Gourmet products local specialties and wines Vendée

A family business created in 1926, Soulard exports its foie gras and duck to South Africa and supplies many catering professionals. In the shop (located in Ernest's family home) you will find duck in all its states: fat or lean, the latter is a Barbary duck, well-fleshed, with a firm, low-fat meat. Both are available in different forms: whole, magret, fillet, leg, sleeve... Another flagship product is foie gras, from raw to semi-cooked and canned.

Alice and Vincent David have been oyster farmers for about ten years. They obtained two medals, gold for their special oysters of clear, and silver for the open sea in the General Agricultural Competition in 2020. You will find their oysters and shellfish on order at their shack, but also on the markets of Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche and Mouilleron-le-Captif. From July to October they offer mussels from Pénestin. In summer, from 8 people, book your fishing boat trip (1h30) to discover the bay and taste its oyster production.

Oyster lover, you will fall under the charm of this hut set in the middle of the oyster maturing basins, where you can taste a dozen oysters, in an original place, at the same time authentic but with a classy look thanks to a nicely landscaped terrace, fitted with large wooden tables enhanced with white parasols. Vary the pleasures by adding to this tasting of shells: winkles, cockles, clams, shrimp bouquet or lobster!

The gustative quality of Christophe Lopez's caramel is recognized by all fine palates. Available as a spread or in soft caramel candies, it is not the only delicacy, as you will find in his shops, chocolates, marshmallows, homemade nougat and macaroons with multiple tastes and colours (pistachio, praline, champagne, rose, tangerine, blackcurrant, violet). Other shops are located in Les Herbiers, Les Halles des Sables-d'Olonne, Fontenay-le-Comte, Challans.

Fontenay-le-Comte offers wine lovers an address not to be missed: CAVAVIN. This wine shop offers a wide selection of wines, champagnes and spirits. The cellar works primarily with independent winegrowers, guaranteeing wines made with passion. Wine merchant Jean Luc ANGIBAUD will be delighted to advise you and help you make your choice.

This essential chocolate maker has 4 other brands in the Vendée and its Chocolate Museum in La Roche-sur-Yon. Gelencser chocolates are among the best in the Vendée. It is in Chantonnay, that the story began in 1956, with Patrick Gelencser's grandfather. Among the flagship chocolates: flavoured or pure ganaches, orange aiguillettes, florentines, mendiants, the Vendée heart, dried fruit tablets, spreadable paste? Cakes, mainly chocolate-based, are a delight, as are chocolate verrines and macaroons. An institution!

The island has its own beer: N'O! The first and only beer brewed and bottled on the island! Several flavors: Noirmoutrine (light blonde), a white, Jouzel (amber beer with spices)... Available in 20 and 30 l kegs (tapping machine available). In 2023, after Peau Bleue, the Atlantide IPA won a silver medal at the Lyon competition. Limited editions include Cascadeuse (a seasonal beer brewed with hops freshly picked in the region), Fruitstock (red fruits) and Riverside, an organic beer at 6.5°.

This master baker, who took part in the show La meilleure boulangerie de France in 2016, owns 2 bakeries in La Roche. A recognised baker, he makes excellent breads, it is for his organic range that he has made a name for himself! Passionate, Dominique Potier offers a beautiful variety of breads made from a red label flour from sustainable and controlled agriculture. We love the delicious "rustic" pastries: kouglof, plum pâté, pistachio and fig tart, gingerbread, cannelés... Rue Salengro, it offers snacking: pizzas, quiches...

Nicola Karpoff welcomes you to her marine farm which includes 3 activities: breeding of the imperial shrimp (gambas), artisanal harvesting of salt, and salicornia, which is eaten as a vegetable or condiment, the "growth" of oysters in claires. Oysters with a unique particular taste, due to the clay basins. Did you know that prawns are produced in France, in the marshes of the Atlantic? The first prawns are marketed from mid-August to mid-November, and production is limited, so hurry if you want to taste these extra quality products.

For lovers of tasty meats, Coeur de Grange offers direct sales at the farm of products from their farm: Charolais beef, calves raised under the mother, pigs raised on straw, free-range poultry, lambs. We offer loin, sausages, merguez (beef and pork), chorizo for grilling, beef brochettes, rump steak, flank steak, roast beef, entrecote... In the store, in the barn, you will also find farm products for sale: fruits and vegetables, yoghurts, cheeses, smoked salmon, ice creams, honey, herbal teas, pasta, preserves, beers, wines...

