the rue de la Boucherie is preparing for the return of the Frairie des petits Ventres

D-1 before the Frairie of small bellies in Limoges. After two years of cancellation due to the health crisis, it is finally the great return of this great popular festival in the rue de la Boucherie, which usually brings together several tens of thousands of people.

Created in 1973, it was then a question of saving this historic district of Limoges from destruction. Since, every third Friday in Octoberstreet traders can make and sell local products, including tripe as a souvenir of the butchers’ guild.

A few hours before the event, we are active in the shops. At the “Bazar Marguerite”, Valérie Sainsot and her colleague are making room: “We’re going to have to make sandwiches, put in fridges, kegs of beer, so we need a lot of space. And, all the objects we sell, we store them carefully on the shelves, we cover everything with plastic so that it’s really well protected.” Because odors can be stubborn, warns the shopkeeper.

Apparently there is so much fat that we slip in the street – Emilie Pinto is going to experience her first Frairie

Emilie Pinto, she will live her first Frairie. She has “can’t wait to be there and at the same time that it’s over (…) As it’s my first, I kinda asked everyone how it was going and apparently there’s so much fat go everywhere, we slide in the street!”

This hairdresser, installed in the spring rue de la Boucherie is not a “meat” at heart, she has even so far avoided the sector on the day of the Frairie: “I always stayed away, because frankly it stank so much! Who would have thought that I would one day be in the middle of chitterlings, kidneys and company! But, besides that, I learned about the life of traders and neighborhood, the history of La Frairie that I did not know. And today as a shopkeeper on rue de la Boucherie, I have to honor this holiday.”

Emilie Pinto closed her salon this Wednesday. She is going to prepare a pumpkin velouté and will receive apple juice from Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, which she must then package in a hundred bottles. On Friday, she will be helped by her spouse and a couple of friends to go back and forth between her stand and her living room, which will serve as a storage place.

Preparations in a good mood

This year, the Frairie des Petits Ventres will not cross the entire rue de la Boucherie due to scaffolding erected for work. 30 stalls against 45 usually will be installed this year.

Participating traders are all eager, but sometimes a little worried like Valérie Sainsot: “I’m afraid there are a lot of people, it’s a bit too much since it’s been 2 years. There’s a lot of waiting I think.” Or a little bit of stress for Pascal Moncuquet, real estate agent for whom this is nevertheless the thirteenth Frairie and who gets his supplies from a producer in Naves, in Corrèze: “It’s preparation and it’s been two years since we did it. So, we have to prepare again, as we did in previous years. But there is also a lot of desire to find the Limougeauds for this extraordinary celebration.”

A unique moment – Stéphanie Alvès, pastry chef at the “Petits Ventres”

Also look forward to the restaurant “Les Petits Ventres”, where room service will also be provided. In the kitchen, Stéphanie Alvès and her colleagues have been busy since Tuesday: “For two years we were open, but a little nostalgic that we couldn’t do it because it’s a unique moment.” On the menu, 40 kilos of sheep balls, 30 kilos of kidneysveal strawberry, cakes with duck breast and foie gras, porcini mushrooms or even black pudding/apple tarts.

“What is very difficult are the last two nights. We wore our duvets and cooked during the night”completes owner Stéphanie Cuq, who is about to experience her 23rd Frairie with as much pleasure as ever.

A true solidarity

But, there is a spawning solidarity that is being put in place so that everything is ready on Friday. For the foie gras brioches and homemade pear compote, “Jean-Yves, who used to be on Place des Bancs, who made the brioche dough for us and who is now retired, comes to help us. And we bake at our baker who has large ovens”explains Stephanie Cuq, “For our apple juice in Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, it was Baptiste who took care of the bottles. AND then if Emilie needs to, she can come and see us”.

Return to normal life expected for Saturday afternoon.