The Saffron Fair 2020

The Saffron Fair in Preuilly is an annual gourmet food fair that has been going for more than twenty years. It is held in municipal gymnasium. Here are some photos I took this year.

Basket weaver.

These are made of rushes and brambles. I have one of the long ones for bread.

Products from Cognac.

Cognac itself of course, but also liqueurs and pineau de Charentes.

A new gastronomic club.

Gastronomic clubs like this exist all over France and usually concentrate on a single dish. This one has created a chocolate based on the shape of a well known local prehistoric tool.

Touraine Noble Joué rosé.

Touraine Noble Joué is a tiny rosé wine appellation of just five producers and forty hectares of vines. It is generally rather highly rated, but almost unknown outside our area.

The restaurant area.

We ate here with friends, as usual. Excellent value for money, and the main course and dessert in particular were really good and enjoyed by all. All with a hint of saffron of course.

Dry cured sausage (saucisson) for sale.

Spice merchant.

I buy vanilla pods every year from the spice merchant. The quality is excellent and they are good value compared to the supermarket, especially if you buy in quantity. This year I also bought paprika and allspice berries.

In the background, local artist Olivier Lorain (aka Lolo) is sketching and manning the stand for the artists' group he set up and continues to run with weekly meetings for drawing and painting together.

Gourmet groceries.

My friend Sylvain runs a gourmet grocery business selling local produce. He sells at markets and delivers orders made over the phone to your home.

Chef Jean-Michel Chedozeau leads the team preparing the lunch menu he's created for the Fair.

Main course of sturgeon with herbed mashed potato and carrot saffron sauce.

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