The Gavottes ®
En Britain, we know crepes from every angle! Salty, sweet, made with wheat flour or buckwheat flour, the list is long! This year ? It's another typical pancake which is in the spotlight: lace crepe is celebrating its 100th anniversary! For the occasion, let's discover the secrets of the Gavottes® in Dinan !
Les Gavottes®, our Proust madeleine
Gavottes® were born from ancestral Breton know-how! If these delicious delicacies have become an emblem of the Breton gastronomy, we owe it to the Tacquard family, who knew how to breathe new life into the traditional lace crepes made in Dinan.
Tradition or novelty?
To return to our childhood memories, it is (without hesitation) plain or chocolate pancakes that we will choose... But to test new flavors, we happily taste recipes such as those with milk chocolate, to the hazelnut or even at cheese (perfect for an aperitif!).
A little history !In 1886, it was by forgetting her crepe on the billig in her kitchen in Quimper that Marie-Catherine Cornic gave life to the first lace crepe, folded in eight and crispy to perfection. From 1920, this manufacturing secret was shared with the pastry chefs of the Crêperies de Loc Maria in Quimper. It was not until 1962 that the biscuit factory of Gavottes® moves to Dinan… To our delight !
For the 100th anniversary of Gavottes®: an anniversary box in Dinan
On the occasion of 100 years of Gavottes®, the biscuit factory in Dinan has revisited the historic box! Nostalgics and great gourmands had the choice between the box of the authentic lace crepe or the milk chocolate one. The most curious have immersed themselves in the history of this golden pancake thanks to thelimited edition of an anniversary box!
The centenary of Gavottes® has got off to a good start, since the lace crepe had the honor of being selected among the 120 products presented at the Great Exhibition of “Made in France”, which was held in January 2020 at the Palais de l 'Elysium.
Recipe and manufacturing secrets of Gavottes® in Dinan
Light and crispy, we dive into the history of making Gavottes® in Dinan ! The secret of the recipe? It has remained unchanged for 100 years… And above all well guarded!
A recipe that hasn't aged a bit!
Prepared using local products such as sugar, butter and wheat flour, the Gavottes® recipe has been passed down from generation to generation without the slightest modification! Additional ingredients are weighed by hand and the pancake batter is cooked on a gas-heated conveyor belt for a few minutes, before being cut and folded.
If some Gavottes® do not meet the standards, they are reconditioned at the Dinan factory outlet or used in broken pieces which are used in the manufacture of sparkling Gavottines ! These little serrated sweets are then topped with melted chocolate and mixed by hand, to be placed in the trays by hand before being filmed… A kind of Breton-style sand roses!
The famous Gavottes® are meticulously made in the Dinan manufacturing plant! However, the Dinan factory is not open to the public. A manufacturing secret like that of Gavottes®, it can be preserved!
Recipes revisited by the great chefs in Dinan!
While strolling in the historic heart of Dinan, we discover that broken pieces are very often used by the leaders of the restaurants in Dinan.
In the friendly and warm kitchen of the'Auberge du Pelican, we meet Chef Ludovic Hardy who reveals the secrets of his recipe for Chestnut Lace Millefeuille. The main ingredient of this gourmet dessert? Crushed Gavottes®, of course!
Where to buy Gavottes® in Dinan?
We let ourselves be tempted by the sweetness of the spread with broken lace crêpes, the delicacy of the salted butter caramel and the lightness of the authentic Gavottes® natures!
To bring home these delicious lace crepes, we head to Les Gavottes shop where you hesitate for a moment between the sweet Gavottes® or those filled with cheese, before leaving with both!
The shop is open Monday to Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 18:30 p.m. On Saturday it opens its doors from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 14 p.m. to 17:30 p.m.!
It is possible to contact the store at 02 96 87 42 55