The French will invite fewer people to celebrate Christmas Eve, because of the government recommendation of six adults per table, and the curfew.

Faced with these changes, food professionals are adapting their offer.

On the menu: individual portions and reduced quantities.

INVESTIGATION

The end-of-year celebrations will be very different in the coming weeks because of the government recommendation not to exceed six adults at the table resulting from the Covid-19 health crisis.

Many French people have therefore chosen to limit the number of guests for these meeting times.

And these changes in consumption habits are shaking up parties and food stakeholders, forced to reinvent themselves, as Europe 1 has observed.

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Single servings and small quantities are popular

Many companies have thus rethought their offer.

As for the Parisian caterer Lenôtre, we recognize, for example, that they no longer have orders for 10 to 12 people.

Everywhere, it's time for single servings and small amounts.

At Picard, the traditional Yule log, all white this year, is available in different sizes, for example.

"You have the choice between classic logs which make about eight portions and small logs sold by two or four", explains Cathy Collart Geiger, CEO of this company specializing in frozen products.

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The impact of new forms of New Years Eve is being felt even among the manufacturers of plates and dishes.

Géraldine Hottier-Fayon, president of tableware specialist Guy Degrenne, explains that the Covid-19 has pushed her company to offer other ranges, in particular for chocolate mousse.

"Instead of cooling it in a large bowl, we will prepare it in small individual jars," she observes.

His company therefore now markets "a range of ten colors for these small containers".

"Exactly the size of capon you need for a table of six"

Beyond manufacturers and caterers, producers are also adapting.

The farmers of Loué have thus developed the production of a species of capon unique in the world, small in size, as Europe 1 has seen in the Sarthe.

It is a small white capon, created 20 years ago, but whose production has almost doubled in 2020 for the end of year celebrations.

"It is a very particular breed, Sussex, which is selected especially for its small size and which allows to have capons that are a kilo less than the classic capon. This is exactly the size of capon that is needed. for a table of six. It's the perfect capon for the year 2020, "boasts Yves de la Fouchardière, the director of the Loué farmers.

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"It is a product which is a little thinner than the big capon. We feel that it has been wandering around for several months. They are also finished with milk in the diet to tenderize the meat even more. 'is an exceptional dish! A small capon with a white butter sauce, it's not usual but it's very good ", adds Cédric Landrein, a breeder of these small capons based in Rouperroux-le-Coquet, north of the department.

Still, small food formats are not necessarily synonymous with lower spending this year for consumers.

Olivier Voarick, general manager of the Lenôtre caterer, thus notes "a very clear increase in the average ticket."

"We see increases of three to four times the current average ticket," he concludes.