Suzanne Himely champions Cape Town’s cheese de résistance

This Loop Street market explores the subtleties and history of French food

Suzanne Himely’s great, great grandfather was responsible for the dairies in the Swiss town of La Neuveville and her grandmother was French. If passion is something inbuilt in our genes, it comes as no surprise that Suzanne developed a fascination with French food.

The Fabulous Friday French Market is situated in Loop Street’s Alliance Français - a centre that builds bridges between Africa’s 40 French-speaking countries and creates awareness of French culture. We find Suzanne adorning tables with a variety of French cheeses, pâtés, saucisson (cured sausage), oils, mustards, vinegars and foie gras. There are, of course, French flags pinned to the wall behind her.

“Everything you see here is authentic, whether it’s imported directly or made using French ingredients,” Suzanne tells us.

The market caters to a variety of Capetonian foodies, from students who buy 50g to fine dining restaurants who buy 5kgs of cheese per week. People are moving away from supermarkets, armed with a desire to touch and taste produce. Suzanne is at the forefront of helping these people to understand the subtleties of French food and a history as rich as a slither of Brie.

“The French are passionate about their food and wouldn’t accept anything but the best quality,” she says, “Just like a Bordeaux chateaux wine is derived from only one vineyard, each town or village have their own cheese whose origins are protected by Appellation d'Origine Protégée (a designation of origin for food products under European Union regulations). This enables family businesses, passed down through generations, to keep tradition alive.”

Gooey cheeses in elegant wooden boxes

Suzanne imports 50kgs of French cheese a week, in a range of textures and flavours from pressed hard cheese to creamy, stinky blues. We gaze longingly at gooey and strong cheeses packaged in elegant wooden boxes, and there are big circular wheels of mature Brie.

We try the Brie de Meaux - a creamy, smooth and superbly rich cheese. It’s covered with its mouldy, bloomy rind that emanates a pungent aroma. Next up is the Comté, more traditional, stronger and nutty in flavour with a straw-yellow appearance and a soft doughy rind. Slithers of cheese are served with small bites of freshly-baked bread, made with imported French flour by artisanal bakers, Cassis Bakery.

“This cheese tastes beautiful melted over potatoes,” Suzanne says as she hands us a sliver of Reblochon - a creamy, double-milked cheese from the Savoie region of France.

“The market is for people who love food.”

Market tables are lined with all manner of picnic basket and dinner party fare including coarse and smooth wild boar pâté from an area just north of Paris; non-force fed, goose liver from family-owned, traditional Charcuterie producers, Georges Thiol; saucisson from the d’Auvergne region; apple cider, sherry, red wine and white truffle vinegars by Vilux; over 20 flavours of mustard; chestnut spread by Clement Faugier and Borde dried mushrooms.

Suzanne draws our attention to Confit de Canard - duck that has been slowly cooked. Packed and preserved in its own fat, this can be heated and served as a rich, winter treat.

Mothers whose children are at school and professionals on their lunch break pop into the Fabulous Friday French market, between 10:00 and 14:00, to enjoy Suzanne’s freshly made sandwiches with a glass of French wine from the adjacent Café de L’Alliance. You’ll also find her stall at the Neighbourgoods market between 09:00 and 14:00 every Saturday. It’s all about discovering French culture and a country’s passion for food.

By Lisa Nevitt

The Fabulous Friday French Market
Alliance Français | 155 Loop Street | Cape Town | +27 (0)83 300 6725

For our top markets, delicatessens and bakeries, visit our best of Cape Town section.

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