Justin Postlethwaite recalls a memorable stop at a roadside restaurant, part of an iconic network of value eateries for drivers.

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A few years back I was on a lengthy France Today assignment touring the Great War battlefields of northern France an unforgettable experience, which I believe every Francophile should consider at least once in their lifetime.

As well as the inevitable emotional impact, absorption of dates and anecdotes to recount in these pages, and quiet moments of remembrance, there was lots of driving required, to best appreciate the vast array of battlefields, cemeteries and museums that honour the fallen and recount history. So I hit the autoroutes and country lanes to arrive at WWI locations such as the Marne, Somme, Verdun, Arras and many more.

Mealtimes provided welcome respite – some time out for sustenance and reflection in a corner of France known for its hospitable outlook and generous cuisine. Of all the meals, one lives vividly in the memory, and not merely for the gastronomic moreishness of the Ficelle picarde, a kind of rolled ham and mushroom crêpe oozing melted Maroilles cheese (of all the dishes I enjoyed during the trip, it came a very close second to carbonade flamande with frites in Pas-de-Calais, still my go-to dish when ravenous up north). Rather, it was the place that I recall so fondly.

L’Escale Village

Somewhere in Picardy I pulled over on a route nationale (an ‘A road) just before midi -12 o’clock on the dot denotes lunchtime for the French! – into a car park already lined with heavy goods vehicles. Hungry truckers were filing into an unflashy building whose exterior needed a little love but whose clean interior, impeccable table service and culinary offerings were irreproachable. That this eatery was roadside explained the blue and red circular sign fixed to the wall by the door: across it was splashed, in bold white font, ‘Les Routiers’.

Meals on wheels

Un routier is a lorry driver and restaurants such as this one are called Relais Routiers, a network of affordable dining places that was imagined in 1934 by a man called François de Saulieu de la Chomonerie. An aristocrat – and perhaps not someone we might imagine sharing kinship with the camionneurs who drove around the country making deliveries – he was the journalist who created a newspaper for truckers to read during their lunch stops. The first restaurant on the list was Le Cheval Noir in Champagne-au-Mont-d’Or, near Lyon, on the Route Nationale 6 and as the network grew, so the newspaper listed all Relais Routiers. Later, the Guide des Relais Routiers (still published) was produced annually, detailing all the best places to stop and eat. The Guide became thicker, with more criteria, a bit like the Michelin star system, and the ‘La Casserole’ award was created to distinguish the best restaurants.

François de Saulieu

The restaurants became popular not just for their conviviality – long, anti-social hours at the wheel can take their toll – but also for more practical reasons. There is a guaranteed parking space (Relais Routiers require a parking lot of at least 500m², as well as clean toilets and showers) and a full menu: entrée (often a cold buffet), plat, dessert, wine and coffee for around €17, with generous portions of local dishes made with regional produce to the fore. Add to this fast, no-fuss service and, seemingly, you have a recipe for success.

There were 4,500 establishments in the late 1960s, but today they number around 350, with truckers under pressure to get to their destination on time and so, preferring the motorway. Yet for tourists in less of a rush, my advice is to use the website or app to plan a couple of Relais Routiers stops during your next French visit – your wallet and tummy will thank you, and you will be supporting a truly iconic cornerstone of France’s culinary heritage.

Guide des Relais Routiers – Edition 2024

Read Justin’s tour of remembrance sites: francetoday.com/travel/travel-features/on-the-remembrance-trail-in-france

www.relais-routiers.com

From France Today Magazine