Scallop fishing opened on Monday October 2. The first shells appeared on market stalls, as well as in supermarkets. Pleasant surprise, prices have not skyrocketed, and are sometimes even attractive. But is that enough to attract customers?
Since October 2, the scallop is back. Whole or without shell: it can be torn off. 238 vessels obtained authorization to fish for the precious product on the main source. The majority are registered in Côtes-d’Armor, while there are around twenty in Ille-et-Villaine and Finistère.
Means deployed en masse for consumers: the shell is eagerly awaited, especially as the end-of-year holidays approach. However, some of them start shopping now, regardless of the cost. Depending on the place of purchase, the price differs from one to five times.
Our journalists from France 3 Bretagne visited several places popular with Saint-Jacques lovers. Each time, regardless of the location, there are already many buyers.
On the Bruz market (Ille-et-Villaine), the Saint-Jacques stands are full of visitors. Each of them, assiduous gourmets, has their own way of cooking shellfish. “I cook it a little in the court-bouillon and I make a white sauce“, assures a first customer interviewed. A little further on, a man responds without hesitation that he is going there.”snack, with a little fleur de sel and that’s it“.
Everyone has their habits here, for a simple reason: the sellers are also sinners. The precious product is therefore sold directly to the consumer. Selling price at the start of the season, with the shells: 4 euros per kilo. In just 3 hours, there is nothing left. This merchant has his explanation: “It’s a noble product all the same, but it’s true that most of our customers here are used to coming almost every week for their little pleasure.“
Another atmosphere, on the Côtes-d’Armor side. We are now in Saint-Brieuc, by the sea, near the fishing grounds. In a supermarket, on the labels, the scallop is displayed at the price of 3.50 euros per kilo. The argument partly hits the mark. “No matter what we say, the shell at less than 4 euros per kilo, it’s still very interesting. I go to pick them up at the water’s edge and my husband prevents them from diving a little. That’s why I don’t buy any“, explains a woman we met at the seafood aisle.
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On the other hand, other Saint-Jacques aficionados want to go faster. In Rennes (Ille-et-Villaine), enthusiasts buy it without the shell. Just to cook it faster, even if it means paying the price: “21.30 euros isn’t bad for the first few, it’s not bad.“But the enthusiasm is likely to be short-lived: prices are likely to increase in the coming weeks. The dish is in high demand while waiting for Santa Claus and before the New Year.
“We mainly sell them before Christmas. December, we sell quite a few because people start to freeze. And then at the beginning of January, it starts to calm down“, assures a specialist. The Saint-Jacques season is launched: it must extend until next May.
