes:

I'm only 24 so all this interactive communications technology has been a part of my life since the first time I saw my friends playing Doom II against EACH OTHER on different computers miles apart from each other using a mysterious process that involved plugging their computers into fax machines.

My six year old mine was blown.

French taste for Scotch whisky on the rise

THE demand for Scotch whisky in France is on the rise according to recent figures, as drinkers look to enjoy a wee dram.

Figures from the Scotch Whisky Association show that the value of exports to France has increased, as well as to South Africa and Venezuela.

France is the number one market for Scotch whisky, with almost 127 million bottles sent across the Channel this year, a nine per cent increase on 2008.

Carcassone Flickr Fête for photography fans

MANY readers of the site enjoy posting their photographs to Flickr, so I'm sure you'll be interested to know that you can share a glass of wine with follow photographers near Carcassonne.

Ryan O’Connell, of Domaine O'Vineyards, is organising the get together which will provide people with an opportunity to capture some images, as well as enjoy a glass of wine.

Find out a little more about the Flickr Fête, take a browse around Ryan's photographs or add your photographs to the This French Life Flickr group.

Countryside comforts in France

SHE was beyond elegant. Immaculately coiffed, exquisitely tailored, equally prêt for shopping on the Champs Elysee, or a stroll through the Bois du Bologne, writes Christopher Strong.

Her dancer's body arcing delicate, repetitive motions with effortless grace. As I crossed the courtyard, our eyes met.

Cycling tips from the Bicycling Gourmet

WHAT preparations do you have to make, and what pitfalls do you need to look out for, if heading out on a cycling tour of France?

Can So'Light wine offer up a healthy future?

WE do seem to be under constant pressure to live healthily, eat properly and drink sensibly so maybe a wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon can help out.

The So'Light wines, from Domaines Auriol, offers up a tipple with fewer calories and lower alcohol levels compared to traditional wines.

The wines have no residual sugar and are developed to reduce the alcohol levels to nine per cent, quite a step down from the usual 12 to 13 per cent you have in regular wines.

The inside scoop from a French table

EXITING the pigpen, and entering the pasture, we find the goose, writes Christopher Strong. Source of the delicacy that generates resounding bravos from foodies of all nations – foie gras, literally fat liver.

It comes from a, supposedly, free range bird, whose only function in life appears to be organ donation.

Tales from the bicycling gourmet's table

WHAT are the French really like? A fair question to ask someone who has experience of their likes and dislikes, writes Christopher Strong.

Gourmet moments, or maybe not

Of all the French words or phrases that have been universally adopted, one is first among equals, writes Christopher Strong.

It is the phrase that so perfectly describes social sins, that it has joined such mondiale stalwarts as sex, taxi and radar.

The phrase, of course, is faux pas.

Website about TVA cut at restaurants

A REDUCTION in the TVA added to restaurant bills in France from from 19.6 per cent to 5.5 per cent is expected to be in place by the beginning of July.

The Times newspaper reports that the scheme is being brought in quickly to try and help restaurant owners ahead of the summer, but some say that they might hold on to the reduction to help them survive the economic downturn.

The Finance Ministry has created a website, États Généraux de la Restauration, to keep people up to date with what the changes mean.

French wine exports on the slide

THE troubles faced by the French wine industry have been highlighted in a study from the International Association of Vine and Wine (OIV).

Champagne exports from France remain strong

DESPITE the doom and gloom, the British taste for champagne should ensure a few more bottles go pop over the coming months.

Figures from the Champagne industry trade body show that whilst the number of bottles imported into the UK has fallen slightly, they are still at the same level as that reached in 2005.

The Pope of biodynamic wine

NICHOLAS Joly is equal parts philosopher, economist, poet, author, lecturer, country gentlemen, biodynamic advocate, and 100 per cent wine maker, writes Christopher Strong.

His Chenin Blancs are consistently rated 'exceptional' by all the critics, but Nicholas Joly, often labelled The Pope of biodynamics by one wine magazine takes no credit for his renowned wines.

Curry in France? Just add hot water

IF there is one thing that most Brits in France miss it's a hot 'n' spicy curry on a bed of fluffy white rice.

When Lee Aston, who was originally from Coventry and now lives with his French wife in Normandy, helped a family member build a website he was thanked with a box of packet curries.

Then as his friends, both British and French, took a liking to the curries an idea grew and he realised that there was a demand for everything from a mild tikka masala to a fiery vindaloo.

