The history of the Johnnies of Roscoff

Discover the Johnnies

The story goes that, in 1828, a farmer from Roscoff chartered a barge and loaded it with onions.

With three companions in tow, they sailed for England, arriving in Plymouth. They quickly sold their cargo in this untapped market. So begins the trade in Roscoff onions with England, though the exact history is uncertain.

In the United Kingdom, the sellers were called "Johnnies". This nickname comes from the fact that sellers often travelled with their children with them and the first names Yann and Yannick were very common at the time. The children were affectionately called "Johnny" by the English.

At first the onion braids were worn with a stick on the shoulder, and then on a bicycle. They were sold door to door.

Marcel Quéméner, a former Onion Johnny himself, will bring this era to life for you. Marcel used to sell his onions on the Scottish border. At the Maison Quéméner, he regales you with tales of his adolescence, travelling between France and Great Britain, with as much passion as ever. Let him take you back into history with his many anecdotes, photos and maps to explain the trips he took all those years ago.