Caves Paul Riquet will have their wine bar at the Biltoki halls in Béziers

Frédérique Frances dirige Les Caves Paul Riquet. Midi Libre – Midi Libre

Non, les caves Paul Riquet, situées juste à côté des halles, ne déménagent pas. La gérante, Frédérique Francès, ouvre une deuxième cave à vin dans les nouvelles halles Biltoki, avec une espace vente et un bar à vins.

Béziers residents and visitors will have to wait until November, the planned opening month, to enjoy the new central market halls in Béziers, which will be managed by Biltoki.

On July 22, the company revealed the 21 merchants who will have a stall. Including Caves Paul Riquet, managed by Frédérique Frances, with the help of Benjamin and Quentin. This wine cellar is well known to users of the market halls since it is located right next door, on the corner of Flourens and Paul-Riquet streets. It has been offering regional and international wines, spirits and fine foods for years.

Two distinct spaces

But this is not a move. The cellar will also be present in the new market halls. What will differentiate it from its big sister?? “At the market halls, we will have a 25 m2 stall. We will be set up on the glass side, right in the center. We will have two separate spaces: a small one dedicated to selling wines where we will find part of the selection from Caves Paul Riquet. And, the new thing is our wine bar, with a 6 m long counter.”

She continues: “Customers will therefore be able to go and buy platters of cheese, cold cuts, shellfish and other dishes from the neighboring stalls and come to us to accompany them with a glass of wine. But fans will also be able to have a drink at the bar and share it on the communal tables that will be made available, in the halls, in a friendly atmosphere."

Optimistic

Frédérique Frances says she is "very optimistic"by the hoped-for success of her new adventure. “The spirit of the market halls is already anchored in the people of Béziers. Before starting, I visited different Biltoki market halls in France, in Angers, Saint-Étienne, Anglet… And I found there a real place of life, of sharing. That's what pushed me to participate in this adventure.”

And she doesn't intend to stop there. "I would also like to develop the events section, by offering, for example, tastings in partnership with other stallholders, food and wine pairing workshops, meetings with winemakers. Which I was already doing at the market halls in my cellar, but it was cramped. This time, the space will really lend itself to it."

Frédérique Frances says she also wants to continue organizing, as she does every year at the old market halls, the Paul Riquet Cellars show, which is held the first weekend in December.

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