Why Roscoff is much more than just a ferry port

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Dusk is falling and the cobbled streets of Roscoff are buzzing with Brits sitting on restaurant terraces, sipping their last glasses of heady Breton cider and hoovering up creamy moules-frites before it’s time to get the boat back to Britain. open image in gallery The French onion-seller stereotype originated in Roscoff To find out more, we visit the town’s Onion Johnny museum, which tells their extraordinary story in more detail, revealing how the trade rescued many families from poverty. Admittedly they’re younger than the youngest Onion Johnnies, who started coming to Britain to sell onions at the age of 12 or 13. open image in gallery Roscoff restaurants use local produce and seafood The onions and their local history are celebrated each August at the annual ​Onion Festival, but there’s more to Roscoff than its alluring alliums. open image in gallery Boats depart Roscoff jetty for Ile de Batz Travel essentials Getting there On Brittany Ferries’ Plymouth to Roscoff route, fares start from £273 return for a car plus two, including an en-suite cabin on the outward overnight sailing.