Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques de Saint-Quay

The Saint-Jacques Scallop in the Spotlight

The Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques is one of the most important gastronomic events in Brittany. Organized every year in April, it is held alternately in one of the three major scallop fishing ports in the bay of Saint-Brieuc: Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Erquy, and Paimpol. The Saint-Jacques scallop from the bay of Saint-Brieuc, dredged by local fishermen, benefits from a Label Rouge which guarantees its exceptional quality.

Tastings, Demonstrations, and Sea Trips

The festival program includes tastings of Saint-Jacques scallops cooked in various ways, culinary demonstrations by renowned chefs, and sea trips aboard pleasure boats to observe fishing operations. An artisan village bringing together more than 60 exhibitors – jewelers, craftspeople, local producers – completes the offering. Concerts on two stages liven up the port throughout the weekend.

A Popular and Festive Event

The Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the port quays every year. The atmosphere is resolutely festive and family-friendly, with a varied musical program – rock, folk, French chanson – and entertainment for all ages. Students from the Paimpol maritime high school participate in seamanship and net repair demonstrations, while the SNSM (Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer) presents its rescue equipment.