For everyone who wishes a Whole Foods would open in Paris, the Salon Marjolaine is the next best thing. This enormous fair at the Parc Floral (through Sunday November 14) is dedicated to all that is organic and sustainable, with over 500 stands displaying and selling every kind of organic foods, wines, health and beauty products, clothing, cooking supplies, kitchen accessories, seeds, gardening supplies, furniture, bedding, shoes, jewelry, essential oils, and many other products that are usually only sold direct by the owners or manufacturers.
There is also an entire section at the entrance dedicated to environmental causes (Greenpeace and other activist groups), green tourism, outdoor activities, and nature/organic themed publishers. It’s open 10:30am-7pm (until 9pm on Friday) and the entry is €8. Bring your shopping trolley, you’ll need it! A free shuttle bus from the metro Chateau de Vincennes drops you right at the entrance.
Here is my mini video and some photos:
Hand-made “marmites” of all sizes.
Some very funky shoes made with natural materials (including vegetable-dyed leather).
Ceramics…
A lot of hats that are starting to look really good now that it’s getting chilly.
Meats raised without antibiotics or growth hormones.
Free-range duck foie gras.
And organic chocolate….mmmmmmmm.
As much organically-grown garlic as you can handle for €7.
One of the many organic wines available for tasting.
Organic cotton diapers.
Buy the yarn or get the scarf already knit.
Juicers, grain germinators, and many other appliances not sold at DARTY.
Steamers, grinders, vacume-packers…
It’s France, so of course there’s cheese (this is actually Italian parmasean cheese).
Organic fruits and veggies.
And this one is for David, who asked me to look out for anyone actually composting. Hand-made apartment composting boxes made from recycled cookie tins and computer box vents.
Some people were smart and did their grocery shopping at the salon.
You’ll have to wait until next year if you miss the Salon Marjolaine, but you can find a smaller version next month at the Vivez Nature “Noël en Bio” salon December 10-12.
Coming to Paris in April 2011 – where do you find this type of place when the Salon M is not going on??? Thanks
OK, so I get that people like to know that their food is organic and natural but I kind of feel like if America had all of the little Boucheries and Fromageries and Markets that Paris has than we wouldn't need a Whole Foods. I'm just saying that the French in general eat better quality and healthier food than Americans. Even if it isn't "bio".