Here Lee chats about how he started his business and the setting up of PacketCurry.com

Dijon no longer cutting the mustard

DIJON has been synonymous with mustard since 1856, when Jean Naigeon of Dijon substituted verjuice, the acidic "green" juice of not-quite-ripe grapes, for vinegar in the traditional mustard recipe.

Mustards from Dijon today generally contain both white wine and burgundy wine, and most mustards marketed as Dijon style today contain one or both of these ingredients.

But last month Amora-Maille announced the closure of three production sites by the end of 2009 with the loss of 265 jobs, of which the most famous is the historical factory at Dijon.

Look to France to save UK pubs from kids

THE table manners of French children are held up as something to follow after readers of the Good Pub Guide complained establishments in the UK are overrun by kids.

The latest issue of the book highlights concerns of punters, with one reader saying children "completely spoil it for aficionados like myself who love ‘proper pubs’… I am sick of going into a pub and feeling I am at play school."

And the Guardian's Jon Henley highlights his experiences of Paris, where he saw children grew up under the strict French system of learning your manners at the table.

Dropping in on la Semaine du Goût

PRIMARY schools across France will welcome chefs, bakers, cheese makers and other food specialists to make la Semaine du Goût.

The event runs until October 19 and offers children the chance to take part in cookery lessons, tastings and to learn more about the French culinary experience.

But it's not only school children who can enjoy the food of France, as many restaurants and food professionals are offering people a chance to savour the delights of the table.

France recalls Chinese sweets and biscuits

THE French authorities have issued a recall notice on Chinese sweets and biscuits after studies found high levels of the chemical melamine.

In a statement the Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche said White Rabbit sweets and Koala biscuits should be destroyed or returned to retailers as they were found to contain traces of melamine above the warning level set by the European Commission of 2.5mg per kilo.

Although no cases of people being ill have been reported in France, in China four babies have died and 53,000 have become sick after eating milk products contaminated with melamine.

London French Week offers restaurant deals

IF it is easier for you to get to the French restaurants of London than those across the Channel, then look out for a celebration of the food of France in the city.

London Macadam, the magazine for French people living in the city, has linked up with a number of restaurants to offer special offers and deals to diners.

More than 55 restaurants and delis are taking part in London French Week, which runs from October 6 to 20, offering discount deals, a glass of champagne, free desserts, coffees and more.

Foods containing Chinese milk products banned

THE French authorities have ordered that products from China that may include milk derivatives such as biscuits and sweets be removed from sale.

The Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche said it has made the precautionary move following the crisis in China over milk contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine.

The European Commission has also said all imported products from China containing more than 15 per cent milk powder will be tested, although no food contaminated with melamine had been found in the EU so far.

Online chat about Bordeaux wines

IF you are a bit of a wine buff and have a question or two about the delights of Bordeaux, then take some time to quiz the head winemaker of the legendary Baron Philippe de Rothschild wines.

Guy Henri Azam, and fellow wine expert Philip Goodband, are taking part in a webchat which will look to discover the secrets of Bordeaux, but also look to answer questions from people.

The chat forms part of the promotion of, Enchanté, a new Bordeaux label that promises to demystify buying wines that will be available in Sainsbury's.

Jamie Oliver praises French table manners

CELEBRITY chef Jamie Oliver has said Brits are materialistic drunks who can't cook and that much could be learnt from the French attitude to food.

In an interview in Paris Match, Jamie Oliver said that Britain had forgotten its culinary traditions, replacing them with a desire to own widescreen televisions and the latest mobile phone.

He comments on claims that 80 per cent of Brits do not sit around the dinner table to eat, sayings it is horrific that some houses in the UK don't even have a table, and believes the French way of doing things should be adopted.

Fruit and veg sales at supermarkets

THE not-so-hot summer, and people having less to spend, has had an impact on fruit and vegetable producers, leading to an announcement by the government to allow special sales of products in the coming weeks.

In a statement the Ministry of Agriculture said that poor weather had seen summer fruit and veg fail to grow properly, resulting in the harvest of some products being delayed.

So it has said that producers will be able to sell their stock at supermarkets, and other retail areas, at weekends on August 22 and 23, 29 and 30 as well as September 5 and 6.

Supermarkets are being asked to raise awareness of the sales, so it is most probably worth checking to see if your local store is holding a promotion.

