Chichester -the only city in West Sussex and twinned with Chartres, a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in France. Chartres is known world-wide for its cathedral and Chichester cathedral is similar in appearance and style to Chartres. Chichester and Chartres have been twinned since 1959 in order to promote friendly relations and respect each other’s traditions, history and customs.
To celebrate such a successful relation between Chichester and Chartres of 60 years, there will be an Authentic French Market on the 24th and 25th May from 9am to 5pm.
Here are some of Chartres greatest Specialities that you might find at the market:
- Beauce Cola – After the Corsicans and the Bretons, La Beauce is the latest home-made French cola to hit the shops. Beauce Cola is a 98% local product, made from local water and sugar beet from the factory at Artenay.
- The Chartrenser – This looks like two small shortbread pastries stuck together with salted caramel butter, a nod to Brittany, one of Franz Stock’s favourite regions. “Chartrenser” (“from Chartres”) is the name given to German prisoners studying for the clergy between 1945 and 1947 at the Coudray seminary. This delicacy is made fresh each day by the Arnaud Ioos bakery.
- The Mentchikoff – The mentchikoff is chocolate-coated praline and Swiss meringue, created in 1893 during the Franco-Russian alliance. Nowadays, many confectioners in Chartres make this delicate sweet that delights gourmets everywhere. Our partner “La Chocolaterie” makes and sells this particular delicacy.
- The Retrodor baguette – made from flour with no additives, a subtle blend of the best wheats from the Beauce country, this traditional French baguette is characterised by a creamy texture with irregular bubble sizes and a golden brown crust. Known and recognised throughout France, it also enjoys an international reputation.
- Eurélienne beer – Made in Eure-et-Loir at the Brasserie de Chandres, ‘L’Eurélienne” beer is brewed and bottled on a family farm within 10 km of Chartres. Eurélienne is a natural beer – more than 90% of the barley comes from local farm fields, the beer is brewed by hand, without filtration and without pasteurisation.
- Chicken-in-a-pot – Henry of Navarre is the only king of France to have been crowned in Chartres cathedral, on 27 February 1594. To commemorate this event, a number of restaurants in the town and its surroundings offer the “Poule au Pot” recipe on their menus, especially during “Henry IV Week” (last weekend of February-early March).
During the Authentic French Market, residents of Chichester and visitors alike will be able to experience a taste of France with many stalls supplying delicious meats, cheeses and breads in which you’ll be able to try and purchase. You’ll also be able to browse a range of bags and clothes available throughout the stalls from authentic French suppliers.
The market will be held in the City centre and it will be a wonderful affair to celebrate 60 years of twinning with Chartres. Try and keep your eye out for some of the specialities from Chartres!
Don’t forget to stop by for a refreshment after browsing, we’ll have plenty of ice cold beer on draft, bottles of wine chilling and even a cocktail or two crafted by our magnificent mixologists. We’ve got refreshing soft drinks for the drivers too! Best enjoyed in our sun garden…
