The best local producers Vélo Pays Basque

Maison Miettes combines traditional and revisited recipes. 3 enthusiasts and 3 friends, Stéphane, head pastry chef (3 Michelin stars), Alexandra and Albert, two honoris causa, passionate about taste and aromas, who have combined their talents in the service of beautiful raw materials and good flavors to create Basque cakes in blackcurrant/lemon, cherry, etc., but also Basque shortbread of the moment, vanilla, lemon (delicious), Piedmont hazelnut, lemon cakes... Caramels and fruit jellies are also available.

It is between Bayonne and Espelette that Pierre, Marie and their very dynamic Stéphanie produce the PDO Espelette chilli pepper, in strict compliance with the specifications. Approximately 80,000 plants on 3 hectares are grown, from sowing to processing into powder, from bottling to shipping to individuals, restaurants, delicatessens... Available in puree, jelly, mustard to decorate fish, meat, omelettes... "Red gold" guaranteed authentic and without intermediaries.

At the foot of Mondarrain, Ferme Elharra produces AOC-AOP Espelette chillies and raises dairy cows. This ^18th-century building is home to a family pepper farm that has been handed down from generation to generation, and has won several awards at the Concours Général Agricole in Paris. The cultivation of chillies, the red gold of the Basque country, is firmly rooted in this rural heritage. It plays an essential role in Basque cuisine, with recipes and accompaniments for meat, fish, foie gras and even chocolate.

Know how to spice up your life could be the motto of Biper-Ona, or "the good pepper"; producer of its state for 3 generations. The Pocorena family grows and produces the famous "red gold", a PDO pepper of superior quality and subtle taste, which is perfect to accompany or even enhance fish, omelets, poultry or meat. Chefs are not mistaken with multiple variations also for cured meats.

The Lesgourgues family has been working in the same spirit as Adrienne Paris, founder of Maison Paris in 1907, for 4 generations. Recognized by the Collège Culinaire de France as a quality "Artisan Producer", the company has introduced stringent specifications for the rearing of mulard ducks, Label Rouge farm-raised fattened ducks, guaranteed GMO-free, free-range, force-fed on whole grain corn and eviscerated cold. A gold medal winner, the establishment continues to maintain its commitment to excellence in taste.

Diriart Etxemendybeheria Farm, ("the house at the bottom of the hill") is a beautiful example of authenticity, with respect for traditions in animal husbandry. Respect for hygiene, quality, the environment and the customer. It is in this ancestral farm that the taste for know-how is transmitted, with animals that are born, live and spend the summer in the mountain pastures, and are warm in winter. Maïder and Dominique claim the title of farmers! You must come and taste and take away the beef stews, blanquettes, and other delicacies.

The Sagaspe family has been raising ducks, calves and chickens on their farm near Mauléon for 3 generations. A very cosy and attractive boutique, with over 50 duck products: foie gras, confits, magrets, sublime foie gras pâtés and ready-made meals. All guaranteed free from preservatives, colorants and additives. You'll also find jams, wines and other local specialities. Present at markets in Mauléon, Tardets and Navarrenx. 100% Basque know-how, with Sylvie and Céline offering you a warm welcome.

It is in Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, that the Gastellou family has been established for several generations at the farm "Poutzia". From the breeding of meat cows and pigs in the open air, to the canning and salting of hams. At the foot of Arradoy, on a twenty-hectare forest, the animals evolve far from the industrial pace: artisanal products that are all the more tasty and flavorful. Dry-cured hams from Bayonne and Garazi, sausages, chorizos, ventrèches, rillettes, pâtés..., dishes cooked in jars and home-made Basque cakes! A beautiful know-how.

At Les Halles de Biarritz, stop by the Ferme du Foie Gras. For 4 generations, this temple has offered a range of products rivalling in taste and flavor: duck and goose foie gras, duck breast and aiguillettes, preserves (confits, gizzards, cassoulet, rillettes, pâtés...), Espelette pepper, oils, jams... Our products, guaranteed free from antibiotics and GMOs, are raised and manufactured exclusively on our own farm in the Landes region of France. This know-how is available to order from the online boutique.

