The cloister also serves the refectory of the Cistercian monks. Meals are taken in silence while listening to the reading of a religious text. Once the reading is over, the monks leave the premises. From Easter to September, the monks eat two cooked dishes a day, at noon and at sunset. The rest of the year, both dishes are served at the same time, at 3pm. The meals consist of vegetables, cereals and fish, served with dark bread and wine. Dairy products and eggs would be allowed from the 14th century onwards. A Cistercian abbey had to live in total self-sufficiency, thanks to agriculture and fish farming.