Our local torréfacteur in Le Dorat 87 has remained open throughout. The coffee is very much better than anything I’ve ever bought in a supermarket.
(Edited to correct location)
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This is OK by me. I grind about 1/3 the pack at a time.
It maybe not at the level of those Indonesian beans that have passed thru’ the gut of an ocelot[some small wild feline, anyway] but very acceptable.
I found a half-used tin of this in the stash Air BnBists’ leavings. No idea how long it had been there - use by 21/10/21 - but I’ll defo have a go with a fresh tin. It was good.
There’s already a thread on bitter coffee, but I can’t seem to add the link 
Grains d’aromes is excellent, Kirstea.
Martial, the proprietor, is passionate about coffee. He has a range of about 6 blends (including my favourite, Malabar moussone) which can be bought as beans or ground to your preferred size.
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We love La Maison du Café for filter. Easily available.
We used to use this when we used ready ground coffee and thought it was the best balance of taste, price and ethical consumerism…Haven’t seen it in beans…
Are ‘Fairtrade’ goods sold in France?
Yes loads. We buy fairtrade Rooibos tea for example
That Malongo tin has the Fair Tradelogo on it. And so does the Carre4 pack of beans.
Where can I buy the Malongo? Any supermarket?
Must be reasonably available. I’ve seen ads on TV for it.
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We buy it from superU
Not very observant of me. I’m pleased that Fairtrade goods are available.
Lovely, thank you Brian! He was closed by the time I got back to him today but I am back in Le Dorat next week so will make sure I time it better and get a few bags to try. Have you tried all 6 roasts? I will make sure one of my first bags is the Malabar Moussone after your recommendation!
If you check the packaging a lot of Spanish coffee has added sugar! I always wondered why it tasted so nice…
Yes - his opening hours don’t always correspond precisely to what’s on Google Maps - or his front door!
Don’t get too many in one go - I get a fortnight’s supply at a time. After a month or so it’s obvious they’re not as fresh (but still far fresher than beans you’d get in a supermarket!)
P.S . I have no idea why I said he was in Bellac - I’ve now corrected the original post…
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A serious question deserves a serious answer. Yes, there’s a great deal of decent coffee in France.
However, I respectfully suggest that if people buy cheap, pre-packaged, ready ground coffee from a supermarket, their expectations shouldn’t be too high. One has no idea how long ago it was ground or what type of beans were used. But, if you absolutely have to buy this sort of coffee, at least ensure that it’s 100% arabica from a reasonable brand such as Lavazza and check the sell by date, which can be far too generous
If you really want better coffee, begin by exploring and discovering what type of beans and roast you prefer, also do you prefer it made in a piston or an espresso machine?
The journey to coffee perfection can be lengthy -thirty or forty years ago, I preferred espresso originally made in a Moka and then a Gaggia. Later gradually shifted to lighter roasted, Central American beans freshly ground in a hundred year old Peugeot mill and brewed in a piston. About ten years ago discovered the range of single estate Central African coffees that can be bought online from Union Coffee. Also discovered from my hipster little brother how different coffee is if made in an Aeropress, For the past few years I’ve been buying Ethiopian Moka Sidamo that’s grown at high altitude 1500-2000m and I’ve found nothing better for my taste than the Aeropress.
On the other hand, my other half only fairly recently discovered the coffee world (and still has it with milk!!!). Nevertheless, she carefully worked out what she likes and now buys Brazilian bobolink from a local coffee roaster. Unfortunately, she lacks the patience for brewing coffee, so has it ground at the shop and uses an espresso machine. But, given time perhaps…
If anyone’s had the patience to read this far, you might be forgiven for thinking this is all a bit too much and you might well be right - below is just part of my coffee grinder collection
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Unfortunately Fairtrade isn’t a guarantee of good coffee because the Fairtrade price doesn’t encourage growers to pick each bean at its optimum ripeness. However, there are US and UK coffee producers who teach growers how to maximise the quality of their beans and then pay them much higher prices for their crop than Fairtrade. Union Coffee is one such company and you can buy online in France and the UK