In the center of town on Rue de Lodi, Saskia Porretta-Menne and Jill Cousin were inspired when they learned that a former international bookstore was closing and the space was available. The Librairie Internationale Maurel had been in the same family for three generations and operated since 1952 in a room that felt as if from another era, its walls lined with time-worn wooden shelves and afternoon sunlight streaming in from the large windows. Upon viewing it, the two friends knew immediately that this place was unlike anything else. Unsure about exactly what they would do, they were still certain there was a calling. So in October of 2021, the women opened the doors to Provisions.
The word provision, by definition, means “to supply with food, drink, or equipment, especially for a journey.” Saskia and Jill relay that this was exactly the idea for the newly opened space (not to mention it’s a word that works in both English and French). Vintage details in the old bookstore were saved and reimagined. Entering their shop is indeed an odyssey. Not only will you find a book on how to hone your gardening skills, or make the perfect chocolate cake, but you can sit and enjoy a leisurely lunch, discover a new wine or pick up a Belgian-made hot sauce to take home.
“We called our place Provisions because we like the idea of having a lot of little treasures that you stock and keep in your home,” says Saskia. The friends love a good road trip to seek out new options and to meet with farmers and producers. They keep the shop open three days per week to allow time to travel to the regions of L’Ardèche or Drôme in search of new products. They venture to Finistère and Perche to buy ciders and perries (a French cider made from pears). Traveling to meet with producers is a key part of their business philosophy.
We are here not only to browse the shop, but to eat lunch prepared by Jill in the back kitchen. The menu changes weekly and today’s selection is enticing. We sit at one of several tables next to the large windows. When asked about her cooking inspiration, Jill says, ”Because I’m a journalist, I like to ask questions. I learn a lot by eating at other places, and I learn by the combinations of ingredients. I love using different herbs. Four years ago, I spent one year on a farm in Normandy. I discovered that there was a large variety of herbs and vegetables; for example, there is a huge variety of tomatoes with different tastes and qualities. I like mixing herbs together to create complex flavors, and I’m not afraid of using uncommon herbs. I’m always open to learning. In fact, even when I am on a hike and see an herb, I can forage herbs from the wild and learn how to use them.”
We start off with Oeuf mayonaisse (a classic French starter) served with grated poutargue (salted and dried mullet roe) and tarragon. Also on the menu as an appetizer is labneh with small sweet spring peas, roasted pistachios, and rose petals. The main course is homemade meatballs with fresh herbs and tomato ragout over mashed potatoes and sage. For dessert, we choose fresh strawberries and sablé (a shortbread cookie) over whipped yogurt seasoned with fleur de orange and a sprig of wild fennel.
The young entrepreneurs met by chance when they contacted one another about an apartment swap. Raised in Paris, then studying in Milan and London, Saskia moved south to Marseille to be near family in La Ciotat, a seaside city close by. Jill also grew up in the Paris region and lived and worked there as a food journalist. They swapped apartments for a short time, and became fast friends when they discovered they shared common interests, mainly around the sustainable food movement. After spending time in Marseille, Jill fell in love with the south and said goodbye to Paris.
The process of opening Provisions was organic. The partners didn’t want definitive parameters. The idea of selling books was a novel idea for them. However, they wanted to honor the previous owners and the space itself. They quickly agreed on stocking cookbooks, garden books, children’s books and comics. Saskia’s family worked in publishing, so it was an easy leap. They also decided to continue to sell international books, hence they stock titles in French, Italian, Spanish and English.
During her years of working as a culinary journalist, Jill developed relationships with the producers and vignerons she interviewed. She and Saskia filled the back of the store with products they both loved: wines, ciders, beers, oils, mustards, preserves. There are beautiful ceramics and candles, small toys. Once a week, florist Marie Varenne arrives with fleurs d’Arles, freshly cut flowers grown in Camargue. Because the women had discovered varied products in their travels, they didn’t want to limit themselves. They decided to carry a selection of goods not only from France, but from Belgium, Italy and Greece as well.
Committed to breaking boundaries, they have one rule: to meet with every farmer and producer to ensure that the products are made in a sustainable manner. Saskia elaborates, “We like to get a lot of information about the producers, how they work, not only the ingredients, but information about their process of working. In general, it’s very important for us to meet people, whether it’s a chef or producer, face to face and feel that we share a connection. In Marseille there are many people involved with nature and the sustainable food industry. There is a commitment to eating well. We know professional foragers working here. There is an increasing interest in working with nature, and unlike larger cities, Marseille is experiencing the beginning of a new and very exciting culinary movement.” Both women feel a lot of possibility in the city.
Saskia and Jill also host book signings and small dinners sur la table with invited chefs. When the shop owners meet a chef and there is a kinship, Saskia and Jill invite the chef to Provisions for an evening or two to prepare meals for approximately 20-25 diners. Around a long candle-lit table in the center of the shop, guests are treated to an intimate evening of food and wine. The dinners are typically announced via social media. Saskia greets and hosts people as they arrive, thoughtful with her seating, and Jill focuses on the wine as the sommelier. “If we have a coup de coeur [a connection translated literally as a blow to the heart] with someone, we will work together,” Jill says of Provisions’ collaborations with chefs.
The two owners also share a deep, personal connection to food. Saskia shares a memory of a dish made by her aunt, a Provençal rabbit dish with olives. “What is unusual about rabbit is you don’t just cook a part of the rabbit, you have to cook the entire rabbit and share it as a family meal.” Jill chimes in and tells us a funny memory about her cousin. “My cousin, who is five years older than me, got the book by the famous pastry chef Gaston Lenôtre, French Pastries and Desserts [now considered a cult cookbook] and she decided to make every recipe in the book. I love this memory. I love that we did this together.”
We slowly finish our delicious lunch and Saskia packs up our treats from the shop. We selected a red wine from Domaine Thibaud Capellaro, a pear caramel from Le Domaine des Hautes Duyes, and a jar of sweet pickles from Ferme Noyer in Bezaudun sur Bine. Saskia leaves us with this: “We created this space because we like to entertain and bring people together. Provisions is not like a regular grocery where you shop for necessities. We are a place to visit and linger for pleasure. We feel that this is a place of discovery. People come here not only to find something nice for themselves, but to buy gifts for others, to bring joy to others. This notion of pleasure is very meaningful to us. The products here are like a little golden nugget, a treasure.”
Published on June 19, 2023
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