Sébastien runs this delightful tearoom next to the church. As good pastry chefs, he makes home-made viennoiseries and fine pastries, as well as chocolates, caramels... Flagship products: Chocotarte, macaroons, Charnet, Fresh Raspberry Gâterie, Péché montois, baba au rhum and, of course, brioche, gâche and flan maraîchin. Sébastien has made a specialty of pastries in the pâte à choux range. Generous cakes, just like their creator. In summer, frozen desserts (vacherins, ice creams), to take away or enjoy on the terrace.

The 15-hectare estate is situated in a preserved natural environment. Concerned about the environment, Éric Sage's estate is in conversion to natural agriculture. He produces wines made from Chenin (called Franc blanc sur Brem) and Pinot Noir grapes, giving wines with a mineral character and a freshness in the mouth at the end. On reservation, guided tour in a horse-drawn carriage drawn by the horses of the vineyard to discover the different grape varieties and the work in the vineyard, visit followed by a tasting. An instructive visit at the rate of 15 €.

At Les Halles, Bibovino is breaking new ground by offering tastings of all its wines. This convivial address, run by Laurent and Pascale, two passionate professionals, offers wine-lovers the ideal conditions to explore an unprecedented range of over 50 terroir, organic, biodynamic and sustainable wines, served by the glass or carafe. These wines are accompanied by charcuterie platters, as well as a real dish of the day and a choice of gourmet desserts.

To find this craft brewery, drive along the back roads of the Breton marshlands. On their farm, François and Ingrid produce their own beers in an eco-responsible way. They produce quality beers in blond, amber and brown versions, in a range of sizes, made from quality cereals and named after marshland birds (Avocette, Blue Throat), because here the notion of preserving nature is paramount. Returnable bottles.

Jean-Noël, Annick, René, Vianney, Alice and Christian have combined their skills and their love of the land. They raise organic ducks, which they offer in fillets, aiguillettes, legs and sleeves. Vianney and Alice raise chickens and guinea fowl and offer eggs. Frédéric raises cows and offers steak, rump steak, tournedos, entrecotes, sausages, brochettes and minced steak. Jean-Noël is the market gardener of the group. While Nathalie and Frédéric prepare excellent fresh dairy products: plain and flavoured yoghurts, fromage blanc, faisselle.

Thanks to its brewmaster, Maxime Tripotea, this bocage brewery has received several awards at the Salon de l'Agriculture. White, blonde, amber, brown and special beers, and also Single Hops (special seasonal beers): red beer in autumn, black with cocoa, vanilla and spice notes in winter... Nice bar area called La Stabule, also offering food (salads and burgers made from local products). Visit the brewery on request.

Beers made according to the traditional method: neither pasteurized nor filtered and following a long fermentation and maturation process, favouring their aromatic richness. Several ranges: the Cibulle Originale, a gourmet beer with biscuit and fruit notes; the American Amber (amber, with toasted notes), the Abbaye de Nieul-sur-L'Autise is a light blonde with fruity aromas, the one called Abbaye de Maillezais is a triple with fruity aromas made in the great tradition of abbey beers. Possibility to visit the brewery !

This farm has been established in the Marais Breton for many years now. Marc, Xavier, David and Patrick produce and process mulard duck on their typical Marais Breton farm. Here, everything is homemade and produced on site. Specialties include foie gras confit, terrines, rillettes and a wide range of traditionally prepared dishes. Direct farm sales all year round. 5 self-catering cottages with gardens, each accommodating 3 to 6 people. The property has a fishing pond.

The paradise of candy lovers! Here at the factory of the Confiserie Bonté, confectioner since 1860, you can visit and watch the manufacture of the famous berlingots of our childhood, chocolates, nougats, lollipops, violets, honey pastilles, caramels, liquorice, marshmallows, sour... The real berlingots from Nantes are made the old fashioned way and are worked by hand. With a choice of 500 references, sweets in bulk, at particularly interesting prices.

This young microbrewery obtained, shortly after its creation, a nice recognition, with a gold medal at the Concours Général Agricole for its Stout beer! Its philosophy: to limit its impact on the environment, while regularly offering new recipes. All the beers, born from a demanding selection of organic malts and hops associated with the mastery of the latest brewing techniques, are packaged in returnable bottles. Hoppy, sour or roasted, a range of beers that will delight all tastes! And an enriching visit!

