In the bay of Somme, morels were an unusual choice. Thomas Gouesbier and Thibault Dutote thought of it. However, it is impossible to know where the precious mushrooms, sold for around 100 euros per kilo, grow. Due to fear of vandals, they keep the location a secret. We only know that they have been growing since October in open ground, under a greenhouse, and are protected by a shading veil that is not waterproof, to replicate the conditions of a forest. “The feedback is very good. Customers are satisfied to find French morels when 90% of what is sold comes from China,” they express.
The entrepreneurial duo will keep some to produce morel sauce and offer dehydrated morels, which once rehydrated will regain all their properties and enhance dishes.
Thomas Gouesbier and Thibault Dutote have set up their offices in Crécy-en-Ponthieu, in a former garage that serves as a storage space. They are close to their crops of oyster mushrooms, which produce white clusters, and shiitakes, a fragrant mushroom of Japanese origin with a cylindrical stalk and a flat cap, which is broader than the Paris variety, launched last year.
Homemade recipes
They chose these two varieties for their taste and nutritional qualities. Since the beginning, Thomas Gouesbier and Thibault Dutote have trusted the Saint-Christophe cannery in Argoules to cook the nine spreads, two sauces, two pastes, and three velvets for which they have created recipes.
On May 1st, all their products will be available at the Rue agricultural fair and on May 3rd at the Crécy-en-Ponthieu forest festival. They particularly appreciate the opportunity to let customers taste their products: “They say it’s good and out of the ordinary,” they explain. “Even for the aperitif, people are eating less meat, like sausages.” They are looking for seasonal workers to help them.
Champi-Crécy already has over 150 retailers, mainly located in Hauts-de-France, including 43 in the Baie de Somme-Picardie Maritime regional natural park. Notable locations include La brûlerie in Abbeville, the Ferme des prés salés in Noyelles-sur-Mer, or gourmet shops in Crotoy or Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. Orders can be placed online, especially for click-and-collect, to be picked up at their offices. They also ship orders to Avignon or Montpellier: “The circle of retailers continues to grow. It’s because the products are popular,” they modestly observe, knowing they need to constantly attract new customers to survive.
