Visiting the workshops of bakers and artisans

[RandyB]

I recently discovered a website that arranges visits to all sorts of small producers, sellers, and crafts people. So far, I have visited Girard Mulot to watch them make macarrons and chocolate covered orange peel. I also met Veronique Mauclerc, unusual as a woman baker and in particular because she uses a 100+ year old, wood fired oven, in an historic building.

Yesterday, I visited the bakery of Arnaud Delmontel, who just won the "best baguette" award (Concours pour la Meilleure Baguette de Paris). You can visit jewelry designers, book binders, etc., not just food makers.

For a small fee, from 5-10€ per person, you spend up to an hour meeting the artisan and watching behind the scenes. (We spent 1.5 hours with Delmontel, who himself was delightful.) Tours are in English and French. It`s called Meeting the French. They also arrange much longer visits and events, and have B&Bs, but I have no experience with those. The short visits are called "company visits" on the English version of the website.

This is a small agency partnered with the Paris tourist office. The French owner and her chief guide are both delightful. I highly recommend this company and their mini-visits for a really different Paris experience.

I have no connection to them, by the way. I found them entirely by chance on the Internet a week ago.

[gfron1]

Thanks for the tip. So did you take any pics on your visits?

[John DePaula]

Wow, great find Randy!

[RandyB]

Thanks for the tip.  So did you take any pics on your visits?

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I have lots of photos from every visit. Even some short movies taken with my regular digital camera.

[gfron1]

Then cough them up! There's a bunch of us who would love to see them.

[Pork Belly]

I recently discovered a website that arranges visits to all sorts of small producers, sellers, and crafts people. So far, I have visited Girard Mulot to watch them make macarrons and chocolate covered orange peel.  I also met Veronique Mauclerc, unusual as a woman baker and in particular because she uses a 100+ year old, wood fired oven, in an historic building.

Yesterday, I visited the bakery of Arnaud Delmontel, who just won the "best baguette" award (Concours pour la Meilleure Baguette de Paris). You can visit jewelry designers, book binders, etc., not just food makers.

For a small fee, from 5-10€ per person, you spend up to an hour meeting the artisan and watching behind the scenes. (We spent 1.5 hours with Delmontel, who himself was delightful.) Tours are in English and French. It`s called Meeting the French. They also arrange much longer visits and events, and have B&Bs, but I have no experience with those. The short visits are called "company visits" on the English version of the website.

This is a small agency partnered with the Paris tourist office. The French owner and her chief guide are both delightful. I highly recommend this company and their mini-visits for a really different Paris experience.

I have no connection to them, by the way. I found them entirely by chance on the Internet a week ago.

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Great site, THANKS!!!!

[John Talbott]

Randy - this is terrific; thanks so much.

John

[RandyB]

Then cough them up!  There's a bunch of us who would love to see them.  

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Thanks for the personal explanation of how to upload images, gfron1, so here they are.

The images in it include the Mauclerc oven and Mme. Mauclerc with me in front of it.

What the molds for making ganache filled chocolate candies look like at Girard, with the chocolate filling machine behind.

M. Delmontel himself talking with some of the group visiting; guide Florence and the Delmontel pastry chef along side the machine that can mix and knead 50 kilos of dough at a time, bread oven on the left.

Putting the passionfruit puree into the basil-flavored macarron at Mulot; covering orange peel with chocolate at Mulot;

Edited December 7, 2007 by RandyB (log)

[prasantrin]

Here you go.

Thanks so much for the info, by the way. I was reading about someone visiting Mulot's workshop, and I was trying to figure out how I could do that if I ever went to France. But thank to you, I now know how!

[Jmahl]

Then cough them up!  There's a bunch of us who would love to see them.  

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Thanks for the personal explanation of how to upload images, gfron1, so here they are.

The images in it include the Mauclerc oven and Mme. Mauclerc with me in front of it.

What the molds for making ganache filled chocolate candies look like at Girard, with the chocolate filling machine behind.

M. Delmontel himself talking with some of the group visiting; guide Florence and the Delmontel pastry chef along side the machine that can mix and knead 50 kilos of dough at a time, bread oven on the left.

Putting the passionfruit puree into the basil-flavored macarron at Mulot; covering orange peel with chocolate at Mulot;

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RandyB:

Thanks for the interesting post. I have had the privilege of visiting a chocoleteer in Lyon and it was eye opening.

Look for a tutorial I posted a few years ago on how to post photos - its simple follow the steps.

Thanks again,

Jmahl

[Jmahl]

looks like beat me too it.

Thanks for the Photos.

Jmahl