Onion Johnny
Encyclopedia
Onion Johnny is the nickname
given to the Breton
farmers and agricultural laborers that sell distinctive pink onion
s door-to-door in Great Britain
.
They finally adapt this nickname for themselves as ar Johniged or ar Johnniged in Breton language
.
Although having declined in number since the 1950s to the point where only a few remained, the Onion Johnny was once very common, and with the renewed interest since the late 1990s by the farmers and the public in small-scale agriculture, their numbers have recently made a small recovery. Dressed in striped shirt and beret
, riding a bicycle
hung with onions, the Onion Johnny became the stereotypical
image of the Frenchman and in the past may have been the only contact that the ordinary British had with France.
Originating from the area around the town of Roscoff
known as Bro Rosko, in Brittany
, Onion Johnnies are farmers who find a more profitable market in England than at home, and typically bring their harvest across the English Channel
in July to store in rented barns, returning home in December or January. They could have sold their products in Paris as well, but the roads and the railways were bad in the 19th century and going to the French capital city was still a long and difficult trip, while crossing the channel was shorter and easier. The trade apparently began in 1828 when the first successful trip was made by one Henri Ollivier. Although journeys are now made by ferry, small sail ships and steamers were previously used, and the crossing could be hazardous. Seventy Johnnies died when the steamer SS Hilda
sank at Saint-Malo
in 1905.
The golden age was during the 1920s; in 1929 nearly 1,400 Johnnies imported over 9,000 tonnes of onions to the UK. The Great Depression
, followed by the devaluation of the Pound in the early 1930s, ended the era as trade suddenly fell, reaching a low in 1934, when fewer than 400 people imported under 3,000 tonnes.
In the aftermath of World War II
, onions, in common with other goods, were subject to import restrictions, and were obliged to be traded through a single company. By 1973 the number of Johnnies had dropped to 160 people, trading 1,100 tonnes, and had fallen again to around 20 Johnnies by the end of the 20th century. The legend of their transporting their produce to Britain, though, inspired several farmers in Brittany to set up Brittany Ferries
in the 1970s.
An Onion Johnny museum
opened in the town of Roscoff
in 2004, and the town holds a two-day Fête de l'Oignon (Onion Festival) every summer. Since July 2009, the Roscoff onion has been protected under the French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
designation.
In August 2008, Berkeley Cinemas
(Auckland, New Zealand) opened a restaurant underneath its Takapuna complex called "Onion Johnny's".
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
given to the Breton
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
farmers and agricultural laborers that sell distinctive pink onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s door-to-door in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
They finally adapt this nickname for themselves as ar Johniged or ar Johnniged in Breton language
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
.
Although having declined in number since the 1950s to the point where only a few remained, the Onion Johnny was once very common, and with the renewed interest since the late 1990s by the farmers and the public in small-scale agriculture, their numbers have recently made a small recovery. Dressed in striped shirt and beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
, riding a bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
hung with onions, the Onion Johnny became the stereotypical
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
image of the Frenchman and in the past may have been the only contact that the ordinary British had with France.
Originating from the area around the town of Roscoff
Roscoff
Roscoff is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....
known as Bro Rosko, in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, Onion Johnnies are farmers who find a more profitable market in England than at home, and typically bring their harvest across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in July to store in rented barns, returning home in December or January. They could have sold their products in Paris as well, but the roads and the railways were bad in the 19th century and going to the French capital city was still a long and difficult trip, while crossing the channel was shorter and easier. The trade apparently began in 1828 when the first successful trip was made by one Henri Ollivier. Although journeys are now made by ferry, small sail ships and steamers were previously used, and the crossing could be hazardous. Seventy Johnnies died when the steamer SS Hilda
SS Hilda
SS Hilda was a steamship owned by the London and South Western Railway. She was used on the Southampton - Channel Islands - St Malo service until she sank in 1905 with the loss of 125 lives.-Construction:...
sank at Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
in 1905.
The golden age was during the 1920s; in 1929 nearly 1,400 Johnnies imported over 9,000 tonnes of onions to the UK. The Great Depression
Great Depression in the United Kingdom
The Great Depression in the United Kingdom, also known as the Great Slump, was a period of national economic downturn in the 1930s, which had its origins in the global Great Depression...
, followed by the devaluation of the Pound in the early 1930s, ended the era as trade suddenly fell, reaching a low in 1934, when fewer than 400 people imported under 3,000 tonnes.
In the aftermath of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, onions, in common with other goods, were subject to import restrictions, and were obliged to be traded through a single company. By 1973 the number of Johnnies had dropped to 160 people, trading 1,100 tonnes, and had fallen again to around 20 Johnnies by the end of the 20th century. The legend of their transporting their produce to Britain, though, inspired several farmers in Brittany to set up Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
in the 1970s.
An Onion Johnny museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
opened in the town of Roscoff
Roscoff
Roscoff is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour....
in 2004, and the town holds a two-day Fête de l'Oignon (Onion Festival) every summer. Since July 2009, the Roscoff onion has been protected under the French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
designation.
In August 2008, Berkeley Cinemas
Berkeley Cinemas
Berkeley Cinemas now refers to a two-complex premium brand of cinemas owned by Hoyts Pty Australia. Previously owned by Everard Entertainment, the Berkeley Cinema Group was one of the largest cinema chains in Auckland, New Zealand, with complexes in Mission Bay, Hibiscus Coast, Takapuna, and Botany...
(Auckland, New Zealand) opened a restaurant underneath its Takapuna complex called "Onion Johnny's".
External links
- The Johnnies of Roscoff and its region (PDF) in French, Breton and English
- La Maison des Johnnies et de l’Oignon de Roscoff, Onion Johnny museum (in French)
- A modern Onion Johnny (archived content)
- "Onion Johnnie" article from the International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
- BBC short film (Real Video)
- A photo documentary of the last bicycle onion man