| Shopping | Get here via Google? View our Website |
There
is a general store in St Auban (open
09:00 -12:00 except Tuesday and Thursday), which sells bread and essentials. There is
also a post office and library with internet access.
Our local farm at Hautes Beaumettes sells goats cheese, eggs and potatoes. You can buy sheep's cheese (delicious with fig jam) from the neighbouring hamlet of Le Defens in the mornings, telephone 04 93 60 43 15 and cows cheese from the village of Le Prignolet. Excellent organic produce is sold in La Sagne, tel. 04 93 60 40 20.
A butcher's van, which also sells home made ravioli, comes to the farm at St Auban on Wednesday and Saturday and to Le Defens on Saturday, tel 06 63 08 09 45.
The fish van comes to St Auban on Wednesday afternoons at 14.00 or you can fish for (or have it fished for you) fresh trout from the lakes in the village.
At Logis du Pin (fifteen minutes drive) you can buy delicious fresh fruit and vegetables, local wine and local dried meat and eggs. The fruit and vegetables stall is open as follows:
May - June Tues - Fri: 08:30 -12:30, 15:00 – 19:00 and Sat - Sun: 08:30 -19:00. Closed Monday. July - Aug Tues - Sun: 08:30 – 19:30. Closed Monday. Rest of Year Friday: 15:00 - 18:30 and Sat - Sun: 8:30 -18:00. Closed Mon - Thu. Jan – mid Feb Closed.
There is also a butcher's van at Logis du Pin on Saturday 10:00 – 11:15, and a fish van on Friday 15.30 – 17:00 and Saturday 09:00 – 13:00. Tel. 06 65 36 33 78 / 06 66 57 62 62
The fruit and vegetable stall at La Garde is also very good and has an indoor delicatessen. It's open every day from 08:00 – 19:00 but closed in winter.
Castellane which is 30 minutes drive has the nearest supermarkets (open 09:00 -12.30 and 15:00 - 19.30).
Castellane also has an excellent market on Wednesdays and
Saturdays where you can buy all sorts of local produce, sheep and goats' cheese, dried meat, sea food, fruit and vegetables, lavender and thyme flavoured honey
or any type of olive or olive oil you want. It is definitely worth getting to
the market as early as you can as parking in the height of summer can be
difficult. At the market they also sell home made pizza and flavoured
bread, always handy for a picnic by the lake after visiting the market. Tapenade
made from crushed olives, anchoide from anchovies and sundried tomato paste, on
a slice of baguette with a bottle of pastis from the 'cave', by the church, are
all nice to have for aperatifs at the end of the afternoon.
Other local shops:
The shop in Soleihas, tel 04 93 60 40 28 is open 09.30 -12.30 and 17.30 -19.30 (20.00 Friday and Saturday), every day except Thursday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.
The shop in Thorenc, tel 04 93 60 02 73 is open 07:30-12:30 and 16:00 – 19:00 (18:00 Sunday). every day except Monday afternoon and all day Wednesday.
Market days in local villages
Markets are held in nearby towns at the following times:
| Castellane: | Wednesday and Saturday mornings |
| St Andre: | Wednesday and Saturday mornings |
| Annot: | Tuesday morning |
| Valbonne: | Friday morning |
| Chateauneuf Pre du Lac: | Monday morning |
| Colmars: | Tuesday and Friday mornings |
| Moustiers | Friday morning |
| La Palud |
Sunday |
Gourdon
A souvenir shoppers Mecca. A beautiful perched village over looking the Mediterranean. My favourite shop is one owned by Sophie Tudor, and you don't even need to bother getting on an aeroplane to visit her shop, you can buy on line here.
For more information about Gourdon and other local villages click here.
Grasse
The area around Grasse is famous for the manufacture of essential oils, used in soaps and perfumes, several of the factories in Grasse have guided tours and factory shops on site.
Have
a look at the
France
This Way site for more information about the perfume industry in Grasse.
This site also gives a lot of information about places to visit and all sorts of
information about France.
For information about the actual perfume factories in Grasse have a look at:
Sweets, such as marzipan and crystallised fruits are also made in the region, the Florian sweet factory is well worth a visit. Check out:
Nice
For the serious shopper Nice is one and a quarter hours drive and Monaco one and a half hours drive.