Special historical symbol of Breton-Briton relationship presented to Salamanca guests as Brittany Ferries president gifts Pink Roscoff Onions to ‘British friends’

The Salamanca, the country’s first ever natural gas powered ferry, welcomed 120 VIPs on board before her first commercial crossing to Bilbao on March 27.

Each was presented with Pink Roscoff Onions gifted by company president and working farmer Jean-Marc Roué.

It is a gift with deep significance for Brittany Ferries and its shareholders.

The company was founded by Breton farmers and they remain majority shareholders in the business.

Jean-Marc Roué said: ‘At Brittany Ferries we come from the land, but we are committed to the sea.

‘Nothing symbolises this relationship more than the Pink Roscoff Onion.

‘They were part of the first cargo Brittany Ferries carried from France to the UK fifty years ago.

‘And now that tradition continues with our newest vessel Salamanca.

‘I am proud to present this very special gift to our British friends, on behalf of the Breton farming community, as a symbol of ongoing partnership and friendship.’

Brittany Ferries’ first ship left Roscoff for Plymouth in 1973.

Its cargo of onions, cauliflowers and artichokes were carried by Mesguen, a haulage company specialising in the transport of produce, based just outside Roscoff in St Pol de Leon.

Mesguen remain committed partners to the Breton farming community and to Brittany Ferries. Echoing the first ever sailing, it was a Mesguen vehicle that carried the cargo of braided onions from Roscoff to Salamanca which had docked in Cherbourg ahead of its first departure for Portsmouth.

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Pioneering Bretons have been taking Pink Roscoff Onions to Britain for nearly 200 years.

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, ‘Onion Johnnies’ plied their trade in the UK, making the often-hazardous journey by sea from Brittany.

Johnnies came year after year, travelling by bicycle, laden with strings of onions.

Pink Roscoff Onions, which were awarded Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status in 2013, were a particular delicacy for working class families.

The rich flavour and low price made a change from the monotony of a simple British diet.

Onion Johnnies are thought to be behind an enduring stereotype held in the British psyche.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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