Domaine du Grand Hôpital is a historic orchard spanning generations of the Gailet family. Located on L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue east of the Rhône River, it served as a hospital during World War I. Brothers Pascal and Stéphane grow apricots, apples as well as cherries, which they’ve been cultivating for over 20 years. Among the 30 varieties of cherries on this farm is the late-season Balrine variety – large, firm and deep-red bursting with natural sweetness – and Pascal’s favourite. “Because it ripens later in the season, it has more time to grow and develop, resulting in an exceptional size and firmness – as well as unmatched sweetness,” he says. “We’re fortunate to get a lot of sun in the south of France. This means higher sugar content in our fruit.”

Over at Clairettes et Coquillon, an hour away from Avignon, more than 250 varieties of nectarines, apricots and peaches ripen under the Provençal sun. It was immediately clear to us that a lot of attention and care went into running this farm. Unlike some growers who harvest twice a season, Michaël Serre, alongside his three sons and his team, return to their trees up to six times, allowing the fruit to sit on the branch until it’s perfectly ripe and ready to be picked. Once harvested, a selection of the fruit is laser-stamped with a delicate mark that proudly represents the farm. From there, it is hand-sorted and packed into crates bearing the ‘Issu d’une Exploitation Haute Valeur Environnementale’ label, an official stamp of environmental excellence.

Le Jardin de Mon Père in the Salon de Provence commune is a fourth-generation farm managed by Bastien Marchand and his brother-in-law Renaud Urban, who have been organically farming since 2008. Here, no chemical fertilisers or synthetic pesticides ever touch the soil. Instead, natural compost and beneficial insects ensure a balanced ecosystem where plants thrive as nature intended. Among the highlights of their harvest are varieties of heirloom tomatoes. We were pleasantly surprised by their Marmande variety, which was strikingly large, with deep red flesh exploding with natural sweetness that’s balanced by a subtle acidity and a firm, meaty texture.

“Bad weather is just weather that lasts too long,” says Gaspard Meguin, manager of Ferme de Villargelle. For organic produce to truly flourish, a fine balance of mistral winds, rainfall and southern warmth is key. “The ideal is for the weather to change every five to 10 days, it keeps the plant strong.” Gaspard grows just about everything you’d need for the perfect ratatouille, but it’s his green beans that piqued our interest. With a velvety shell and a crisp, sweet and juicy snap, we couldn’t stop snacking on them. What pulled at our hearts, though, was something more meaningful. As we walked through the estate, Gaspard’s young sons Raphaël and Augustin darted through the fields, mud on their clothes, as if the land was their playground. It was a clear reminder of how closely daily life and work are connected on this family-run farm.

Lauridam is a fourth-generation, family-run orchard that has been 100 per cent organic since 2008. Helming the operations, Cyril Ristaul relies on lunar cycles for his biodynamic farming practices, which is believed to improve fruit resilience and flavour. Across 75 hectares of orchards, he grows an array of seasonal fruit. With 15 varieties making up 80 per cent of the production, apples are the main harvest. Pears, cherries, plums, prunes, peaches and apricots round out the selection, each picked in short harvest windows to ensure maximum flavour. Among the highlights is a unique sun-blushed variety of apricot, with skin that holds a subtle tartness and flesh that’s both crunchy and naturally sweet, resulting in a pleasing, moreish balance.

And like that, after several days of exploring sunny fields and tasting some of southern France’s finest produce, we retreated to our bolt hole in olive-grove haven, Barbentane, where we gathered around for a family meal lovingly prepared by our content director, Tiffany and photographer and recipe developer, Katelyn. The spread was a colourful celebration of everything we’d discovered along the way, which we brought to life with even more vibrant finds from the historic two-kilometre-long Arles market. And, as if our stay wasn’t already full of enough surprises, we were joined by legendary French chef Pierre Koffmann and his family, who made us his famed potatoes à la Française. Now, we’re excited to bring these exceptional finds home, to share the flavours of Provence with our customers in the UAE.

Spinneys commercial produce manager

Neil Gibson says

In a world chasing volume, we found artisan, family-run farms who took the time, care and attention to grow their produce the old-fashioned manner, putting quality ahead of quantity. Our quest was to find the perfect Provençale apricot and we certainly have. These were the best apricots I have ever eaten, and believe me, a great apricot is a very special find. Rich and sweet with just the right level of acidity. The sun-speckled nectarines were another revelation with their ‘Starry Night’ skin revealing an intense sweetness. Wild asparagus stood out with its special character next to its famed sibling, while preparing artichokes taught me a lesson on patience and reward. And cruising through the lavender-lined country roads in a Citroën 2CV? Let’s just say it was less ‘Top Gear’ and more lavender-scented bliss with questionable gear selection and navigation.