The best thing my husband and I did 16 years ago, was to move from the South of France to Évreux in Normandy. We’ve met such lovely people since then and our quality of life is second to none. Ideally located just 65 miles from Paris, Évreux is a small town, not too busy, with lots of wonderful countryside, villages and hidden treasures to explore. A particular highlight for us is every Saturday morning, when we always go to the local market in the town centre. We wouldn’t miss it for the world!
When you come to Évreux for the first time, you understand why Normandy is such a culinary destination of choice. All the local delicacies are available: all kinds of fruit and vegetables, meat and charcuterie, fish and shellfish, poultry and of course the dairy products for which Normandy is so famous.
You will also find, of course, the famous four Norman cheeses: Camembert de Normandie, Pont-l’Évêque, Neufchatel and Livarot (cows are everywhere and very productive in Normandy 😊), as well as all sorts of goat cheeses.
You have to try the typically French fromage blanc, which can be eaten sweet or savoury, which is nothing like cottage cheese in UK, farmer’s cheese in the USA or Quark in Germany. Here in Normandy, fromage blanc is all of that rolled into one! For this reason, Évreux market is a very interesting place if you’re a fromage blanc fan like me – it’s my favourite food!
How well do you know cow’s cheese, do you think? Have you ever tasted a cup of goat’s milk or a piece of goat’s cheese on a slice of toasted bread (French bread of course)? If not, be sure to visit Blandine’s market stall, where she sells sourdough bread. BLandine runs the Saint-Mamert Farm near Évreux, and her bread is delicious and organic. Next, head to the bikette caugéenne stall, where Alexandra will help you choose the best goat’s cheese for you! She is a passionate goat farmer the nearby village of Caugé.
Fancy taking home a dessert or two? Here comes la crème de la crème! You probably know macaroons, but have you ever been in front of a stall with hundreds of macaroons? As if you were front of a jewellery shop window? Patricia of Aux Saveurs Retrouvées, whose kitchen and coffee shop are in the village of Buis-sur-Damville, six miles away from Évreux, is a real specialist and a truly lovely person. She experiments with new macaroons every single day with such passion! Look out for her pink food truck on the market, which tends to be there from early in the morning, but be careful – her macaroons are so popular that from 10am onwards there is no guarantee that there will be any left! For more on Patricia’s macaroons, why not read our previous blog post about Aux Saveurs Retrouvées?
After your wander through the market, be sure to walk around Évreux, and do some shopping as well in all of its little shops, such as the Brûlerie Moderne coffee maker’s, which sells a large selection of coffee beans, tea and chocolate. Then, at the end of your visit to Évreux, you can go on a diet (but not before)!
For further information on Évreux, visit the tourist office website. For further information on food and drink in the region, visit the Normandy Tourist Board website.
Text and all photos unless otherwise stated © Valérie Joannon / Normandy Tourist Board
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