Basque Canned Fish from the Port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Conserverie Jean de Luz is Jean-Hilaire de Bailliencourt’s small fish cannery in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Since 2003, he has been hand-packing Basque fish in organic olive oil, including sardines, tuna, and fish spreads. Not mass-produced, but crafted according to the old traditions of Basque canning houses.
Conserverie Jean de Luz stands for organic-quality Basque canned fish, produced in one of France’s smallest canneries. In Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the historic port in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, Jean-Hilaire de Bailliencourt processes fish from the Bay of Biscay by hand: sardines, white tuna, and mackerel, preserved in olive oil or cooked into Basque specialties. Everything is artisanal, honest, and consistent, with every product tied to its name and origin. It is a name you will remember once you have tasted it.
It all started in 2003 with a refrigerated truck
Jean de Luz began in 2003 when an agricultural engineer moved to the Basque Country and revived the art of canning, which had been considered lost. Not out of calculation, but out of love for the region. He found himself in one of the most beautiful fishing ports in France, but one that no longer had a single cannery.
Jean-Hilaire de Bailliencourt bought a refrigerated truck, turned it into a small workshop, and began working hand-in-hand with local fishermen. Once, canning houses stood side-by-side in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and the neighboring town of Ciboure; the port was a cradle for tuna and sardine fishing. But the large factories moved away or closed, and in 1990, the last of the original 17 canneries shut its doors. With it, a profession shaped by generations of Basques disappeared.
This is exactly where Jean-Hilaire stepped in, working against the grain with great persistence. Today, eight employees process around 35 tons of fish a year, all by hand, in one of France's smallest artisanal canneries. Where mass-produced goods once filled cans, today small jars are produced with high standards. Jean-Hilaire knows his fishermen by name, and some have been bringing him their catch since the very first years. The craft is back, and with it, a piece of Basque pride.
Sardines, tuna, and fish spreads in a jar
The range includes nine specialties, from the simple sardine to the noble tuna belly. All come in resealable jars with lids free of bisphenol and ESBO. This keeps the fish protected and the jar a little treasure on your shelf.
For the sardines, you have a choice: the classic sardines in olive oil, the spicy sardines with Piment d’Espelette, and the summery sardines with lemon. All three are large, firm, and caught in winter, because that is when the sardine is fully grown and less fatty. If you prefer something spreadable, try the terrines: the sardine spread with garlic comes with garlic confited in oil, and the mackerel spread features sweet organic onions. Both are spreadable, savory, and aromatic—ideal on bread as an appetizer.
The tuna selection ranges from lean tuna fillets in olive oil to the rare Ventreche de Thon—the delicate belly of the yellowfin tuna, of which a 100 kg fish only yields about 4 kg—to the pre-prepared dish Thon Basquaise, made like a piperade. Both warm dishes, the Thon Basquaise and the fish soup, are small meals for two, ready in minutes and requiring no cooking.
This is how the range tastes: firm, juicy, and savory on one hand, soft and creamy on the other.
Good, clean, and fair—and rare, too
The philosophy behind it can be summarized in one sentence: “Good, clean, and fair. Yes to quality, no to quantity,” says Jean-Hilaire, and he aligns all his work accordingly.
“No to quantity” means: fewer jars, but each one done right. Nothing is stretched, nothing is embellished, and if it isn’t good enough, it doesn’t go into the jar at all.
All ingredients follow the same compass: Basque, rustic, and honest. The extra virgin olive oil from the Empeltre variety comes from a small mill in Tudela, south of Pamplona, and the salt comes from Navarre, harvested in the mountains at an altitude of 700 meters. The Piment d’Espelette grows less than 30 km away, an AOP-protected spice with a strictly defined origin. It is hard to be closer to the source than this.
The sardines are caught *à la bolinche* near the coast, then salted, dried for several days, and placed into the jars by hand; unlike in Brittany, they are not fried. This preserves the flavor and defines the Basque style. “You should know where your fish comes from,” Jean-Hilaire explains, which is why every jar shows which fisherman brought the catch to land. Transparency all the way to the boat—that is rare.
And because every jar is resealable, any leftovers stay fresh in the fridge for days. This way, nothing ends up in the trash, and you can enjoy it at your own pace.
Epicure d'Or 2021 and Collège Culinaire
Jean de Luz has received multiple awards for his work. In 2021, the sardines in olive oil were awarded the Epicure d’Or, the prize from the *Le Monde de l’Epicerie Fine* association for artisanal delicatessens. The Epicure d’Or is awarded annually and is considered a seal of quality in France for the best in fine cuisine. A prize that shows that greatness has nothing to do with quantity, but with care.
As a member of the *Collège Culinaire de France*, Jean de Luz is also recognized as an artisanal quality producer, selected from thousands of businesses across the country. Membership is not bought; it is a choice made by colleagues from the culinary and artisanal world. This recognition honors the producer, not us, and it confirms what you taste in the jar: craft instead of factory, care instead of mass production. For the smallest cannery in town, this is a big deal. Much respect.
Sardines for the aperitif
From this range, we particularly recommend the sardines and the fish spreads for the summer; they are summery, light, fresh, and served in no time. Cold from the jar or warmed briefly, there is something for every occasion. A stock in the pantry that you can rely on when guests arrive unexpectedly.
We prefer eating the sardines as a *pintxo* with tomatoes and onions, spreading the terrines on toasted bread for an appetizer, and serving the delicate *ventreche* as a noble starter when company comes over. The tuna fillet goes wonderfully with a *Salade Niçoise*, and the fish soup becomes a quick dinner when topped with cheese and toasted. If you like Basque tuna, you will also find fine canned goods at Olasagasti, and more treasures from the sea are waiting in our canned fish collection.
As a souvenir or a small gift, a jar is always a delight, beautifully labeled and full of heritage. And for special evenings, save the *Ventreche de Thon*—the crown jewel of the selection. Taste your way through the Basque Country, jar by jar, and you will taste why the short journey from the boat to the jar is worth it.
