First Dates and Snackmaster star Fred Sirieix might have been living in the UK for more than 30 years, yet there is one French tradition that remains sacred to him – and it all has to do with the art of snacking à la française.
“I’m 50 and I’ve been living here longer than I’ve been in France, it’s true. But I’ve spent the first formative twenty years of my life in France. It left a mark on me and the tradition of ‘le gouter’ is part of the things that never left me. It’s like your mother tongue, you never forget it.”
For the uninitiated,"le gouter" is an afternoon snack that most French children (and sometimes their parents) enjoy after-school around 4.30pm, in addition to their three usual meals.
“The best way to translate it in English would be ‘afternoon tea’ but it’s not as formal. It’s very traditional, it’s very sacred and every single kid in France has a ‘gouter’. I still have a 'gouter' myself, maybe a biscuit or a coffee, if I have time. We’ve also done it with my children, since they were young,” Fred explains.
For the French maitre d’, "le gouter" evokes memories of comfort, nostalgia and indulgent LU biscuits. ”Every time I hear the word, it makes me smile because it takes me back straight to my childhood to the time when I was a little boy.
“My mum used to buy LU biscuits and they were in a cupboard under the stairs in a special box. We would come back from school with my brother, and she would prepare a hot chocolate for us to dunk the biscuits in. It just takes me back to this time,” he says.
So, it’s perhaps no surprise that the TV presenter has now jumped on the opportunity to team up with the iconic French biscuit brand LU to bring the popular French snacking tradition to the UK, along with their products. “It’s our French connection,” he jokes.
Anyone who has holidayed in France will likely be familiar with the delicious treats.
The brand came to be in the city of Nantes way back in 1886, where a couple called Jean-Romain Lefèvre and Pauline-Isabelle Utile fell in love over their shared passion for baking and named the company after their surname initials L and U. Over 130 years later it's about time the tasty treats made their way over the Channel.
LU has four core delicious products hitting supermarket shelves nationwide this month – Le Petit Chocolat, Le Petit Beurre, Le Petit Citron and Le Petit Biscotte, all made with simple and authentic ingredients.
Fred confesses, “They’re all very good but I have a little bit of a craving for 'Le Petit Beurre', because they’re made with salted butter, which is a bit different from the biscuits you have here. You dunk them in your coffee or tea and you can taste the saltiness of the butter. It’s that unmistakable taste of butter that you get. It‘s naughty.”
Whether your biscuit should be dunked in your tea, might be a divisive matter in the UK but for the TV presenter and foodie it is the best way to really enjoy the treats. “People are surprised. They think I’m too sophisticated for dunking because I’m French, but I’ve done it all my life.”
“I dunk two biscuits at the time because they taste so good – but we’ve all got our own techniques.”
Looking to try "le gouter" out at home? The French maitre d’ says adding variety to your afternoon snack is a must.
“Diversity is the spice of life. On some days, I am going to have my 'Petit Beurre' biscuits from LU. On another day I’ll just have some toasted bread with jam and butter. Sometimes we’ll have pancakes with my family, and sometimes I’ll have a fruit.
"Just like lunch, dinner or breakfast you’ll have your go to products – but if you were eating the same thing every single day, life would be dull and boring. You’ve got to mix it up a little bit.”
We’re looking forward to our 4 o’clock snack already !
Zlata is freelance journalist and editor, covering all things fashion, beauty, consumer and lifestyle. She was previously Acting Digital Editor at Red and Special Projects Editor at Good Housekeeping. Coming from an international background, Zlata speaks four languages and has a passion for film and travel.