Born from the initiative of a collective of producers with shared ethics, this cooperative processes meat, cuts it and prepares ready-made meals for direct sale. It's a way of developing the valley's culture in order to make the most of their products and farm production, with a clear breeding and processing charter: respect for the environment, no preservatives... Adjacent to the cooperative, a store will delight you with artisanal products to take away.

The Sagaspe family has been raising ducks for 3 generations. They have also diversified into free-range chicken, cows and veal. In the store, you'll find no fewer than 50 "home-made" products, including duck in all its forms: foie gras, confit, magret, pâté au foie gras, rillettes, ready-cooked dishes and more. All guaranteed free from preservatives, colorants and additives. You can also find them in their beautiful Saint-Palais boutique and at the markets in Mauléon, Tardets and Navarrenx. Here, quality, know-how and good taste are the order of the day!

A wonderful initiative that we salute, with the artisanal cannery Kusiak ("the cousins" in Basque) in Ciboure, which used to be home to dozens of canneries. Our 2 cousins, Marianne and Yann, both from the restaurant business and above all passionate craftsmen, create their recipes using fresh, local and seasonal produce: sardine spread, tuna spread, tuna ventrèche, fish soup, Scottish smoked salmon and many other seafood delights. Fresh, with no colorants, additives or preservatives... 100% quality to try and enjoy.

The story of " Confitures de Haute Soule " begins in Biarritz at the pastry shop of the Docks. Gilles and Sophie have the idea to transform the fruits intended for the pastry shop into jam. Immediate success. When they moved to Haute Soule, they developed their know-how in the traditional way of making jam. 30 different fruit flavors are declined in jams. Fruits of the orchard and the forest and the inevitable strawberries, black cherries, apricots, figs...

Just a stone's throw from the cathedral, this boutique-museum is the brainchild of Jacques Salles, a passionate beekeeper since 1988. Loreztia means "sweet flowers" in Basque. A place of exchange, where you can discover a free ethnographic space on the theme of "man and the bee in the Basque country, over the centuries", taste the company's products, and buy those you like at "direct from the workshop" prices. From flower to fruit, the cultivation and exploitation of honey is a whole art of living at the service of sweet gastronomy.

This large boutique showcases the farm's products. Duck in all its forms, confit, cooked, stuffed duck neck, Irouléguy duck leg or foie gras, which can also be ordered online or in the boutiques. We also offer ready-cooked dishes such as the unmissable veal axoa. You'll also discover pimento jellies, pâtés and rillettes, special aperitif terrines, fish soup, jams and wines from the Irouléguy vineyards. Bring a large basket, as the choice is vast.

The Segida Farm, 3 minutes from the village, between Dantxaria and Ainhoa, will give you a warm welcome to discover the fruit of its work. It produces Espelette chilli pepper, raises free-range pigs and grows vegetables. You will discover her pretty store, with the pepper in all its forms: powder, puree, jelly... the delicatessen, the saltings... Take also advantage of his restaurant space at the Farm for a gourmet break, where you can taste a farm plate with good seasonal products, a snack... A good moment !

Saltus is a producer and harvester of organic saffron, honey, pollen and propolis. Based in Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa, this family-run business is a benchmark in saffron cultivation, with around a hundred beehives stocked with black bees. Saltus is also the name of a mid-mountain area on the edge of cultivated land. It's an area rich in species and natural processes, where saffron cultivation is not a traditional practice, even though this precious spice is renowned at the world's finest tables.

From father to son and daughter, the Feranyo farm has developed ewe breeding for the production of farmhouse cheese in the purest tradition of know-how. Overlooking the superb Aldudes valley, surrounded by immense natural meadows, the farm produces one of the finest AOC Ossau Iraty ewe's milk cheeses. With a pre-ripening period of 20 to 30 days at 13°C, followed by a main ripening period of 90 to 120 days, depending on the size of the tommes, the ewe's milk cheeses are ready to be enjoyed. The farm also has a free-range Kintoa pig farm.

Chilli pepper producer for more than 20 years in St-Pée-sur-Nivelle, near Espelette, Patrick has created his store where you can discover and taste chilli pepper in powder, puree, vinegar, mustard, jam, etc. It is here a beautiful selection of its production proposed with information on the origin, the history, as well as on all the stages in the production. Patrick is a professional cook and also makes pork pies, Basque blood sausage and other "biperitif" and ropes.

