Beaujolais Nouveau Day comes to Brasserie Blanc on Thursday 19th November 2026, and this year we have twice the reason to celebrate: it’s also Raymond Blanc’s birthday!

All day, at every one of our brasseries, you can raise a glass of the brand new vintage and enjoy a dessert created especially for the occasion.

So pull up a chair. Here’s the story of this joyful young wine, the birthday dessert we’ve made for Raymond and how to join the party.

A double celebration on 19th November

Raymond’s birthday and the arrival of the new Beaujolais fall on the same Thursday this year, and we can’t think of a happier coincidence. One is a celebration of the harvest, the other a celebration of the man behind our brasseries and both are best enjoyed around a full table.

Expect the clink of glasses, the hum of a busy dining room and plenty of joie de vivre. Whether you’re coming with la famille, old friends or colleagues, this is a day for sharing.

What is Beaujolais Nouveau Day?

Beaujolais Nouveau Day marks the release of the first wine of the new harvest, on the third Thursday of November every year.

The wine is made from the Gamay grape, grown in the Beaujolais region of eastern France. It is crushed less than two months before release, so it reaches your glass bright, juicy and bursting with red fruit.

From harvester’s wine to global celebration

Beaujolais Nouveau began life as a simple wine for local farmers, poured to mark the end of a long, hard harvest. It was never made to be kept. Light on tannins and full of fresh fruit, it is as close as you’ll get to tasting wine straight from the vine.

Then the fun began. In the 1950s, merchants raced each other every autumn to bring the first bottles to the bistros of Paris. By the 1970s, winemaker Georges Duboeuf had helped turn Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! into a famous rallying cry, with deliveries arriving by motorbike, rickshaw and even elephant.

In 1985, the release was fixed to the third Thursday of November, the perfect excuse to start the weekend a little early.

No snobbery required

Beaujolais Nouveau asks nothing of you but good company. There’s no need to swirl, sniff or study; it is simply a fresh, generous wine for sharing. All it needs is a warm welcome, a full table and a toast to the new harvest.

Raymond’s birthday dessert

To celebrate Raymond’s birthday, we’ve created a dessert that tastes of the season: Fruits d’Automne Pochés au Porto et Vin Rouge. Autumn fruits are gently poached in port and red wine, then served with blackcurrant sorbet and finished with a splash of Champagne.

Your spoon slips through fruit made soft and glossy by its deep ruby syrup, then meets the cold, sharp sorbet. The Champagne adds a final sparkle, a birthday toast in every mouthful. It is a cocktail of colours and tastes, and a very fitting way to say joyeux anniversaire. C’est magique.

Beaujolais Nouveau and dessert: made for each other

Beaujolais Nouveau and Raymond’s birthday dessert share the same red fruit at heart, so each brings out the best in the other. The red wine in the poaching syrup echoes the wine in your glass, while the blackcurrant sorbet lifts its bright, juicy character.

Both are on the menu separately, so you can enjoy a glass or bottle, the dessert on its own or, as we’d gently suggest, the two together. It doesn’t end here: Beaujolais Nouveau is light and lively enough to enjoy right through your meal.

When and where to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day

Beaujolais Nouveau and Raymond’s birthday dessert are available all day on Thursday 19th November 2026, at every Brasserie Blanc, while stocks last. Both are for dining in, and guests must be 18 or over to enjoy the wine.

Prices vary by location, so take a look at your nearest brasserie for details. Full terms are on our terms and conditions page.

How to book your table

Booking ahead is the best way to make sure there’s a seat for you at the party. Book your table online, then simply ask our team for Beaujolais Nouveau and the birthday dessert when you arrive.

So come and join us on 19th November. Fill your glass, take a spoonful and help us wish Raymond a very happy birthday. Oh lo lo, what a day it will be. Santé, and à bientôt.