For several weeks, “Le Pain de Fafa” has taken possession of a vacant premises on rue Delcassé. The bakery places emphasis on product quality and conviviality.
The story of Fabrice and his bread is above all the story of a reconversion. A former farmer in the Hautes-Alpes, Fabrice discovered his passion for baking during an intern visit to the farm. Trained at the International Bakery School near Sisteron, he decided to devote himself fully to this art and opened his first store. But this lover of Ariège decided to come and settle there: the vacant premises at 12 rue Delcassé, once redeveloped, fit the bill perfectly. “Former medical office premises(1) it was carpet on the floor, there was no window. But, I had confidence”, rembobine Fabrice.
Fabrice’s favorite bread: his Tournelin with flax seeds!
It offers a wide range of sourdough breads, such as rye bread, focaccias, brioches or even spelled bread, depending on the day of the week: “I try to work as much as possible directly with farmers. When I can't, I go through wholesalers, but I try to promote local production”. And this choice already seems to have won over customers: “in just three weeks, regulars are already coming back”, he rejoices. Although all his products are organic, he decided not to request certification to avoid administrative procedures.
Faced with local competition, Fabrice remains calm : “I think there is room for everyone. On the contrary, we help each other: when some open on Saturday, I work on Monday.” This is good, the majority of businesses in Foix are closed that day.
Self-service based on trust
This is the particularity of Fafa Pain. At Fabrice, customers help themselves from the shelf, before going to the cash register. In front of them, Fabrice is busy kneading the bread and cooking the products. An original system based on trust which allows him to continue his work without being cut off, while chatting with customers: “I'm here to chat with people, explain how I work. And then after them, they go to the checkout, they press the name of the bread. And then the cash drawer opens, they make change”.
This small place is not intended to expand or hire. Fabrice prefers to preserve his independence and his pleasure of working at his own pace.
C.B
12, rue Delcassé / Foix
(1): For former Fuxéans, this is the medical office of the former mayor of Foix.
