Bildkollektion

There are words that express its origin so well that there is no need to translate it in other languages (i.e Hamburger, Pizza, Baguette,..). The Baguette is emblematic in France, and is an undeniable symbol of that France abroad. Do we not caricature the frenchman with a baguette under his arm? Admittedly this cliché is very true; each year 6 billion baguettes in France come out of deck ovens! The president's will of the National Confederation of French Pastry Bakery (CNPBF), Mr Dominique Anract, with the significant support of Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, is that the baguette be inscribed on the UNESCO list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The baguette is an affair of state in France! However, beyond the baguette itself, the UNESCO recognition may, even more, enhance the status of the bakers and his work. The inscription on that UNESCO list will ensure better protection of the traditional recipe and perpetuate this savoir-faire. Since 1998 with the Raffarin Act (former Prime Minister under Mr Jacques Chirac presidency), France has recognized the specific identity of the baker for the authenticity and the artisanal quality of his product. The consumer habits have evolved so it was urgent to label artisanal making products from bakery factory origin products which gain more and more market shares. Bakeries are essentially small family businesses that are usually transmitted from generation to the other. In France, they are much more than a common store, they often have a socio-cultural role. In rural areas, for instance, they can be the only existing store and turn out therefore to be a proximity asset and a question of survival for the village. The apprentices also start out with the Maîtres Boulangers which is necessary for the transmission of the know-how and in this way aspire to maintain the tradition of this activity on a human scale. Here, about the artisanal bakery run by the Eveno family, located in Questembert, a small town in Brittany where this photographic series highlights the work of these bakers in the bakehouse during a cycle of making the traditional baguette - from kneading to baking. Bertrand Eveno, the son, assisted by his apprentice compose the baguette with the requirement of quality and the respect for the traditional method of working. Wheat flour, water, salt and yeast, a deceptive easiness since it demands accurate and complete skills. Would we see the baguette getting the supreme world distinction? Whatever happens, it has already got it in the heart of the French people.