Passionate oyster farmers for more than 30 years, Murielle and Patrick Guyau invite you to discover their oyster production in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, in the Payré estuary. This couple of oyster farmers offer a wide variety of seafood products: oysters, shellfish, crustaceans, but also seafood platters to taste on the spot or to take away! In addition to seafood products, they also offer some local products from Vendée, such as salt, fish terrines and rillettes, fish soups, saltwort and wine.

Both a chocolate factory and a delicatessen, Maison d'Oya, which opened in 2020, has already won a number of awards at the Academy of Chocolate's international competition in London, including a gold medal for its Crunchy spread and a bronze medal for its Beauvoir fleur de sel praliné. Florence, a chocolatier, makes these delicacies in her Port Joinville workshop. Chocolates in bar or tasting box format. Also on sale: teas, caviar, truffles and spices.

Who doesn't know this institution of La Tranche, a paradise for gourmets (young and old) who come from generation to generation to the Confiserie Laurent, created in 1929! The sparkling Tata Bonbec offers delicious confectionery (barley sugar, red nougat, caramel,...), berlingots whose sugar is worked under your eyes with demonstrations in summer. In the summer, the 54 flavors of ice creams elaborated by a master ice-cream maker make the happiness of the families, just like the very good pancakes, waffles, doughnuts, pancakes, to taste on the spot or to take away.

The snail, here called "luma" is a real local gastronomic speciality. Less well known than its Burgundian counterpart, it is nonetheless an unavoidable speciality of the Bocage Vendéen. Gabrielle Moreau raises and cooks them. They are offered fresh and ready to bake (in shells, mini-bouchées, cabbage...) for the aperitif or as a starter, in jars of flesh or cooked. You can also take a tour of the farm with a commentary by the heliciculturist - a bit of culture doesn't hurt! -, then aperitif with snail tasting.

In this shop, we make in the respect of the tradition, pastry specialities from the Vendée such as the brioche: traditional, puff pastry croissant type, with nuggets and the wedding brioche. Another flagship product is the fion à l'ancienne, a traditional Easter dessert made from eggs and milk, typical of the western Vendee, made from a family recipe that requires perfect mastery of cooking and know-how. Other flagship products: fouasse, gâche and préfou, bread filled with garlic butter to be enjoyed as an aperitif.

Located at the exit of Aizenay on the road leading to St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, this family and artisanal cheese factory, created more than a quarter of a century ago by Mr Zerathe, produces different varieties of fresh and matured goat cheeses: the "bûchette" (5 varieties: natural, ashed, with herbs of Provence, with pepper or without salt), the "crottin" (natural or ashed), the "chabichou" (also called "palet" according to the region). Good products. On sale directly on the spot, but also on the stalls of the shops of Vendean cheese makers, producer's shops,...

In Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, there are two typical markets: on the right bank, on the Croix-de-Vie side, on Place Kergoustin, at the foot of the Sainte-Croix church; or on the left bank, on the Saint-Gilles side, on Place du Marché-aux-Herbes and Place du Vieux-Port, near the Saint-Gilles church. Very popular with locals and summer visitors, they are particularly well-stocked at weekends, with a wide variety of food products from local producers: fish (including sardines when in season) and seafood from the nearby fish market, fruit and vegetables from Hilairo's market gardeners...

Are you a seafood lover? You have a family meal and don't want to cook for hours: seafood is the solution! This company, which is also present on the Arago and Halles markets, as well as at the Pilote fish market in the fishing port, is well known to the people of Sablais for the freshness of its products: oysters, shellfish, shrimp, langoustines, mussels... Longevity rhymes with Rocheteau. Created in 1900, it is the fourth generation that is in place! New: the opening of an oyster bar, Les Barges!

A renowned fishmonger's, created by Jean-Paul Eriau, in the fishing port (opposite the Musée du Coquillage). The products come directly from the fish market (next door): freshness guaranteed! With half a century of experience, it is the^4th generation with Paul-Arthur. On the stall: sea bass, cod, sea bream, gambas, prawns, shrimps, monkfish, mackerel, cod, skate, St Peter's, salmon, sole, turbot, tuna, sardines, scallops, etc. Daily arrivals, fish processed and prepared on site. Top quality, freshness, very fair prices, smiles and advice!

