Try out a gastronomy festival in Brittany in 2009

The spring months in Brittany are an ideal time for a short break with the region boasting bustling markets, Michelin starred restaurants, AOC seafood, creperies and of course local beers, ciders and whisky. Here are some examples of upcoming gastronomy festivals in 2009 that highlight the food and drink of the region.

On the north coast, the Cotes D’armor region’s annual Scallop Festival, from 1-3 May in Saint Quay Portrieux, is the perfect time to taste freshly caught Scallops from the Bay of St Brieuc. The region is proud to be the largest producer of Scallops in Europe and over three days the town welcomes between 70 and 80 thousand visitors, all there to experience fishing trips, enjoy the celtic music and free concerts, watch the boats arrive with the days catch, see the live scallop auctions, enjoy gastronomic tastings by the water, and purchase scallops from the markets.

Brittany leads the way in seafood and visitors can enjoy an “Authentic Breton Seafood Platter” throughout the region as well as tasting AOC accredited Mussels near Cancale – the first seafood to achieve the AOC branding across France - only to be expected from a region that makes up a third of the French coastline.

Alternatively enjoy the annual Binic Cod Festival from 21 to 24 May, which celebrates the fishing heritage of a town that was at the forefront of the French Cod fishing industry. The Festival is accompanied by traditional music and enthusiastic singing fishermen honouring the tradition of serenading visitors with sea shanties. Colourfully rigged fishing boats and historic craft add to the atmosphere alongside a food market and speciality seafood tastings on the quayside.

The annual weekend wheat and buckwheat Crepe Festival in Gourin on the 25 and 26 July offers visitors the chance to enter the world’s largest Pancake competition. Traditional Breton and Celtic music concerts provide the backdrop to the celebration as contestants fight it out in the stunning grounds of the Tronjoly estate.

The Pink Onion Festival, held on the 22 and 23 of August in the pretty port of Roscoff, celebrates the “Johnnies” who have sold special pink onions door-to-door in the UK since the 19th Century. The town all turn out to celebrate this important part of their economy and organised walks, tasting sessions and music are everywhere.

For further information on Brittany, log on to Brittanytourism.com.