The Terroirs · 06 · France, Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes
Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel
Cancale, the highest tides in Europe
In the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, near Cancale, La Famille Boutrais took over an oyster farm in Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes in 2017, where it produces its Fine de Cancale. The bay has the highest tides in Europe: a fourteen-metre tidal range.
tidal range
The churn of the great tides
Our production, of around 300 tonnes, goes into our Fine de Cancale and also supplies part of our “Huître de Céline” brand*.
The current churns the water and renews the plankton. The bay is fed with fresh water by the Sée, the Couesnon and the Sélune.
* “Huître de Céline” is a widely distributed brand that may bring together several origins. The seasonality of oyster farming and the bay's great tidal range do not allow us to guarantee a 100% bay of Mont-Saint-Michel origin for this brand. To make up for occasional production shortfalls, we sometimes supply it with oysters of similar organoleptic properties from Ireland, Jersey and France.
What this terroir gives the oyster
A briny, fleshy oyster.
The terroir at a glance
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| County / town | Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes |
| Type | Open bay |
| Status | Unesco World Heritage site |
| Role in the house | Terroir of the Fine de Cancale |
Raised here
Nautical chart
The chart
Watch the bay empty and fill with the tide, and the rivers pour their nutrients into it.
- Nutrients carried in by the rivers
- Open-sea water (rising tide)
- The house's oyster beds