Fine Winter 2019

Made in Provence
Discovering a feast
for the senses and
a new approach to
traditions
Attitudes about the environment
and lifestyles are starting to shift
and more and more of us are
looking for traditional methods, higher
quality and a greater connection with our
environment over mass production.
We’re not alone in this yearning and
during a recent trip to Provence, I set off
to sniff out local artisans who are offering
something a little better, a little different,
and a little more immersive than your
average Leclerc, Tesco or Super U! And
over the course of the next year, we’ll be
showcasing some of the best of them!
Flavours of chocolate
The French high street may be struggling
with similar issues to ours, but in almost
every town you’ll still find a chocolatier.
And who doesn’t love chocolate.
Avignon in Provence is no exception and
tucked down a side alley off the central
Rue de la Republique, you’ll find the Aline
Géhan Chocolatier awaft with local
flavours, aromas, colours and design.
Amongst her many chocolates, Aline
offers a range called the “Balades en
Provence” or Walks in Provence. Each
chocolate in the series (le Mont Ventoux,
Sur le Pont d’Avignon and le Palais des
Papes) has local significance and comes in
a beautiful, hand illustrated packet with the
story behind it on a card inside.
For example, le Palais des Papes flavours
were inspired by the opulent colours
of the religious orders and worn by the
ancient popes (if you know Avignon, you’ll
know that between 1309 and 1377, it was
home to the Catholic Popes while Rome
was too dangerous and it still houses
the magnificent Palais des Papes) and
ingredients include fig for purple, pistachio
for green and apricots for orange!
Le Mont Ventoux was inspired by a cyclist
who conquered this local mountain and as
you’d expect, the ingredients are foraged
from the mountain slopes and include
cranberry and hazelnuts.
www.aline-gehant-chocolatier.com
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