Panama Canal! The Origins of the Magic Meat Truck.

Our future sails on!

Crossing the Atlantic and transiting the Panama Canal, our mysterious wooden crate, perched atop the cargo stack of the Singapore Express is now in the western waters of the Pacific Ocean in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala! As our dream comes ever closer to home, I have been reflecting on the origins of Camion Boucherie.

The beginnings of Camion Boucherie

The summer of 1984 changed my life forever. For eight glorious weeks I lived in a quintessential French village in the south of France, Bourg-Saint-Andéol. As a fifteen year old boy, this seminal experience was the seed of a lifelong appreciation for all things French. I have returned to this fascinating country dozens of times in the intervening years, and I never tire of her culture, cuisine, history, language, lifestyle and aesthetic. In many ways, everything I have striven for since that magical summer has been to recreate the essence of that experience.

The most powerful element of my french connection has been the culinary one. Driven by a passion for the flavors and aromas of the French countryside, I am continuously seeking to elevate our products to the gold standard of the French.

As most of you know, the Farmer’s Markets are the weekly connection between farmers and food lovers. Nowhere is this more fully lived and breathed than in France. It was the outdoor and indoor markets of France that ultimately inspired our creation of Camion Boucherie. Each and every one of my many visits to France have been highlighted by enjoying the markets; their bustle, their vibrance, their ubiquity, the passion of the vendors and the shoppers.

I have always been particularly drawn to the meat, charcuterie and cheese vendors, and I suppose that is evident in the Sea Breeze market presence that you all know from our Seattle markets. Over many years developing our own French-inspired setup at the Seattle markets, I began to envy the sleek, sexy vending platforms I had observed in France. And I vowed that someday we would build our own!

To be continued.

Our good friend Damien Caro caught this screenshot of the Singapore Express going through the Panama Canal this Tuesday. Somewhere in that stack is our Crate!