Using the same meat as for our saucissons, we prepare a 'mêlée'—a mixture of selected meats and hard fats—which, instead of being stuffed into casings, is moulded like a cheese.

The goal: to move away from the casing, the only element beyond our control as casings all originate from industrial suppliers.
Ageing takes place in drying rooms on racks for approximately 30 days, following the same fermentation principles as traditional saucisson.

Our philosophy: genetic selection, rearing methods with specific standards, and the transformation process.

We see our work not as pork butchers, but as masters of ageing, who allow natural processes to unfold over time.

Genetics

We exclusively use Gascon pig, a slow-growing animal that produces the intramuscular fat we seek for our cured meats. A cousin of the Iberian pig, it is a hardy breed whose origins date back to prehistoric times.

At present, (falsely) artisanal pork is often labeled 'black' to sound rustic, or given village or regional names to suggest tradition. Most of the time, these pigs are crossbred with white pigs and raised confined in buildings.

The Gascon pig is a pure breed, clearly identified by the IFIP (Institut du porc), and its purity is controlled by LIGERAL (Livre Généalogique Collectif des Races Locales de porcs). It is a pig we know well, having raised them for 15 years on the estate at a time when they were near extinction.

I discovered this breed in the late 80s; its culinary qualities literally captivated me, and I immediately began raising them to craft saucissons, hams, and more... we focused right away on the transformation.
In 1996, we played a modest part in founding the National Association for the Preservation of the Gascon Pig (ANSPG).

Highly advanced rearing methods

For millennia, pigs have been raised outdoors. A productivity-driven industry confined them to produce faster but at the expense of quality, selecting breeds suited to this 'prison-like' farming—a system to which the Gascon pig cannot adapt.
We have chosen an ultra-modern approach, raising our animals in the woods, always seeking to respect the animal's life cycle, both in its environment and its duration: slow-rearing over 20 to 24 months (three to four times longer than industrial farming and twice as long as artisanal methods). Factory farming is rejected in favour of natural ranges, utilising wooded areas neglected by industrial agriculture. The pigs live a true pig's life, rooting in the soil for food (grass, leaves, roots, mushrooms, berries, earthworms, field mice, and seasonal chestnuts and acorns). This varied diet produces meat with the pronounced intramuscular fat that defines the quality of our charcuterie.

The transformation process

In 1995, we developed the first certified organic sausage, free from saltpeter and nitrites, in partnership with the CRITT and Anvar.

A fermented product

Our cured meats are the culmination of slow ageing in the cellar. They are the result of indigenous yeasts working on our meats, in contrast to the chemical yeasts used by the food industry.
Indigenous yeasts are those naturally present in the surrounding air.

The cellars – one on the ground floor and three for ageing – all have different atmospheres. As a result, the cured meats that move from one cellar to another during their maturation will develop different aromas in each. This creates the aromatic complexity and length on the palate of our products.

Bespoke ingredients

Each ingredient is selected to contribute to the aromatic development.

Without saltpeter, without nitrites

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Tasting advice

Open the pouches 48 hours in advance (at least 24 hours), and leave them hanging in a ventilated and temperate place.

To be enjoyed without restraint.