Onion Johnny

With renewed interest since the late 1990s by farmers and the public in small-scale agriculture, the number of Onion Johnnies have recently made a small recovery.

From the area around Roscoff in Brittany known as Bro Rosko, Johnnies found a more profitable market in Britain than in France.

They typically took their harvest across the English Channel in July to store in rented barns, returning home in December or January.

In the aftermath of World War II, in common with other goods, onions were subject to import restrictions in the UK and had to be traded through a single company.

[5][6] The Channel crossings Journeys are now made by ferry, but small sailing ships and steamers were used previously.