Honey and jam producers Rhône-Alpes

A Abeille d'or has been stinging our sweet tooth for... over a century! The fourth generation of the Chabert family with Laure, who selects renowned French beekeepers, offers honeys served by the spoonful in 1 kg, 500 g or 250 g jars, at affordable prices for remarkable quality. All hive products and their benefits: propolis, royal jelly, pollen... Wax, candles, honeyed treats and beekeeping equipment. L'Abeille d'Or combines well-being and gourmet delights.

In the heart of the village of Lavaudieu, Jocelyne Chopart excels in her field. A beekeeper by profession, she will share her passion with you through the products she offers (honeys but also various delicacies made from honey and forest fruits). She also allows you to discover her job and her collaborators within "La Maison de l'Abeille"; photos, equipment and tasting to support it. Let yourself be tempted by all these products! Friends of nature, you who want to stay healthy: Jocelyne is organic.

The best jams are made by Philippe Bruneton. Member of the Collège Culinaire de France, elected Meilleur Confiturier de France. This enthusiast is as demanding in his selection of fruit, sourced from the region's small producers - starting with apples from Pilat - as he is in his working methods, using more fruit than sugar. The jams are available in a range of collections, including Fruits et Chocolat, made with Weiss chocolate. Culinary aids, fruit pastes, coulis, syrups... More than jams, real desserts.

Lime, lavender, acacia, fir, chestnut, heather... Chantal and Michel Carton, these bee enthusiasts, send their hives to different parts of France to find these subtle scents. This couple of beekeepers also produces wax, royal jelly and pollen. In addition, you will learn more about this fascinating world of bees by tasting their gingerbread, honey sweets, mead, nougat or jams.

Marie-Odile and Philippe Doron are craftsmen who rigorously select fruit from producers or cooperatives in the Loire, Rhône-Alpes or other regions. All the art of the jam maker is to transform in order to sublimate the basic products. Jams and syrups come to satisfy our pleasure of sugar, but not only, since some light or chocolate preparations are offered to our future toasts. Where to buy ? On the spot or via the online store!

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.

La Croix-Rousse is a neighbourhood that cultivates its spirit of independence, even when it comes to making its tea. An independent tea counter run by Elodie. A nice, uncluttered setting to focus on the essential, the product. Pleasant welcome to choose your tea in the best conditions with the best advice. Tasting of the day to make beautiful discoveries. Blends or pure teas from various origins (China, Thailand, Nepal, India ...). Beautiful tea boxes to share with family or friends. Magnificent cast iron teapots.

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.

A must of the Ardèche chestnut grove! More than 65 specialities compete for the spotlight: PDO chestnuts in their natural state, in cream, in syrup, in flour, in liqueur... There is also a gourmet collection of around twenty jams and jellies made from fruit from the orchard or the mountains. Also on the shelves: lamb meat, beers and Ardèche wines. You can visit the chestnut grove and the processing workshop before savouring the specialities which you will be sure to stock up on afterwards so that you can enjoy the Ardèche at home...

In her beautiful farmhouse at Les Echaffis, at an altitude of 1,400 m, Nicole treats gourmets at snack time, either hot or cold, with mulled wine, hot and cold drinks and home-made pastries. Her speciality are the jams that can be found on all the gourmet tables of the country: chestnut, blueberry and raspberry jams or flower jams with, for example, a delicious elderberry jam. A marvel not to be missed and that we hasten to buy in the shop on the spot.

Located at the Col du Fût d'Avenas, at an altitude of 762 m, the honey house offers you the fruit of its bees' gathering: more than 10 varieties of honey extracted and put in jars, directly on the farm. Hundreds of beehives transhumance in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to offer a wide range of tastes and colors. Rich glass to discover the secret life of bees. Gingerbread, pollen, mead, royal jelly ... to vary the pleasures.

Welcome by appointment. Jean-Paul will show you the techniques of extracting honey and will make you taste his products. He makes honey and mead, of course, but also proposes royal jelly, spices, candles and other derivatives.

At a time when bees are endangered, here is a honey house that we recommend you discover to get to know this fantastic and greedy world better. Educational panels, a glass hive, old hives, photos, and a demonstration of extraction will help you discover the world of bees and the profession of beekeeper. This teaching, which lasts nearly 2 hours, will end with a tasting of the products of the honey house: honey, mead, candies, gingerbread and honey shortbread...

What about going to the strawberry fields for a gourmet picking? This is what Maurice and Brigitte suggest. On the spot, you can buy the good products of the farm, in particular the fruits of the season (strawberries, raspberries, cherries, vine peaches, plums, mirabelle plums...), but also processed products (jams, syrups, fruits in juice...). The farm also offers a 3 épis rural gîte (2 rooms for 4 people) to stay on site in complete independence.

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!

Fortunately, Vieux Lyon is home to a number of nuggets that are easy to find and where you can treat yourself to the very best. Secrets d'Apiculteur is a unique boutique whose shelves are bursting with 100% natural honeys. It's your turn to browse in a store where you can let yourself be guided: summer maquis honey from Corsica, lychee honey from Madagascar, bergamot honey from Calabria... Flavors that take us on a journey in the mouth and in the dishes we cook, according to the advice of our favorite beekeepers. On the shelves, a honey jam by Philippe Bruneton, honey cookies made in Lyon, French gins with honey and honey-based cosmetics.

The Saint-Joseph honey factory has more than 500 hives. Up to 14 honeys are available: acacia, chestnut, lavender, etc. and a more gourmet range with almond, caramel, lemon, walnut and pistachio honeys... Honeys made with a high quality requirement but also "health products" collected from the hives such as royal jelly, pollen and propolis. Group visits are possible by appointment, otherwise you can always enjoy the transparent hive at the entrance.

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.

Barbara and Frank Lami are two young beekeepers from Alboussière who have specialized in the difficult task of extracting "royal jelly". This extremely rich substance is known for its revitalizing action in the fight against stress and fatigue. In mid-season, it naturally boosts the immune system. This very active couple are passionate about beekeeping, and will tell you all about its benefits for the environment. A refresher course!