It’s neither a new or original observation but it’s been really striking how few boulangers were in evidence during a long drive across rural France this week. We have taken 2-3 days to drive (to the maximum extent possible) on back roads across 700km of rural France from Seine Maritime to the borders of Lot and Corrèze. We passed very few boulangers on the entire route, and indeed some of the ones we saw were clearly permanently closed.
I’m assuming this is part of a long term trend, perhaps due to busy working people buying bread at supermarkets to and from work/ depopulation of villages making boulangers uneconomic/high costs of energy/unattractive working hours for boulagers etc?
Do people have their own theories as to why boulangers are disappearing (assuming they even agree it’s happening) or am I being too pessimistic?
I don’t disagree with your overall premise, but happily that’s not the case around here (intersection of NW Aveyron, SW Cantal and SE Lot). We have a of several artisanal boulangers and many more again on our three local markets.
It’s worth adding that most of them are quite young and first generation, whereas our favourite artisanal bouchers and fromagers go back several generations.
They’re certainly a dying breed in Strasbourg. The premises of what used to be a fantastic little bakery in our street have been lying empty for years. I did put this question to the last baker before he left and his theory was that young people now just don’t want that lifestyle. Getting up at 3 /4 am. Day in day out.
Same here. Still a fair few boulangers in the villages. The boulanger in our neighbouring village retired about 4 years ago and it was took over by a younger local couple and it continued with only a short interruption whilst the new owners refurbished it.
Strangely enough, I asked our baker that very same question yesterday. She calls in her van each Saturday and makes the best bread in the world, sensational patisseries and her chevre/miel pizza is to die for.
She says it is down to cost. She cannot compete on price with the industrial bread baked in nearby supermarkets who sell at cost to get punters through the doors. Her clients are mostly elderly people who remember what real bread is supposed to taste like.
I asked her how long her bakery had been there. She said long before Napolean was born. It used to be the bakery for the chateau on the hill behind and was attached, at one time, to a mill powered by the local river.
Her family bought it in 1953 and she is a fourth or fifth generation baker. There is no shop as such, just the bakery with a counter on the side to go and buy stuff. It is at the end of a non-descript lane so has no chance of attracting passing trade. In fact, you have to be in the know to be a customer. I wonder how many other family bakers are hidden away like this?
Actually, I do know of one boulangerie (over the border in the Charente) which has closed due to the road being diverted away from his premises. He hopes to open another boulangerie in a better situation.
Apart from that, I’ve not seen other closures. Most of the villages and all of the towns around us do have boulangeries.
Our own tiny village has a visiting boulanger, once a week. Also a lady lives just up the road, who bakes the most fabulous “artisanal/speciality breads” for sale at our tiny shop and all the local markets.
The bakery next door to us has recently celebrated 100 years of ownership by the same family and seems to be going strong.
It would seem that part of the art of running a village bakery these days is a thorough knowledge of the rules and regulations that have nothing to do with baking, but have everything to do with running a successful business.
The front window is adorned with stickers acknowledging the various grants that were obtained for installing the new shop front.
They have an all electric van (purchased with the aid of grant money) that does the daily deliveries to the outlying hamlets.
They have a constant supply of apprentices supplied by a liaison, (and obvious financial support), from the local Lycee.
The two brothers who now run the bakery have created an ‘Artisan / Commerciants’ association in the village, and thus hold considerable sway with the Mairie and local councillors.
So it’s not just about baking bread, but much more about a knowledge of financial subsidies, and influence over the running of the village as a whole.
A report quoted in La Dauphiné (the article seems to be paywalled unfortunately so it’s probably not worth linking to) suggests that between 1,000-1,500 bakers close each year in rural France. However interestingly the number of bakers has increased year on year everywhere else, (ie bar rural areas and towns under 5,000 inhabitants.)
The rural ones have pretty much all shut around us - our village one shut several years ago due to retirement. Another on the way to work closed, then reopened, then closed and reopened again, each time under new management, but has once again closed. Energy costs are one of the problems for those with electric ovens, as they don’t get domestic rates and are not subsidized per se. The nearest traditional baker is now 10km away.
In town where our office is, however, it seems like the chain/franchises have taken over, and they keep opening new stores on a regular basis.
I was shocked to see my old commune boulangerie being bought out by the mairie in the local village news as I like to keep up with them. The current owner/boulanger has reached retirement and is getting divorced and as the report said, the youngsters today do not want to go into that career as they can’t do the unsocial hours and don’t want to do anything that’s messy or hard work. Mind you since his lovely patissière drowned himself some years back, the quality of the products had gone downhill greatly as he tried to cut corners with suppliers of good flour etc. Here we have a Super U that has two local tea rooms with onsite bakery and also a Boulanger up in the town but never tried him as I don’t warrant buying bread for just one person, we all know it does not freeze, so make my own when I fancy some
I disagree with that Shiba. I buy a miche once per week, slice it straight away and freeze while still fresh then use it during the week. Providing you let it defrost slowly (i use a slice at a time) , it is perfect.
Depending on what kind of bread you like, a Tradition baguette freezes quite well. OH buys wholemeal loaves and they’re fine when they come out of the freezer.
I have been amazed at the amount of bread the locals buy during our weekly visit by the Boulanger.. Huge long (deformed ) loaves, huge round ones, small round ones, ordinary baguettes et al.
They freeze the majority (same day) for eating as and when during the next 7 days.
I reckon it’s 'cos they’re French that they have special skills on freezing/defrosting… as they love they’re bread and won’t put up with rubbish.
Personally, I have never successfully defrosted a baguette, so I only buy what I shall eat today and tomorrow…
I do buy a special loaf (walnut, fig etc) from time to time and slice it to put some in the freezer.
Yes, defrosted bread always seems so dry or has gone wet in my experience. Anyway, I hardly eat any these days as it was making me bloated and my weight has dropped too. I did buy a pack of English made crumpets the other day and tried some yesterday, tasted horrible to be frank, mostly of cardboard and very very dry so won’t get them again
) loaves, huge round ones, small round ones, ordinary baguettes et al.
