Welcome to Chez Camille

"I've had enough of all this plastic ," B. announced as he tore the plastic wrapper off our latest packet of Supermarket bought Roquefort cheese. This beautiful and aromatic wedge of blue comes housed in a plastic container. Once the top plastic film is discarded there is another plastic lid with which to keep the cheese fresh. Likewise the little pack of chèvres (or goats' cheese) that he tackled next. These come in a stiff plastic container with two neat separate compartments. Everything we buy nowadays seems to come wrapped in plastic, once, twice or even three times over. "From tomorrow," B. declared" We're going back to shop at Camille's.

Plastic wrapped...

Or paper?

Faîtes vos Choix!

Back in pre-Covid days we loved to go to the tiny shop in our neighbouring village of Soubès to buy cheese and ham, bread and fruit. But the shop is small and can be crowded, so after Covid struck we grew wary and began to shop exclusively from an on-line supermarket site. Hence the large amount of plastic wrapped cheese. Camille, the proprietor is a connoisseur of good things, so his delicatessen counter is always stocked with the very best of cheeses and cured meats. He stocks 'bio ' fruit and veg.too, and even has a stock of very special single malt whiskys. Did you know that many French people enjoy whisky as an aperitif?

Camille's shop is to be found in the village square alongside the mairie, the post office, a small library and Café Terral . Soubès is a fine village with two fine chateaux, narrow streets and old fortified walls. Shopping there is so much more fun than heading for the town supermarket. Our Roquefort and chèvre cheeses were presented to us in simple brown wrapping, albeit plastic coated on one side. Do you have any Cheddar? B. asked Camille. Alas no! Camille does not stock our favourite cooking cheese. He tells us that he once tasted an excellent Cheddar that he would be most happy to sell, but alas he only has access to factory produced Cheddar cheeses, which he refuses to stock.

Most of the produce that Camille stocks has a French provenance. Indeed even large supermarkets make a point of selling locally produced cheeses etc. alongside large national brands. Wine shelves are predominantly stocked with French wines too, while Italian , Spanish or Californian wines for example, are more difficult to obtain in France. But nothing can replace Italian Parmesan. Surely Camille would stock that. Alas no! But, he told us, but he did stock 'French Parmesan.' Would we like to try it.? After a cheesy nibble, we decided to order some. It was granular and piquant, and certainly Parmesan like. But French? Camille explained how there was once, about fifty years ago, a dearth of cows in the Puglia region of Southern Italy and Italian cheesemakers came to Rodez in the French Aveyron region to source milk. There they made a Parmesan like cheese which they transported fresh in order to mature in Italy. The Italians named it Rodez, or 'French Parmesan. Nowadays the maturation is completed in France to ensure its quality . We shall certainly be buying some again.

Camille also stocks fresh bread . And if we time our visit right, we can also stop off for a coffee or aperitif at the local café bar. What's not to like?