How exceptional sardines are made in Concarneau!
A good sardine doesn't start in the can. It starts on the water – with the question of how the fish is caught in the first place. And that is exactly where Gonidec makes the difference.
The Breton cannery from Concarneau catches its sardines not just anywhere, but right off its own coast, gently and with a lot of manual work. Here you will find them under Les Mouettes d'Arvor – Gonidec's premium line, hand-selected and packed in first-class olive oil. You can taste it – and you can even read about it. We will tell you why this supplier is one of our favorites.
Eight boats whose names are on the can
Behind the Gonidec sardines is no anonymous fishing fleet, but a real partnership. For years, the cannery has worked with eight local boats – day after day, season after season.
The great thing about it: Some of these boats are named directly on the can. War Raog IV, War Raog III or Étoile Polaire for example. So you are not buying a sardine from "somewhere", but you know exactly which boat brought it ashore. Fish rarely gets more transparent than this.
What exactly is Bolinche?
These boats fish with a traditional method that in Brittany is called Bolinche – in German: ring net fishing. It sounds technical at first, but it is surprisingly simple.
Imagine a large net that is equipped with floats at the top and weights at the bottom. As soon as a school of sardines is spotted, this net settles around it like a curtain and closes from below – without touching the seabed.
And that is exactly the point. Bolinche is one of the most selective fishing methods ever:
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Only what is really intended to be caught ends up in the net.
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The seabed remains untouched – no trawling net that stirs up everything.
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The stocks are protected because fishing is targeted and in moderation.
For a catch that respects the sea, there is hardly anything better to this day.
By hand on board – you can taste it later
Selective catching is one half. The other is what happens afterwards.
At Gonidec, the sardines are carefully and by hand brought on board – without pressure, without crushing, without breakage. So the fish arrives almost intact at the cannery. There, it meets the craftsmanship of a real cannery kitchen, where work is still done by hand.
This combination of gentle catching and careful processing is the reason why Gonidec sardines are the way they are: firm flesh, cleanly processed, full of flavor. Exactly what makes a really good canned sardine.
Concarneau, the "Blue City"
Most of these sardines are caught right off Concarneau – that Breton port city that is also called "Ville Bleue", the Blue City, because of its blue fishing nets.
Gonidec even carries this connection to its origin into the can: The Vintage sardines "Ville Bleue" are a small tribute to exactly this place. The first sardines of the season, caught off Concarneau, packed fresh in first-class olive oil – and a little different every year.
Gonidec's Charter for Fishing
Gonidec has written its own charter, which applies to all supply partners. It deals with fishing practices, fish stocks, and traceability – from Bolinche to the can on your table.
Why we carry Gonidec
For us, this logo is more than a stamp. It stands for an attitude we share: good products are created when you take the raw materials – and their origin – seriously.
That is why Gonidec has a permanent place on our shelf. Browse through the Sardines from Les Mouettes d'Arvor or through our Vintage sardines – and the next time you hold one of their cans in your hand, feel free to turn it over. Maybe the name of the boat that caught your sardines is written on it.