This small shop close to the shops hides treasures for charcuterie fans, and we are. It was the smell of salting that we took the step and put this small voice in the closet, which told us: " No, we must not: your plan! '. So bad, it's too appetising at the time of the aperitif! As its name proudly indicates, a charcuterie specialises in sausages! On the stalls a beautiful diversity of cochonnailles from all origins and all scents.

Don't leave the island without sampling the island's flagship specialty: the delicious prune tart from the Mousnier patisserie, also present at the market. Alain Mousnier's home-made cakes, jams and salted butter caramel are part of the island's culinary tradition. Other specialties include betchets (which means "cookie" in local dialect, i.e. twice-baked), also known as sailor's cookies because they keep for several days at sea. For mardi gras, there's also foutimasson, a doughnut also known as bottereau or tourtisseau.

This small artisanal cannery is hidden behind the pier. Régis and Christophe sell in their shop and on the market, artisanal tuna products made on the island. Among the products: tuna in natural or olive oil, tuna pâté (plain or with green pepper), tuna mousse, monkfish liver, tuna rillettes (plain, with tomato or green pepper), mackerel rillettes, sardine rillettes and sardine pâtés. The products are delicious and of high quality. You can also buy your products by mail order.

If there is one place that brings together all epicureans and lovers of good fresh local produce, it is the market, and the one in Saint-Sauveur remains the largest on the island. It takes its quarters in the streets of the village, in front of the houses. You will find there smoked fish from the Islamic canning factories, sweet specialities such as the prune tart, without forgetting some products of creators and craftsmen of art which you will bring back as souvenir gifts. The market is also the place to get to know the inhabitants of the island.

Bertrand Souchard and Gaelle Courtin are producers and processors of ducks, raised according to the agriconfiance sanitary standards. The farm covers 50 hectares, part of which is reserved for raising cattle. They make farmhouse foie gras preserves and offer duck-based products: stuffed neck confit, duck breast stuffed with foie gras or plain, fresh products, rillettes, terrines, smoked duck breast, duck confit. For groups, visit of the farm and the force-feeding workshop possible. Products for sale on the spot, on local markets,...

Oysters, mussels and clams. Retail sale at the institution.

Just for the name, we wanted to taste this production; a good point. On the road to the Pointe d'Arçay, between sea and forest, this oyster farmer offers retail sales of his oyster production, which you can also taste on the spot and, upon request, take a guided tour (free) of the farm. It is interesting. To complete your seafood platter or to treat yourself to flambéed prawns, you can buy them right here. They produce imperial prawns (order in advance) raised in their ponds!

Estelle and Christian Chabirand acquired this 20 ha estate in 1997. On this virgin terroir, outside the appellation, they planted a 15 ha organic vineyard (Ecocert). Christian, an oenologist by training, has accumulated experience by travelling to many vineyards in France, and was awarded the Loire Trophy for Vigneron de Caractère by the Gault et Millau guide in 2017. A long maceration vinification applied on a perfect quality of grapes allows to elaborate cuvées gardes called here nicely Vins de Mémoire.

The Mercier family has been dedicated to the wine tradition since 1890. They produce AOC Fiefs Vendee wines, vins de pays du Val de Loire and a cuvée using the traditional method. The 45 ha vineyard is planted on the clay and limestone terraces on the flinty outcrop of Vix. The development of the estate is intimately linked to the activity of the wine nursery whose know-how is recognised worldwide. Thanks to this, the estate benefits from a great diversity of varieties and selections, which gives their cuvées a beautiful complexity and signs the style of their wines.

Bernard Richard is ostréiculteur. It produces hollow oysters on the river Auzance. These oysters offer the particularity of a mixture of fresh water and salt water. Also for sale in front of the tourist office every day in summer (Sunday morning off season) and at l'Île d'Olonne.

In the heart of the salt marshes, Thierry Michon produces authentic and prestigious wines on 37 hectares of biodynamic cultivation (since 1995), referenced in the guides and present on a large number of French starred tables, and in establishments in the United States, Italy and Japan. Elegant and refined wines, naturally vinified, reflecting our biodiversity and our environment. Each cuvée is a plot-based cuvée. Also sparkling wines produced using traditional methods as well as atypical wines vinified and matured in amphoras.

