Since its formation, in 1972, largely in order to transport cauliflowers and
artichokes from Roscoff to Plymouth, Brittany Ferries has grown into the leading
maritime carrier on the Western and Central Channel.
When Great Britain joined the Common Market, the local farming co-operatives
joined with the North Finistère Chamber of Commerce to form Brittany Ferries. It
was recognised at the time that the UK represented a huge market for both the
strong Breton farming community and Brittany as a tourist destination. In other
words, Brittany Ferries could ship fresh produce north and bring tourists
south.
Thirty years later the French farming co-operatives remain majority
shareholders. Indeed, the split between the various categories – pension funds,
banks, individuals and so on - has changed remarkably little since day one, as
has another feature of Brittany Ferries’ ownership – the French State has no
financial stake.
In 1978, less than 10 years after it had started, this fast-developing ferry
company took the brave step of starting services to Santander in Northern Spain,
at the same time entering the Irish market with the Cork-Roscoff route. Both
have grown steadily and continue to do so today.
As Brittany Ferries has matured, so has its significance to tourism in
Western France and Northern Spain, with its influence reaching far beyond simply
Brittany and Normandy. Not only is it a ferry operator, but it acts as a tour
operator as well, supplying a vast range of self-drive holidays throughout
France, Spain and, to a lesser extent, Portugal.
Today, Brittany Ferries operates one of the most modern fleets on the
Channel, with 8 ships and over 2,500 employees. It accounts for over 50% of the
traffic on the Western Channel, carrying in excess of 2.6 million passengers,
780,000 cars and 170,000 lorries a year.