This summer, the cost of fresh produce in our favourite Euronation has dropped; vegetable prices are down by 3 percent, while the cost of fruit has fallen by an astounding 12 percent, with the average price per kilo for fresh goods now being around €3.34.
And if that isn’t enough to encourage you to up your intake of healthy snacks while visiting l’Hexagone, the price of summer food goods (melons, peaches, and salad crops) is down by an average of 20 percent.
So what has caused this lower-cost abundance? To begin with, we had a very mild spring, which of course means bumper harvests; however, the Russian trade embargo has also created a glut of produce, driving down prices even further. Last year, 100,000 tonnes of our produce – 1 percent of our fruit (apples, pears, and tomatoes), and 3 percent of our vegetables (cauliflower, potatoes, and cucumbers) – were exported to Russia, either directly or via Benelux and the Baltics.
Seizing this opportunity to shift more goods at lower prices, online retailers have upped their competitive game, and have been offering huge savings to customers who have their food delivered to their door. This in turn, has forced down prices in the markets, where traders have to compete with online retail.
Of course, this is great news for consumers and chefs alike. And for visitors to our beloved nation… whether you eat out or self-cater, with less expensive food prices, this is a great time to be visiting France to indulge your gastronomic desires!