When the appetite is fine, everything is fine.
French holiday tables are well stocked despite the coronavirus crisis, according to the players in the Rungis market, in Val-de-Marne.
For Christmas and December 31, the tables are certainly smaller, the restaurants are closed, the group events are canceled but the inhabitants continue to have fun on the palate side.
“Christmas has already gone very well: the French do not want to ignore tradition.
They choose quality and we are witnessing the great comeback of the classics, ”notes Stéphane Layani, president of Semmaris, which manages the largest wholesale market in the world.
On the meat side, we don't deny each other anything
Small poultry, like this chicken from Bresse, were favored by the French, forced to small gatherings for the holidays.
Eloi de la Monneraye
“People are snapping up mini capons and farm turkeys,” says Stéphane Layani.
“People adapt their cuisine,” adds Francis Fauchère, president of Eurodis, specializing in beef, veal and lamb, and president of Rungis meat wholesalers.
For these festivals, they turn a lot to traditional butchers, able to portion the quantity for small tables: veal or beef fillets, small legs of lamb, tournedos that can be cooked with a slice of foie gras. for example, etc.
And I have never sold so many beautiful products.
We went upmarket with sometimes triple-digit meats, such as Kobe beef.
I just brought some in from Japan by plane this morning.
I already have nothing!
"
Oysters still popular
Oysters are also going very well at the end of December.
"Failing to taste them in the restaurant where they are prepared for you, people have understood that they could easily open them by putting them in the microwave for 5 seconds," says Stéphane Layani.
In addition, they see that a basket can easily last ten days on a balcony, in the fridge.
"
Passion fruit
“The exotic fruits worked very well for Christmas: Frécinette mini-bananas, pineapples, lychees, clementines…, details the wholesaler Florent Hayoun, president of Natoora Europe which supplies Monoprix, upscale restaurants when they are open, some halls classics and exports a lot to England and New York.
It's calm there but people will surely be full on Wednesday and Thursday.
Exotic fruit baskets are appreciated for December 31, for example.
"
All melted cheese
This is the only sector estimating its holiday sales equivalent to those of 2019. “We are on classics at the end of the year: époisses, Brie de Meaux, Roquefort, Saint-Nectaire fermier as well as all the truffle products. : brillat-savarin, moliterno and brie with truffles, details Christophe Prouvost, president of Au Fromager de Rungis.
Customers are also moving upmarket, by buying more refined Comté, for example.
In addition, the cheese is flexible in terms of portions, which is useful when you are not at home.
"
We sulk big poultry
The large festive poultry remain on the arms of the wholesalers.
The fault of the small tables linked to Covid-19.
“Large capons or large turkeys are ordered in February-March, raised, slaughtered and then sold at Christmas,” explains Stéphane Layani.
However, confinement, curfew and the rule of six guests maximum have gone through this.
Result: they have difficulty selling themselves.
Too bad because when there is for eight, there is for six and that avoids having to eat again the next day.
"
The tide stays low
Another gloomy sector: the tide.
“It's not a good year, admits the MIN president.
At the first confinement, they made 40% of the usual volume because of closed restaurants and markets.
In the 2nd confinement, things were better because the markets remained open, they made 70-80% of their volumes.
Fortunately, at the end of the year, they are working a lot.
The best proof?
When you arrive at the lodge at 4 a.m., there are no more merchandise!
"This December 28 at dawn elsewhere, Véronique Gillardeau-Aerts was overwhelmed:" I'm not going to complain about it ", smiles the co-manager of Gillardeau oysters and patron of the company Blanc, wholesaler in fish, crustaceans and molluscs .
The closure of restaurants has hit the seafood market.
An extraordinary trying year
"This episode will weaken businesses, even if local commerce saves our business by offering an alternative to catering", worries Jean-Michel Peuch, president of Unigros, the union of wholesalers of Rungis.
“I think back to the day when they closed the flower pavilion and had to destroy thousands of flowers.
It was terrible… ”recalls this wholesaler.
The year 2020 will have been a year of contrasts, according to Jean-Michel Peuch: fruits and vegetables which outperformed in the first confinement, dairy products and specialty cheeses achieving a year almost equivalent to 2019, while the tide was ailing.
“Overall, we should be around -20% this year for meat,” estimates Francis Fauchère.
With great disparities because wholesalers depend a lot on catering and find themselves hit hard.
"
A solidarity fund of 4 million euros
“One of our four outlets is catering,” says Florent Hayoun.
We did ridiculous volumes, never seen before.
But our ability to adapt saved the furniture.
We have developed home delivery via the Rungis sites delivered to you, Amazon… ”“ There are no business failures in our meat sector for the moment.
But until when ?
We are at the end of the line ”, worries Francis Fauchère.
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Semmaris is aware of the difficulties: “We have exempted certain professionals from rents for a few months, reduced the amount according to the turnover lost and we have created a solidarity fund of 4 million euros with targeted aid.
This fund will be renewed in 2021 ”, announces Stéphane Layani.
"Customers want to treat themselves for the holidays"
Avenue de Saint-Ouen, Paris (17th century), this Saturday.
Félix Bardi, at the head of Le Petit trawler for seven years, will get his supplies every day at Rungis.
LP / CB
Félix Bardi, responsible for seven years, with Ingrid Cano of the fishmonger Le Petit chalutier, at 109, avenue de Saint-Ouen, in the 17th district, in Paris, has a smile behind his mask: “Compared to 2019, it's a little effervescence as you can see!
We have nothing to complain about, we are taking a few more orders ”.
With containment, customers tell us they want to have more fun.
And since the restaurants are closed, they come to see us even more to carefully prepare their festive meals.
This was the case at Christmas and for New Year's Day orders are also piling up because people will not be able to go out with the curfew.
This year there is something more calculated for these festivals but it is always oysters, langoustines, wild salmon and other lobsters that are in demand.
And the seafood platter remains the flagship product ”.
"Our suppliers have to deal with sanitary problems and restrictions"
To cope with the influx of customers, Félix goes to Rungis every evening.
Even if the period is quite difficult for the supply: “Our suppliers have to deal with sanitary problems and restrictions in certain countries which do not or no longer send their goods on time.
Some had to compensate for the closure of Scotland to refer to Holland or Norway.
They are wonderful, they go out of their way like crazy, even though there are fewer staff, to keep their promises and to satisfy us as well as possible ”.
An efficient chain which, in the end, allows customers to see that "despite everything, we continue to offer them fine and prestigious products", welcomes the owner of the Petit Chalutier.