The 4th edition of the World Shallot Harvesting Championship took place on the 8th of July in the French town of Plounevez-Lochrist (Finistère). “Since the first edition, Pouliquen, the European leader in the packaging of traditional shallots, has been a partner of this event, which reminds us, with a lot of humor, that the cultivation of shallots is part of the heritage and traditions of this region.”
For the occasion, Pouliquen created exclusive packaging to distribute the 20 tons of shallots harvested during the championship.
Speed and efficiency
During the event, each snatcher was tasked with getting to the end of their “plank” as quickly as possible, over the course of 100m. Kneeling, standing, sideways: all techniques were accepted, with quality and speed of execution being the selection criteria verified by a jury made up of local producers. During the last edition in 2018, the record was 13'21''. This year, the title of world champion was claimed once again by Florian Le Jeune, with a time of 13'47”.
Some 50 participants, including a Canadian, a Romanian and an Albanian, took part in the competition, which took place in two stages: an elimination phase and the final with the 10 best participants.
Traditional shallots grown in Brittany since the 17th century
Pouliquen has been an official partner of this championship since the first edition. “The cultivation of traditional shallots is an integral part of our region's identity, culture and heritage. This world championship may be a lot of fun, but it also reminds us of one fact: historically, Northern Brittany is the land where traditional shallots are grown. It is a land where know-how, experience and rigor complement each other, enabling us to offer top-quality products to our clients,” explains Gérard Quillévéré, managing director of SAS Pouliquen.
The town of Plounévez-Lochrist alone has 70 farms where traditional shallots are cultivated. Every year, many young local people come to help with planting and harvesting, helping to perpetuate the tradition.
Exclusive packaging
For this world championship, Pouliquen created exclusive packaging, to distribute the 20 tons of shallots harvested during the event in nets of 250g. An initial sale was held at the festival. All profits from this operation will be donated to a French association committed to the fight against multiple sclerosis, supported this year by the organizers of the event. Other prizes will be offered for sale to Pouliquen clients this week.
Packaging created by Pouliquen to promote its partnership with the World Shallot Harvesting Championship.
SAS Pouliquen began marketing the new shallots last week. “The campaign is starting well, with excellent quality and decent volumes, which will enable us to enter a dynamic market right from the start,” according to Gérard Quillévéré.
For more information:
Gérard Quillévéré
Pouliquen
Phone: +33 2 98 19 51 00
info@pouliquen.com