La Belle-Iloise are an iconic French producer, renowned for their beautiful tins and delicious produce. Since 1932 they have been producing tins of sardines from Quiberon, Brittany the home of French sardines. Now it is run by Caroline Hilliet, the granddaughter of founder, Georges Hilliet. We highly recommend a trip to one of their magnificent stores during any trip to France. Their sardines are fished in season in the local area when they are mature, and are then prepared by hand within 24 hours with the utmost respect for tradition. Their refined quality is the result of precise techniques passed down from one generation to the next. Meticulously selected, pickled and trimmed, they are delicately tinned after cooking. The Icon. Simply prepared with a fruity extra-virgin olive oil, the Saint Georges recipe, unchanged for 90 years, offers all the finesse of tinned sardines produced in the purest tradition. They are a perfect expression of la belle-iloise's artisanal expertise, the fruit of precise, delicate techniques handed down from generation to generation. Meticulously selected, brined and trimmed, they are delicately placed in tins after cooking. Carefully aligned, they are presented with their white undersides upwards, to show that they are still intact (this would not be possible with industrially gutted sardines), before being covered with olive oil, to enrich and enhance the flavour of the fish. Saint Georges sardines can be enjoyed in many different ways: on buttered toast, in salads or tarts, with steamed potatoes, rice or pasta, or made into rillettes. Rich in omega-3, vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus, sardines in olive oil have exceptional nutritional benefits, which remain preserved for years until the day the tin is opened.