Removals to France: Famous Food Festivals in France

France is known world-wide for the quality of its food and its delicious flavours, which you can look forward to enjoying at a celebratory meal once you have organised your removals to France. If you are lucky enough to be moving across The Channel, you will be able to sample the delights of French food in your local restaurant, or pick up high quality ingredients and fresh, locally grown produce from one of the many street markets or stores near you.

In addition to the markets, France is known for hosting many wonderful food festivals, and you can find one at any time of year. Going along to one of the food festivals is a great way to mingle with the locals and, as well as buying some of the fantastic regional specialities, you will also have the chance to sit back and enjoy live entertainment, which usually goes on late into the evening. You will have plenty of opportunity to soak up the atmosphere at a food festival near you, and you can bring the whole family along and enjoy music and dancing until dawn.

Before you move abroad you will want to book a dependable, experienced company for your removals who you can rely on for the safe transportation of your possessions. Hamiltons provides excellent standards at a competitive price and are specialists in both domestic and commercial moves.

Meanwhile, here’s a brief look at some of the most well-known food festivals in France on a month by month basis. If you find a festival near you, why not put the date in your diary so you and your family can get ready to tuck in, join in the fun, and stock up on excellent food and wine?

Domestic and Commercial Removals to France – click here to find out more about our European removals service.

Hamilton’s Food Festival Calendar

January –  At the end of the month is the Truffle Festival in Lalbenque, which can be found right in the heart of the Lot Valley, an area famous for its black truffles. Here you can sample delicious gourmet meals lovingly prepared by local restaurateurs. The day long festival also features a series of demonstrations, including the chance to see how the locals use pigs and dogs to seek out these fantastic delicacies.

February – The Lemon Festival is one to watch out for in February and Menton, on the French Riviera, has hosted this event for eight decades. Some 200,000 visitors attend the festival, which runs from Mid-February until the beginning of March and sees well over 100 tonnes of citrus fruit in use. Among the many attractions are the incredible garden of lights, an awe-inspiring procession and a craft fair.

March – Not everyone likes black pudding (or blood sausage) but, if you do, there is a festival dedicated to this delicacy. The event takes place in Mortagne-au-Perch in Normandy and you can find all sorts of exhibitors including butchers and artisans. An incredible 5 km of sausage is sold at the festival annually.

April – April is the asparagus season and the French even have a festival in memory of this nutritious vegetable. The Asparagus festival takes place in Étauliers, France, at the end of the month, and thousands of visitors come to enjoy food and wine tasting, exhibitions and music.

May – Most people love strawberries and the good news is there is a Strawberry Festival in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne which has been held annually for more than 20 years. Festival goers can watch a parade, shop in the open air market, listen to music and feast on strawberry pie or other strawberry related delights.

June – Fruit is still very much the theme of food festivals in June when Cavaillon hosts the Melon Fête. If you like this mouth watering fruit, you will get plenty of chance to taste melon related delights over the four day event which this year (2013) took place at the end of June. 

July – The interestingly named Festival of the Pig takes place in Hautes Pyrénées at the end of July or early August. Enjoy anything pig related from pork delicacies, sausages, pig related art exhibitions, competitions and baby pig races.

August – Lots of food festivals are held in August and, as this is the height of the tourist season, these food shows attract thousands of visitors. The Prune Festival of Agen is a well attended event where you can enjoy shows, markets and prune tasting. Other events include the Livarot Cheese Fair, which has over 80 exhibitors, and the Garlic Festival in Lautrec, Tarn, a village well known for its pink garlic.

September – Wherever you live in France you will have the opportunity to get involved in the Fête de la Gastronomie, as thousands of events are held nationwide. Attractions include food demonstrations, guided tours of places of interest, wine tasting and plenty of chances to taste top notch food.

October – This is the month of the Roanne Festival Open Table, which has been an annual event in the Loire Valley for more than ten years. Thousands of people attend to enjoy cookery workshops, wine tasting and entertainment. Elsewhere, seafood is on the menu as the Shrimp Festival is another October food festival, found at the port of Honfleur, Calvados. And, for those of you who love chestnuts, you might want to join the throng of 20,000 who head to annual Chestnut Festival in Mourjou.

November – Every other year, Vinay, Isère, in the Rhône-Alpes region, hosts the Fête de la Noix, which celebrates when all the walnuts have been picked. Among the activities are walnut related dishes, a nut cracking competition, music and dancing.

December – This is the time of year of the Chicken Festival in Saint-Sever, where the region’s chefs and chicken farmers showcase their specialities. The free festival has a medieval theme and you can buy some wonderful delights at the market.

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