“We're lucky, we don't go to the canteen, we go to the restaurant! » The truth comes from the mouths of children, and more precisely from those of Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc, the only school in Loc-Eguiner, a town of 350 inhabitants attached to Saint-Thégonnec.
Since June 2022, no more dishes from the central kitchen reheated in trays and eaten in the party room. Students just have to cross the town square to reach the Ti Wanik restaurant, the only business in the locality, opening in 2021.
I have a little pride in fish: some who didn't eat it at all now eat it!
On the menu this Friday lunchtime: vegetable soup, vegetarian tagine and pound cake. “Erwan’s soup is so good! », say Eva, a CM1 student, and Raphaël, who is in CP. Like friends, they ask for more. Some even admit that “it’s better than at home”! Enough to make Erwan Briand, 44, the cook who opened Ti Wanik with his wife, Emmanuelle, smile. But above all make him proud. “When I watch them eat, it’s a pleasure! »
No other example in Brittany
A restaurant that serves as a canteen? “I don't know of any other in Brittany,” says the man who, every school day, prepares between 25 and 30 meals, exclusively for the children. All on site, with fresh products. Nothing insurmountable for this former submariner who, on mission, made it “a duty to offer a different menu at each meal”. Linked by contract with the town hall, it is subject to the same rules as traditional canteens, particularly regarding hygiene but also the structure of meals, with EGalim. “I make sure to be eco-responsible. The idea is to have local products as much as possible and to limit waste. » The menus are studied by a dietitian.
“We know each of the children, we know their tastes”
Emmanuelle and Erwan, who have lived in Loc-Eguiner for ten years, know: the formula is possible because it is a small workforce. “The advantage is that we know each of the children. We saw them grow up, we know their tastes. » On this side, no surprises: everyone favors “chicken fries”. “They’re still children,” smiles Erwan. But I have a little pride in fish: some who didn't eat it at all now eat it! » Solange Creignou, the mayor of the town, does not regret this choice: “Everyone wins! Especially children, who eat well in a pleasant setting. They are lucky! “.
“When we moved in, there was nothing left”
For Emmanuelle and Erwan, offering the canteen service was “in the logic” of their project. Because the Ti Wanik, whose premises they rent from the town hall, is much more than a simple café-grocery store in a small town. “When we moved in, there was nothing left. The goal was to put as many services as possible here! », explains Emmanuelle. Result: they also have a bar, wine cellar, wooden game rental, blade sharpening, exhibition room, tourist information point and pizzeria. “Pizzas are for an economic question. We make them with fresh and local products, to stand out. But this is above all what attracts us today,” explains Erwan. The couple, established as a SCOP (cooperative and participatory society), also acts as a relay for La Poste and a branch of the media library! Municipal services which provide them – just like the canteen – with a fixed income. The couple is lucid: “We are in the social and solidarity economy. But, above all, the economy because, without that, Ti Wanik would close very quickly. »
We see a lot of people, we interact with people. And we also look out for each other. Often, we communicate with the town hall.
Emmanuelle and Erwan, parents of 11-year-old twins, dream of developing their business. “We would like to open other Ti Waniks, with a social franchise. So that our project provides a living for other people,” reveals the cook.
From twelve to thirty students at school
They know, this type of business is “crucial”. “We see a lot of people, we interact with people. And we look out for each other. Often, we communicate with the town hall. » Solange Creignou confirms: “Loc-Eguiner is 7 km from Saint-Thégonnec! When we merged, the priority was to revitalize the small town. Reopening trade was one of the keys. In the end, the school went from 12 students to almost thirty. Half a position was opened when there was fear of a closure a few years ago. Ti Wanik contributes to the attractiveness of the town and the school, I am sure of it.”
Related News :