Ferme Aguerria produces piment d'Espelette PDO which, after all the different stages of production, becomes pimento powder. It's tasty and spicy, ideal as an accompaniment, and available in jams, salts (from Salies), mustards, oils, jellies... A perfect blend that enhances flavors and transcends meat, fish, vegetables or a simple omelet. You'll find it on many gourmet tables.

A duck breeder for 3 generations, Domaine Arnabar is a benchmark in "Label Rouge" breeding, cultivating a know-how that combines traditional breeding and processing for original recipes. You'll find these products in the Saint-Jean-de-Luz boutique, as well as in Ossès, at the Halles d'Anglet and at the region's main markets. Foies gras, magrets, tournedos de canard, aiguillettes... and, of course, canned foie gras and duck products. New with the fine and exceptional grocery.

A family affair since 1944, represented today by Julien, grandson and great-grandson of a line of butchers. With artisanal recipes from the South-West of France, produced on a larger scale to delight gourmets. Quality artisanal production for tasty recipes with ingredients selected from the region's finest producers. Axoa, piperade, garbure, confit de porc, pâté basque...Available in delicatessens, bars and restaurants - "Les délices d'Aïta" range - and from distributors.

Xipister Etxekoa has found its letters of nobility in the best local recipes and in the seasoned dishes of chefs. A staple of traditional Basque cuisine (an ancestral recipe from the fishermen of Hendaye), xipister can be found on family and gourmet tables. Xipister Etxekoa is handcrafted and family-run: the production and bottling are done by hand in the Bidart laboratory adjoining the boutique-showroom. Also try Etxekoa vinegar, balsamic and cider, and our new products!

It was the Rhune, the Basque country's mythical mountain with its green pastures, that inspired Marc, our master pastry chef, who trained in haute French pastry-making at a leading Parisian establishment. In Ascain, between Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, in his workshop, where you're irresistibly drawn by the scent of vanilla and other perfumes, he makes a wide range of Basque specialties: savoury versions such as petits salés de la Rhune with ewe's milk cheese and Espelette chilli pepper, and sweet versions such as Kaïoux plain.

Vincent grows, produces and transforms top-of-the-range hazelnuts into exceptional gourmet products: natural, sweet, savory, oil... Over the past five years, some 1,200 organic hazelnut trees have been planted on a 3-hectare site on the banks of the River Nivelle. A unique facility in a setting dedicated to the processing of harvests and their transformation in an experimental orchard. There are themed tastings and a stop-off at the boutique or tea room, where you'll find a range of recipes, and a panoramic terrace overlooking the plantation.

The red gold has its letters of nobility with Biper Gorri, "the Basque spice" better known under the name of Espelette pepper. The Castanchoa brothers have been producing excellence for several years, transforming the family farm into a chili pepper farm with all possible variations (powder, braids, jellies, jams, mustard, etc.) and organic certification since 2013. A spice recognized for its medicinal virtues (cardiovascular diseases)...

In the heart of Les Halles d'Anglet, renowned for the quality of its produce and the warm welcome offered by its food trade professionals, you'll discover the colorful, well-organized stall of new owners Julie and Julien, who have taken over this already renowned fruit and vegetable business (formerly Manu Primeur). Julien chose the name in memory of his father(Aïta in Basque), who made it his profession. In addition to freshness, quality and the season that determines the product, you add professionalism to the selection and service. The result is a long-lasting business.

Sylvie and Didier settled on the family land, becoming producers of Espelette chilli pepper (PDO). To ensure the long-term viability of their production, they have turned their attention to breeding Kintoa Basque pigs. Here, the chillies are picked, sorted, dried, cooked and ground in the pure tradition of the label... It is available in chili purée, powder, coulis, jelly and mustard. Pork is also available in a variety of forms: hams, terrines, sausages... which can be found in the store, on the website and in the best delicatessens in the Basque Country.

With its century-old butcher's workshop in Urrugne and its boutique in Les Halles de Biarritz, Maison Montamat has been a concentrate of expertise for 6 generations. With its terrines, pâtés, foies gras, hams and other cured meats, the emphasis is on traditional recipes and taste. Other specialties include prepared dishes (jars, ready-to-eat meals...) such as salmis de Palombe, axoa de Veau des Pyrénées, piperade au jambon, poulet basquaise and the delicious garbure du Sud-Ouest.