Conserverie Jean de Luz – Canned Fish from the Basque Country
Jean-Hilaire de Bailiaencourt has been producing the finest canned fish in his small Conserverie Jean de Luz since 2003. He preserves sardines, tuna, and mackerel in good olive oil or processes them into Basque specialties. This is because Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a small French commune located in the very southwesternmost part of the Basque Country, which belongs to the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department.
Besides the excellent fish from the Bay of Biscay, the passionate fishermen at sea, and the skilled hands in the cannery, the Basque Country is crucial for the uniqueness of Jean de Luz canned fish. It is the inspiration for the traditional recipes, the home port, and the origin that proud Basques carry in their hearts.
Conserverie Jean de Luz – Yes to quality, No to quantity
Thus, the production process, in accordance with the tradition of the Basque Country, is completely different from that of the Bretons in the north. At Jean de Luz, sardines are caught in winter when they are fully grown, making them larger and less fatty. The artisanal production method dates back to the time of the Penn Sardin, when numerous canneries in Saint Jean de Luz, the historical cradle of tuna and sardine fishing, processed, canned, and thus preserved fish. The sardines are caught à la bolinche (close to the coast), then first salted and dried for several days before being rawly, by hand, placed in jars with spices and olive oil.
All ingredients were selected according to the same approach: local, organic, and good. For example, the Piment d’Espelette comes from a place less than 30 km from Jean de Luz. The salt comes from Navarra, and the organic olive oil from the local Empeltre olive variety is produced in the mill of Tudela.
After the last of the 17 canning factories in the port town of Saint Jean de Luz had to close in 1990, Jean-Hilaire de Bailiaencourt is particularly proud that he has been so successful since opening in 2003 with his unique business philosophy: "GOOD, CLEAN, AND FAIR. YES TO QUALITY, NO TO QUANTITY!"
