Letter from France: Daily bread

Feet stamped the frosty ground. Gloved hands rubbed together and mouths exhaled curling steam. The line numbered at least 20 and shuffled ever closer to the double doors that sealed in warmth, light and a delectable yeasty aroma.

A postwar community holding ration tickets? No, it's the usual 2012 daily winter queue outside a Gif-sur-Yvette boulangerie, or bakery.

Inside Le Pétrin de Chevry there is, as in the 37,000 boulangeries across France, a wealth of delicious offerings. In wicker baskets, several types of long, thin breads such as the festive, baguette, ficelle and multigrain. Beneath are rounded boules de campagne, and in cabinets, patisserie items including croissants, flans, palmiers, and the delicacy à la mode, macaroons.

Each evening after work, Alain stops by Le Pétrin de Chevry before it closes at eight o'clock. It's the final rush to purchase the last breads hot from the ovens. "A meal without bread – inconceivable," he smiles.

His son, Antoine, says, "Bread remains an element of most meals. With wine and cheese, it's indispensable."

This is reflected in the fact that 99.8% of the French population live less than 15 minutes' drive from a boulangerie or pâtisserie; 97% of French families purchase bread daily. Every second, 320 baguettes are produced and consumed, amounting to over 10bn per year.

In areas where several boulangeries exist, residents acquaint themselves with their products. High in the Alps, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains is home to five boulangeries. Resident Marianne regularly patronises two, one for the bread and one where "the croissants, which I like so much, are the best!"

The French expect the best. Quality is kept high through dozens of annual competitions. Government offices publish lists of their outstanding gourmet artisans. Indeed, Le Pétrin de Chevry is listed in the Essonne department's brochure Papilles d'Or 2013.

The Concours des Meilleurs Jeunes Boulangers has inspired young bakers for over 30 years. French bakers represent their country in the Coupe Louis Lesaffre, the Bakery World Cup.

The question is not always: "what will we eat for dinner tonight?", but "what will we eat with our bread?"