garlic market poitou charentes


Markets and market shopping in the Poitou-Charentes


Market shopping is one of the pleasures of French life – for residents and holidaymakers alike. One of my favourite markets is at Chauvigny in the Vienne, where people of all ages and sizes jostle good-naturedly against each other as they shop amongst the stalls bulging with many different kinds of bread, cheese, fruit and vegetables.
Butchers proudly show off their home-mades pates and then there are the stalls overflowing with a myriad of differently flavoured saucissons. Chickens squawk and canaries sing amongst traders selling an incredible array of household items from tablecloths and saucepans to wooden spoons and small pots of herbs. If you feel like tasting a wine before you buy, simply join the throng that thickens as midday grows closer. Feeling hungry? Take home some paella cooked in a gigantic black pan or roast chicken with potatoes dripping in sauce.
Markets are such an intrinsic part of French life that while only not all will have one the size of that in Chauvigny, almost every town and many a village will have a regular market, on one day a week.
As well as regular markets, you should also keep an eye out for foires – monthly markets that are larger than the weekly ones, with a greater number of traders and choice of products and sometimes even amusements such as fairground rides. They are held on a regular day of the month – such as the second Saturday or the 12th.
Vide greniers – attic clear-outs and the French equivalent of car-boot sales – are also worth a visit even if you’re not in need of an antique wash jug. While the larger towns may have a regular vide grenier, most will hold them annually, often during the late spring and summer months. They are advertised by signs, often home-made, stuck along verges and on lamp-posts.
Night markets are another big event. Held in summer they tend to take over an entire town with stalls mingling with outdoor cafes. While there will be stalls selling sweets and saucisson, they will rarely sell fresh fruit and vegetables. The emphasis at night markets is on jewellery, clothes and art and crafts.
If you’re in the Poitou-Charentes over the festive season, it is also worth keeping your eye out for Christmas markets, which will set up shop for the weeks leading up to Christmas Day or just for a weeked. 

Words: Rachel Loos

 

See also:
Markets in Poitou-Charentes
 

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chicks market poitou charentes

Les Herolles market in the Vienne is considered to be the largest in this part of France – and one of the largest in the country – with a huge range of local produce as well as small and large livestock and household and farm equipment. It is held on the 29th of each month unless this falls on a Sunday when the market is moved to the following Monday. Les Herolles is between Lignac on the D32 and Coulonges on the D123.

A MARKET NEAR YOU
These are the main regular markets of the department – but not all of them. As mentioned earlier, check with your local tourist office or mairie.
These are the main regular markets of the department – but not all of them. As mentioned earlier, check with your local tourist office or mairie (mayor's office) in the village. Departtment numbers - Charente (16); Charente-Maritime (19); Deux-Sèvres (79); Vienne (86).
Aigre (16): open-air market on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays
Angouleme (16): there are a number of markets in Angouleme which means that there is a market on every day.
The main market is the vast covered market, Les Halles in Victor Hugo, which is open every day except Mondays.
At Place Mulac, there is a market on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Unusually, the market on Mondays and Thursdays is open in the afternoon only. At Place Felix Gaillard the markets days are Tuesday and Friday.
At Place St-Jacques, find the market on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Aubeterre-Sur-Dronne (16): open-air market on Sundays
Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire (16): Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Bressuire (79): open-air on Tuesdays
Chalais (16): Monday morning market, held in the streets of the town which are closed to traffic.
Chatelaillon (17): open-air market on Tuesdays and Fridays on the main street.
Chauvigny (86): large open-air market on Saturdays with food, small livestock and household goods.
Chef Boutonne (79): large Saturday market in the town centre
Civray (86): Open-air market on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Cognac (16):  there are three markets. The covered market, in the area known as the Left bank (of the river than winds through the town), is on Tuesday to Sunday inclusive. On the Right bank, there is the open air market at St Jacques (place du Solençon) on Saturday mornings. Finally, there is an open-air market at the Champ de Foire on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Coulonges sur l'Autize (79): open-air market on Tuesdays and Saturdays
Jarnac (16):  covered market Tuesday to Sunday with fish stalls on Tuesdays and Fridays. An open-air market is held the first Saturday of every month.
Jonzac (17): covered market every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. A farmer’s market outside Les Halles on Sundays.
Lezay (79): large open-air market on Tuesdays
Loudun (86): open-air market every Tuesday
Lussac-Les-Chateaux (86): the market square is taken over by both indoor and outdoor stalls on Friday mornings.
La Rochelle (17): covered market every day at Place du Marché. On Saturdays and Wednesdays it takes over the entire square and surrounding streets. Make sure you check out the nearby fish market at Rue Marche
Mansle (16):  open-air market on Tuesday and Friday mornings.
Montmorillon (86): open-air market on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Neuville-de-Poitou (86): open-air market on Thursdays and Sundays
Niort (79): nineteenth-century covered market on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Parthenay (79): indoor and outdoor market in the streets around Place des Bancs market on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Poitiers (86): every day in the covered market by Place Charles de Gaulle. On Fridays and Saturdays there is an open-air brac-a-brac market.
Pons (17): Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Rochefort (17): market on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
La Rochefoucauld (16):  open-air market on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Royan (19): ????????
Ruffec (16):  open-air market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, sometimes with small livestock.
St. Jean d’Angely (17): large open-air market in the centre of town on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Saturdays.
Saintes (17): covered market on Wednesdays and Saturdays with an open-air market on Fridays and Sundays. On the first Monday of the month, the whole town is pedestrianised and taken over by a one huge market.
Sauzé-Vaussais (79): main market on Thursdays, with a smaller one on Saturdays
Thouars: on Tuesdays and Fridays an open-air and covered markets from fresh produce and household items.

Words: Rachel LOOS

Photograph: © Daniel Mühlebach - Fotolia