Le Parfait has been making jars and terrines in France since the 1930s but have only this month started to sell stuff here in the UK (just online at the moment). I went along to Le Parfait’s launch party a couple of weeks ago and, to be honest, actually wasn’t quite sure what I was going to attend. As clear as the invite and press materials were, I still thought there must be more to this party than some folks simply trying to peddle preserving jars.
So when at the launch I realized that jars and terrines (along with all the labels, rubber seals, etc – even sterilizers) were actually all there was to the event, my initial reaction was kind of a rude “so?” of an eye roll. But then I started thinking about all the over hyped yet utterly useless crap that makes its way to market these days as well as all the snazzy launches and ceremonious opening parties I’ve gone to over the years only to see the businesses shut down soon after.
80 years making something practical and simple … and taking plenty of time before moving into a new market: that’s awesome. I came home with some Le Parfait jars. They seem pretty strong and are made of heat resistant glass. Obviously, they’re recyclable too.
The party was a lot of fun too. I sample all sorts of treats preserved in Le Parfait kit and came home with a massive jar of vanilla poached pear preserve and a smaller jar (single serving) of salmon confit. Both were yum.
The launch also served as a nice stroll down memory lane, reminding me of when I was a kid and my parents would take over the kitchen every autumn to make gallon upon gallon of preserves from the blackberries and muscadines picked in the woods behind our house. Wonderful. I’m now really hankering to do some preserving … probably won’t do much foraging round my Hackney home though.
Find out more about Le Parfait and discover a bunch of awesome recipes and preserving tips at leparfait.com.
