Saffron hand-picked by Anne Poupart
© CRT Picardie / comdesimages
The quaint village of Saint Valery sur Somme overlooking the Bay of Somme
© CRT Picardie/N.Bryant
Visit the farm and Anne will let you in on the secrets of cooking with high-quality saffron for yourself, as well as its history. Come in autumn and you may see the actual blooms, too.
A Foodie Paradise
Time slows down in the Baie de Somme and so will you, strolling the narrow streets of St-Valery-sur-Somme and eating in local restaurants, where you’ll come across Anne’s product in dishes such as poached pears with saffron at the Hôtel les Saules (see recipe), papillote of salmon with Somme Bay mussels and saffron at the stylish Au Vélocipède, and saffron mousse at La Table des Corderies.
St-Valery is the perfect spot to recharge your batteries, with a long promenade with bay views, medieval ramparts, a Gothic church and a Belle Epoque steam train to Le Crotoy. It also hosts a fabulous market on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, plus Friday evenings in July/August.
Make a beeline for Les Mets de l’Estran, a tiny grocery devoted to local products, with a handful of tables where you can sample simple, gutsy dishes, including charcuterie platters accompanied by samphire, and local artisan beers, some featuring unusual ingredients such as oreilles de cochon (sea aster). As at Anne Poupart’s farm, you won't be able to resist buying some 100% Picardy produce to take home as a reminder of a place where life’s simple pleasures count more than anything else.