The Lardière family is a mogette producer, but not only, since they also breed cows with passion, precisely the Blonde d'Aquitaine. A little reminder: the mogette is a dry white bean, with a grain with one end elongated. It is the flagship product of the farm, which also offers coconuts, flageolets, kidney beans and lentils. This GAEC offers you quality products, produced locally and family-owned through animal and environmental friendly breeding practices.

Joël Guérin is a producer of fattened ducks. From the first day of the duck's life to the final product, everything happens on the site of the La Chedanière farm. The animals are raised in the open air according to tradition. The ducks are force-fed only with whole cooked corn. On sale at the farm: pâtés, rillettes, foie gras, confit, manchons, gizzards, stewed duck, stuffed neck. Visit of the farm in summer, starting with a visit to the duck park and ending with a tasting.

With a surface area of 30 ha, the Orion family's vineyard is made up of 65% red and 35% white grape varieties. The wines of Domaine de la Barbinière enjoy a good reputation. The whites are a blend of Chenin and Chardonnay, and go well with shellfish and fish. The rosés are a blend of pinot noir, gamay and cabernet; the reds are a blend of cabernet, pinot noir and gamay. Several ranges are available: Silex, Eclipse (available in white and red), the Bois Bouquet, the Douée, a sweet wine, a wine made using the traditional method and Les Parcellaires.

The Coirier family have been winegrowers from father to son since 1895. In the heart of the wine village, near Fontenay-le-Comte, the mansion with its hundred-year-old cedar tree opens onto a courtyard, next to the tasting cellar. It produces white, red and rosé AOC Fiefs Vendéens Pissotte wines. The winemaker respects the natural balance of the vine to the wine. It is to note that the exploitation is in organic farming. The special vintages of the domain are raised in oak barrels of the forest of Mervent very close. Good quality wines.

Opposite Intermarché, in the heart of the marshes, Corinne Ferrer invites you to La Perle, a charming oyster bar, to taste directly your oysters and shellfish from the production of Frédéric Boucard. The room located just next to the shop is cute, in summer there is the terrace. The production is also available to take away. Among the specialities, the oysters, mussels, whelks, shrimps, the toasts of the sea and the "retour du Gois", a plate of 6 oysters and 6 clams. Conviviality and authenticity.

Brasserie Mélusine produces 100% natural craft beers. Uncompromising in the quality of the ingredients selected, the beers are free from extracts, additives and colorants. They brew some fifteen recipes, from "Love and Flowers" wheat beer with rose petals, to "Puy d'Enfer" triple beer at 8.5°, "Hellfest" India Pale Ale at 6.66° and other ephemeral beers, an organic range, and a conventional range in bottles and kegs. Mélusine Bio and Médusa won medals at the Concours Général Agricole 2024.

Situated on the slopes overlooking the Yon and Lay rivers, the vineyard is spread over 3 communes around Rosnay covering an area of about 45 hectares. The château was built in 1860. The family estate has developed with respect for tradition and the environment. A family know-how handed down from generation to generation. In a tasting cellar dating back nearly two centuries, you will discover the different vintages. An adjoining museum allows you to discover how our ancestors carried out the work in the vineyard and the maturing of the wine.

Dominique and Yoan, master chocolatiers, rigorously select cocoa beans to create the finest chocolates. Handcrafted according to traditional recipes, they add their creativity to the mix. In the boutique or online, chocolate bonbons and personalized chocolates, with specialties such as croquants (roasted dried fruit, then caramelized, pre-coated with a homemade praline (cooked in a copper cauldron), sublimated with a fine layer of 100% cocoa butter chocolate), and p'tits Q... Visits and workshops available.

Saveurs du monde is a grocery store located on the Arago market in Les Sables-d'Olonne. Visitors can find a wide variety of products from all over the world. The grocery store offers in-store shopping services, enabling customers to discover and purchase exotic and authentic products.

At 42 avenue de la Plage, there is a sweet smell of rotisserie, which invites us to do as the faithful customers of La Rôtisserie de la Plage, installed for many years in the Demoiselles district. On the spit, farm chickens regularly basted with a good home-made juice, that you can take away whole or in pieces. Accompany this delicious chicken with fried potatoes: an easy dish for those who are on vacation or do not want to cook. Other suggestions on weekends: suckling pig!