RIGHT, TO KEEP THINGS
FRESH, NO PRODUCE
REMAINS IN THE STORE
FOR MORE THAN 48
HOURS. WITH ANY LEFT
OVERS, AÏ CREATES A
DISH FOR HER FAMILY
raise their young child. Their search led last
year to Guéthary, now a low-profile haunt
of the local surfing community, a place they
had spent time in together and where they
got married. Falling for a property that could
double as a home and store, Aï, who is from
Tokyo, and Cédric, a Pyrenean, decided to
combine their cultures with that of the
unique coastal region and launch a store
offering the community exceptional local and
artisanal products à la Basque et Japonaise –
things that are gentle for the environment,
for bodies, and for pockets.
They spent a year travelling the Basque
country and the Pyrenees, tasting food
at organic farms and markets, searching for
high-quality products. The bread offering
was chosen after Aï passed out at a local
market and was revived with a morsel of
sourdough. The Bihrs invited the maker,
local Bertrand Ducauroy, previously a »GLORIA REIKO PEDEMONTE
Co-owner of Japanese restaurant
and concept store Etxe Nami
Half-Japanese, half-French, Reiko Pedemonte
is the co-owner of a Japanese restaurant
and goods store, Etxe Nami, in nearby Saint-
Jean-de-Luz. ‘I used to buy this sourdough
bread from the guy who makes it in Ciboure.
It’s very good,’ she says. ‘Since Aï and Cédric
work with him now, it’s perfect because I live
in Guéthary. I buy everything here: honey,
chocolate, pasta, vegetables.’∑ 157
Nice Basket