The Co-operative Bakery

Fabrice Doucet is our remarkable local historian, and his depth of knowledge about Preuilly's past is incredible. He's meticulous about accuracy and sources, and maintains a very extensive personal research archive of clippings and photos. He's active on Facebook, and every now and then I cheekily 'steal' one of his posts and translate it for the blog. The story of the co-operative bakery on what was then known as Place du Marché (today Place des Halles) is one such post.

 

The co-operative bakery was to the right of the angle in this building. Now a private home, the windows have been altered so it is not so obviously a shop front.

 

"In the wake of workers movements in the 19th century, co-operative societies appeared all over France. The aim was primarily to get the price of sales as low as possible. This was the case in Preuilly, and from 1909 there was a co-operative bakery on Place des Halles, just down from the current co-operative grocery store.

In 1928 the co-operative society had 280 members. The term Place du Marché was still in current usage and was what appeared on the bakery's invoices. In 1931 the co-operative bakery was taken over by Roger (Gaston) Nibeaudo, and he ran it until 1946. The co-operative was dissolved at an unknown date. Following this the baker was Roger Dubreuil (1957)."

Fabrice also includes a newspaper clipping reporting on the new bakery on 19 September 1909.

"A co-operative society has been formed in Preuilly, with M. Clément as president, for running a bakery outlet. 

The sale of bread will start at the beginning of next month and the depot is installed on the Market Place. The oven has already been built and the workers are putting the final touches to the storefront. Different local workers were employed for all the improvements, and the creation of this co-operative bakery is an important event for our area."

[Source: Opening of the co-operative bakery at Preuilly, la République, weekly newspaper, Indre et Loire.] 

According to another source, this is where the baguette first made its appearance in provincial Preuilly sur Claise.