The wines of Bergerac

FOR too long, Bergerac has bumped along in the wake of its more illustrious neighbour, Bordeaux, writes Phil Hargreaves.

Now, massive investment and a new generation of often innovative winemakers have put Bergerac back on the map.

The wines cover a whole range of tastes, from dry whites, reds from Montravel and Pécharmant and sweet whites from Saussignac and Monbazillac.

However, don’t underestimate the simple Bergerac appellation which affords some excellent value, from straightforward fruity wines to more expensive oak-aged cuvées.

Bringing English cheese to the dinner tables of France

SOME might say that selling English cheese in France is a bit like sending coals to Newcastle, but for Adrian Perryman it's a chance to show off the rich tastes the UK has to offer.

Since moving to France in 2003 with his partner Jannie, the former chef and builder has become a regular at village markets around the Creuse offering up a cheeseboard bearing some of the most famous names from England.

Sud de France to highlight Languedoc Roussillon wines

Bringing a taste of Languedoc-Roussillon to the supermarket shelf

THE Sud de France marque has been adopted by wine producers from Languedoc-Roussillon and is designed to give British customers a key to unlock the French wine mystery.

Serving up a taste of Burgundy

DESPITE a busy and successful career Sue Boxell knew there was something niggling away in the back of her mind.

That something was Burgundy; its wine, food and people. So much so that Sue left the UK on an old Dutch barge to sail across to France and make a fresh start in the vineyards of the region.

"I was a project manager for Eurotunnel and was based in Calais, but our head office was in Victoria, in London, and obviously this was before the shuttle was finished and so I was up at the crack of dawn crossing the Channel either by ferry or hovercraft," Sue said.

Wine contaminated with pesticides, study claims

A STUDY of wines sold in the EU, including a number from France, were found to contain a range of pesticides, with one bottle from the sample containing ten different varieties.

Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe), a pressure group featuring members from France, Austria and Germany, tested 40 bottles of wine that people could buy off the shelves, including some high end varieties.

Harmonie in Chinon

Chinon sits on the banks of the scenic Vienne river, just south west of Tours, at the heart of the Loire Valley, writes Beryl Brennan.

It was the birthplace of Cardinal Richelieu, the writer Francois Rabelais, and Richard the Lionheart is said to have died here in 1199 from a crossbow wound.

It is also famous for its wines; the appellation covers over 2,000 hectares and some 200 vignerons produce wines from 18 villages situated on both banks of the river.

French cuisine fit for UNESCO rating?

FRANCE has always felt their cuisine the best in the world, but is it something that should be included in UNESCO's world heritage list?

Presisdent Nicolas Sarkozy certainly thinks so, as he has called upon UNESCO to include French gastronomy in its cultural list.

In 2006 a similar step was undertaken by top French academics, chefs and connoisseurs but no gastronomic tradition has made it on to UNESCO's list and in 2005 a similar bid by Mexico was rejected.

La Chandeleur is crêpe day in France

Ice cream and crêpes, just one of the combinations to enjoy on La Chandeleur in France

FEBRUARY 2 is the Catholic holiday of Candlemas, a feast to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the baby Jesus forty days after his birth.

Wine carrier from a piece of cloth

NOW this would go down great at the local market this weekend when stocking up on a bottle of vino or two - a furoshiki wine carrier, found via Lifehacker.

Checking out some internet stops

YOU can't beat a good sing-song to shake off a long week and bring a smile to your face - so here is De cap tà l'immortèla, from Nadau, an Occitan band, courtesy of Jacme Delmas.

A stroll around a French market

A SUMMER market in France can turn up some real surprises, but can also turn into a bit of a mad crush as once quiet village squares fill up to bursting point.

I've spotted a number of entertaining articles over the past couple of days that highlight the many characters, differences and treasures you can find.

Le Relais de Flavigny

WHEN visiting a place like Flavigny sur Ozerain it would be unthinkable not to try the gastronomic delights.

Le Relais de Flavigny offers a warm welcome in this mediaeval village where they serve authentic French cuisine.

Le Domaine de Flavigny - Alésia

SET in the heart of the Auxois countryside you will find the vineyard of Le Domaine de Flavigny-Alésia.

The trellised vineyards on the slopes behind Le Domaine give forth beautiful grapes.

Here you can taste the wines from Flavigny, one of the oldest vineyards in France; documented well before Charlemagne, in 741.