ON DIFFERENT PLANE
FRENCHFOOD
ON DIFFERENT PLANE
A FEW pieces of limp lettuce, a tired looking slice of boiled ham and the obligatory plastic cup of three strawberries topped with a blob of cream. Familiar fare for thousands of us visiting agricultural shows this summer but, says Jeremy Hunt, its an approach to food that would not be tolerated in France.
When Lancs farmer Thomas Binns recalls his trip across the Channel he doesnt talk about frogs legs and pate de fois gras but he does talk about food. Lots of food.
"The French are infatuated with food and its the reason why their farmers are not quaking in their boots like we are," says Mr Binns as he sits in his farmhouse kitchen at Downham, near Clitheroe.
He recognised many similarities between his beef and sheep farm set amidst the stunning scenery of the Ribble Valley and those he visited in the Limousin region of France.
But while Mr Binns, like most British stock farmers, is struggling against low prices and the heavy-handed buying power of the supermarkets, his French counterparts are thriving.
As a member of a small group of farmers who visited France, he admits to being "totally unprepared" for what happened when they attended an agricultural show in Limoges.
* Midday indulgence
A sumptuous feast brought the entire proceedings to a halt for almost two hours while 1000 French livestock farmers were formally seated for a culinary midday indulgence of local produce.
As waitresses scurried from table to table with course after course of delicious French cuisine, the British visitors were treated to an effusive explanation of every dish and its ingredients as the farmers of Limoges revelled in the opportunity to talk proudly about their beef and their lamb, how it had been cooked and how well it would taste. The wine flowed, the food was savoured and the show stood still while it all happened.
"It was very different to the way we do things in Britain. No sign of a limp salad anywhere. This was a true celebration of French food and yet there was nothing out of the ordinary about it for the farmers.
"And it wasnt put on for our benefit. Compared with the British, I wouldnt be surprised if the French have a different set of chromosomes that influence their approach to food. Food is cherished and glorified in France and its the reason why French farmers feel more secure than we do."
Mr Binns is one of 10 Lancs farmers who formed the Bowland Transnational Group. It has been financed by a grant from the EU and part of the groups remit was to visit France to find out why French farmers are not languishing in the abyss of low prices and plummeting profits – ills that continue to drive British farmers out of business and seriously undermine their self-esteem.
* Venerating food
It was clear to the Lancs visitors that the French agricultural industrys rock-solid foundations owes its stability not only to a government which puts farmers first but to a nation whose attitude to food verges on veneration rather than simply consumption.
"There was no fast food available at the show. The event simply shut down for nearly two hours while everyone was seated to eat this wonderful meal," says Mr Binns.
And while he ate he was engaged in enthusiastic conversation about food. The ingredients of every dish were discussed as the farmers of Limousin relished the opportunity to share their local food, most of which is consumed by local people.
Consumer loyalty to produce that is reared and grown locally is part of the culture of rural France and its inherent. Its something that ensures local farms, no matter how small, know that their beef or lamb or pork will be bought by local butchers or sold in the local supermarket.
Nothing epitomised the pride that underpins food production in France more than the table full of local cheeses from Limoges that faced the Lancs farmers one morning.
Dairy farmer William Slinger of Pendleton, near Clitheroe was also on the trip. He says: "The way the cheeses were wrapped and presented embodied everything about the way even local produce is celebrated and given its own identity.
"The visit reminded me of the French king who was reputed to have said I want no peasant in my kingdom so poor that he couldnt have a chicken in his pot every Sunday.
"That just about sums up the French attitude to food – its almost a religion."
Thomas Binns enjoying the best of British food he would like to see offered at agricultural shows here.