Anais (on the left) and Mathieu have created the Cyclomarché – J. Urbach / 17 Minutes
Two former computer scientists have launched a mobile grocery store service to “find meaning in their profession”.
Already launched in San Sebastian for a few weeks , the tours will start very soon in Rezé.
It measures barely 2m 30 long but is starting to make a nice little place in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire. In recent weeks, a funny cargo bike crosses this town in the south of the Nantes agglomeration . Once stopped, it only takes a few seconds for this two orange wheels, associated with a small trailer, to turn into a real grocery store in bulk . “We offer approximately 50 references, welcome Anaïs Blocaille and Mathieu Dréano, the founders of Cyclomarché . Fruits and vegetables of course, but also dry products such as cereals or coffee for breakfast, up to pasta, flour, or aperitif mixes which also work very well. “
Imagined before the first confinement, the concept (inspired by a Lille experience ) became reality in November after the realization of the machine, designed by an architect. Three afternoons a week, the Cyclomarché runs a course of four or five stages, one hour each. This Thursday, despite the cold, a small queue is created in front of the Marie-Curie school, where the bike stops between 15 and 17 h. Alexandre, in 
telework , takes a little break to fill his bag with a sweet potato, a box of eggs, and some fruit.
Mathieu and Anais created the Cyclomarché – J. Urbach / 17 Minutes
“We already have regulars, smiles behind his mask Mathieu Dréano, who lives in the town. Some saw us from their balcony and came down to see. At first, they just had a pumpkin or a salad and as we went along we saw them come back with their jars. “This is the case of this neighbor:” Before, we went to Intermarché, but the confinement made you think, she assures. We want to support the process, and
to consume a little differently, go shopping on foot. “
New tours soon The two young entrepreneurs also had to change their habits. Already colleagues before, these two former computer scientists have left their CDI, at 20 years, “to find meaning in their profession”. Almost every morning, they visit their network of producers in the south of the Loire to stock up on lamb’s lettuce, apples or pears. Lentils and quinoa come from Vendée , biscuits from Brittany, but be careful, here, everything is not organic. “We wanted the prices to be affordable,” explains Anaïs Blocaille. We also have clementines from Corsica or lemons that don’t come from the area. The average basket is or 16 euros. “
From mid- January, the duo will start tours in Rezé, on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Eventually, and when face-to-face work begins again, they hope to find offices at the foot of which they could settle for lunch. Within a year, if the experience is conclusive, they dream of putting into circulation a second Cyclomarché to reach even more inhabitants of the city.