Producers’ Floor: people and products

Quality, price, freshness and human contact are the values of the Ile-de-France Producers’ Floor. Everyone knows each other here on the Floor. People chat and tease each other, giving everyone nicknames as a mark of complicity, loyalty and, of course, trust. There are nicknames representing landmarks, marking the history of producers at the Market, revealing the mix of old and new generations, like the Olivier family, the “Beausse” kid, “Père Sauvage”, the “Gabin du Carreau”, “Petit Armand” or the “Landreau frères”. Other nicknames are a quality voucher, where the production replaces the producer’s name, such as “Madame Watercress”, “The asparagus producer”, “Marie’s bouquets”, and that’s just for the Producers! Among the buyers circulating on a bicycle or on foot, order forms in hand, we recognize Bébé, Kopi, Natasha, Jojo and her partner Sydney, and many more, every morning. Of course, people come to the Floor to find quality products, freshness and great prices. Yet there’s no doubt that the friendly atmosphere, which has no equal, and the mutual care and respect to be seen between producers and buyers makes all products that much better!

“Père” (first name) Sauvage – rhubarb producer

"The customers come here for quality"

People come to him for his rhubarb and because he is the Floor’s living memory. He can tell you all about the family’s work on the farm and life at Les Halles in Paris; travelling 25 km there and back every day on horseback in all weather, to be “placed” at the Baltard, the partygoers who inevitably ended the night at the Quartier St Eustache, the baskets at 1 franc they used to prepare on Saturday for the housewives off the first train. “Ah, we had lots of work, no equipment and everything was done by hand, but what an ambiance!” Coming to Rungis, Père Sauvage explains, made work much simpler for us. “More space, (reserved as well), more comfort too; we were sheltered, and our lorries could park nearby.”
After nearly 50 years at Les Halles, he didn’t want, in his own words, to “finish up without going through the new Floor.” “It’s good here,” he says, “we’re sheltered, the goods are protected, we’re grouped together among producers, I’ve rediscovered old friends; in fact the Floor is like a large provincial market. It’s nice!” If he had one piece of advice for a young lad wanting to set up today is would be to keep producing quality. “The customers come here for that – quality,” he underlines with conviction. We mustn’t kill quality for the sake of quantity!

Jean Pacheco – asparagus producer

"It’s the season that determines my production"

He talks about his asparagus as if it was a woman with whom he was in love. He can describe its shape, size, skin, so well that when listening to Jean Pacheco you really realize that beyond the product he has to sell you, there’s some kind of alchemy going on.
You’ll understand that we can’t force the land, we are dependent on the heavens’ whims and, whatever people say, seasons do indeed exist. Above all, you’ll tell yourself that buying a product means meeting a story. “Me, I only do asparagus. I adore this product, which I discovered when I was very young! I’m at the Producers’ Floor from 1st April to 15 June. It’s the season that determines my production.”
To be on the Floor by dawn, he cuts and packs the day before. “I know what my customers are looking for: freshness and the guarantee of a quality product. I work to make sure they’re not disappointed!”»

Natasha – Buyer from Artisan Foods

"I’m the eyes for my customers who are looking for new ideas at the best price"

Natasha knows every nook and corner of the Rungis Market. She comes from Dublin and works directly with first class Anglo-Saxon restaurants and hotels. “I act as the eyes of my customers, who are constantly looking for new ideas, quality products and prices as well! I know how to make sure I am never disappointed by coming to the Floor. I recently discovered a little red and white romaine lettuce, never seen before, and superb! The freshness here is incomparable. Since the Producers’ Floor was built, I’ve met new producers while remaining faithful to my old suppliers. It’s really much easier to do your shopping in one building.”
Every month, Natasha writes a report on the news gleaned from the Producers’ Floor, which she then sends to her restaurants and customers. And there’s so much to say every month!

Stephan Delhommel – Restaurant owner

"I come to dig out new tastes and flavours to share with my customers"

“I know that the best of the season is here!” admits Stephan Delhommel, a young restaurant owner who runs a country inn called “Le Corne Biche” in Arbonne-La-Forêt (77).
“I modify my menu every five weeks so I can stay as close as possible to the season’s products. Here, I know I can count on my suppliers’ proximity and reactivity. For instance, I’d noticed that the mixed salad was cut too large. I mentioned it to the producer from who I used to buy it. He changed the cut immediately. So now I have a product that meets my need. It’s more or less ‘tailor-made’ products at the best price. So I come to dig out new tastes and flavours. I’ve found some excellent fresh herbs. Some have ancient names, like hyssop, marjoram and lemon balm, which I have fun inserting into my menu. By coming to the Producers’ Floor, I offer my own customers real value added.”