The best local producers Cantal

Stéphanie and Christian Rivière are passionate beekeepers. They will explain that their honey comes from borage, holly or hawthorn flowers. But for them, the sweetest of honeys remains that of the mountains. These specialists are also present at the fairs of Pleaux and Aurillac. You will find here only very good products: biscuits, sweets, gingerbread, madeleines, shortbread, cookies, all with honey of course! But also pollen and candles. They are present on many shows in France.

The Raynal cookie factory is all about expertise. Here you'll find the famous carrés et croquants, pure butter shortbread cakes with a sweet taste that leaves no one indifferent. This cookie is a direct descendant of the products made in the Parc naturel régional des volcans d'Auvergne. It comes in clover, spade and heart shapes... Shapes that will amuse children. Raynal, an ace of squares or a square of aces!

Apiflor makes small aperitif and crunchy shortbread from Auvergne. The first one was with honey and since then we find them with hazelnut, chocolate, walnut, salted butter caramel flavors. The range of products also proposes cakes. You will have the curiosity to taste the aperitif cakes with Auvergne cheeses. All this melts in your mouth! The company's wish is to source its products as close as possible to local producers, according to its IFS Food and AB labels. Before 11am, the visit allows to discover the production behind the windows of the workshop.

Jean-Joseph has been awarded the "Produit du Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne" label. Here you'll find top-quality honey from a variety of crops: mountain, lime and chestnut honey in all shapes and sizes. Original products like honey vinegar or pastries, and the inevitable mead, sweet, semi-dry or syrupy. Boxes are also available, an idea for an original gourmet gift. Present at local markets.

Fabien Husser is a passionate person, regularly rewarded for his work and the quality of his products. In the middle of his bees, in the north of the Cantal, he wants to be in phase with nature, hence the choice of the Organic Agriculture label and that of the LPO (League for the Protection of Birds). The visit of the farm is an enchantment to return to the essential things. You can taste some of the products. The shop offers honey, sweets, cosmetics... A must see!

Cantal combines terroir and modernity with the Drive fermier 15, which was born in 2014. A beautiful initiative of some local producers to eat healthy while having a very active lifestyle with many responsibilities. Nine members offer you their products raised, grown, prepared or processed in the department. On line, you will find: fresh meats, delicatessen, vegetables and fruits of season, cheeses and dairy products, eggs, products of the hive. Also some online cooking recipes.

Between Saint-Flour and Massiac, Géraldine and Nicolas have created a haven of nature where the beekeepers can adore their queens in complete serenity. Thanks to a territory rich in plant varieties, regular short transhumance trips allow for a diversified diet and the creation of a very tasty honey. They offer for sale their harvest of royal jelly, propolis, beeswax and of course honey, but also gingerbread, nougat, massage oil, soaps.

In the Cambon family, we love cows and more particularly the local breed, the Salers. On their farm they produce a 100% raw milk cheese from Salers cows: Acajou. This cheese has already received the "Fermier d'or" award three times in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Nathalie, Jean-Paul and Kevin welcome you to their farm to discover the whole world of this Salers breed: from breeding to milking to cheese making. An authentic and tasty welcome! Where you can also visit during milking. Unforgettable.

Simone Roume welcomes you to her bee farm. The hives are regularly moved to obtain different varieties of products: mountain, fir, acacia... Don't hesitate to opt for a taste visit. After the visit of the honey factory, a detour to the shop is a must to stock up on home-made by-products (gingerbread, honey cakes, sweets, florentines or marshmallows) and cosmetic products (soaps, massage oils, balms...).

Members of the Bienvenue à la Ferme network, Alain and his family welcome you to their family farm on the Cézallier plateau, at an altitude of 1,000 meters. They raise a herd of Montbéliarde cows and produce AOP farmhouse Saint-Nectaire cheese, which they mature on site. During your visit, you'll be able to watch Saint-Nectaire being made live, see all the stages involved in making this highly prized cheese and, of course, taste it! It's best to call ahead beforehand. Direct sales on site.