Terroir, my beautiful terroir! A former cheesemonger and photographer respectively, Caroline and Bruno Licini give lessons in sourcing from their well-named Épicerie de Nîmes, which is teeming with organic and artisanal goods sourced (almost) exclusively from the surrounding area. It’s like candy to the local crowd, who head there without a moment’s hesitation. Fill your shopping basket up with all of the following: La Barbaude beers brewed in Nîmes, incredible trout from Mont Lozère with chestnuts, explosively flavorful wholegrain mustard from Sylvain Petit in Aizac, La Petite Coccinelle Bleue infusions made in Bouillargues, honey from the beekeeper Hervé Cesco on the border of the Gard and the Hérault departments… In short, the perfect spot to fill up your pantry, after a meal at the nearby La Marmite restaurant. // Théodule Mollard
The hidden gem: 70% dark chocolate with olive oil and fleur de sel from the Camargue (€5.90), a bean-to-bar chocolate bar made by Éric Comte. A majorly addictive treat.
