The pair spent a year travelling
the Basque country, searching
for high-quality products
ABOVE, THE SOURDOUGH, BY
BERTRAND DUCAUROY, OFTEN
SELLS OUT BEFORE NOONpastry chef at the Michelin-starred Lasserre
in Paris, to produce their daily bread, which
undergoes a unique 48-hour fermentation
process with Basque Akerbeltz beer. Yaoya
has pre-orders for his sourdough bread, which
often sells out before noon. Other produce
now on the shelves includes rich, citrusy
floral honey from the Pyrenees that Cédric
grew up eating, and handpicked, sweet-
tasting fennel from the local farmer Alatz
Elcano (the couple work on Elcano’s farm,
Amizolako Landa, twice a week, in order
to purchase the produce cheaply and offer
their customers kinder prices).
While the couple trawled the region for
wares with heart and soul, in Japan, Aï’s
father researched artisanal products to be
sold in the store, travelling to meet local
producers in person to learn about their
processes. Yaoya sells artisanal Japanese
seaweed, rice, and homemade miso created by
Aï herself alongside handcrafted household
items such as Japanese donabe, a clay pot
used for stewing and steaming food.
Every item on sale in the store earns its
place. Even the store’s name, Yaoya, works
hard: in Japanese, ‘yao’ means ‘800’ and ‘ya’means ‘shop’. Historically in Japanese culture,
the number 800 was used to express large
quantities of vegetables, or anything collected
under the same roof; it was believed that
all things embody spirits and should be
considered with great care. It’s a philosophy
the Bihrs followed closely.
Like the products, the store design is
simple, warm and full of personal details.
It includes a wooden work table as its
centrepiece that once belonged to Cédric’s
father, alongside flooring and furniture in
beautifully imperfect untreated pine, and
a sliding door (characteristic of Japanese
homes) that unveils the Bihrs’ own
workspace. The design allows customers
to view their ongoing creative projects:
Cédric is an established photographer, and
Aï, a freelance designer and consultant,
is the Glenstone Museum’s art director
and designer. Yaoya is their passion project.
‘It didn’t have to be an épicerie,’ says Aï,
‘it could have taken another form. The shop
is just a symbol for community. It represents
something bigger for us.’ ∂
Yaoya organic deli, 251 Avenue du Général de
Gaulle, Guéthary, @yaoya_guetharyALATZ ELCANO
Organic farmer and owner
of Amizolako Landa farm
Born and raised in Guéthary, Elcano has been
running his own small-scale farm producing
quality vegetables, often working by hand,
in nearby Ahetze for the past three years.
His organic vegetables are sought after by
the community. It’s important for him to
keep things at a human scale. Often, friends
from the community will help him on the
farm. His wife shops at Yaoya for oranges
and lemons, along with the artisanal honey
and popular sourdough.158 ∑
Nice Basket