The fruitière of Lavigney, about twenty miles away from Vesoul, is the only traditional cheese-making plant to produce artisanal pressed raw milk cheeses (Emmental, Gruyère) and uncooked cheeses (Raclette etc.) in the Haute-Saône region of France. Two specialist cheese makers are employed here.
The organic Gruyère labelled France IGP is the cheese-making plant’s flagship product and it is the only producer of this cheese in France. Since the creation of the IGP (certified geographical origin) label in 2013, this type of production has enjoyed sustained growth.
« 1 wheel of Gruyère = 40 kg = 400 litres of raw milk »
« I am the son of a farmer, I grew up on the farm next door and now I process the milk from our cows to make high-quality cheeses, which are much appreciated by all. I am really proud of my work. I particularly like the fact that I work on a living product: the characteristics of the milk vary according to the seasons and you need to know how to adapt quickly by making adjustments to the manufacturing process: temperature, duration and dose of rennet, etc. Nothing is set in stone with this job. » Timothée
« I’ve been making cheese for more than 15 years and I’ve worked with all types of cheeses all over France. For me, the Fruitière de Lavigney combines everything I love about this job: pressed cheeses, artisanal production methods, the modest size of the facilities and the fact that we are involved in every stage… Here, there is plenty of room for the cheese maker’s skills to express themselves, producing cheeses with character. » Romain
In Selles, right in the north of the Haute-Saône region, the Fromagerie Roussey makes soft cheeses with a bloomy rind (Brie, Camembert, Carré de l’Est, Onctueux de brebis, etc.) and with a washed rind, including the famous Munster Géromé AOP.
The site also includes facilities for processing fresh dairy products: plain and fruit yoghurts, cream cheese etc.
The production of cheeses and fresh dairy products is semi-automated, with some key stages being kept in artisanal mode: traditional moulding of Munster, traditional methods of draining cream cheese, etc.
« We work as a team to make the best products »
« Every morning, I do a round of the maturing cellars. I check the temperature and humidity because the slightest difference will change the appearance of the cheese. I also inspect the cheeses and touch them to assess the formation of the rind and to decide whether, for example, they need to be turned once again. We work as a team here to make the best products! For the Munster, for example, we have reintroduced a manual scraping stage. The result is a more homogeneous colour and a more attractive appearance for the cheese. The working environment is inspiring and when a new employee starts at the cheese-making plant, it’s a real pleasure to teach them the job » Angélique
We make our yoghurts and cream cheese using traditional techniques, with a slow maturing process which makes them so creamy. Our recipes, natural or gourmet with a real taste of fruit, regularly receive awards.
It is at the Laiterie des Monts Yssingelais dairy in Araules, which was set up the Gérentes family in 1947, that blue cheeses (Fourme d’Yssingeaux, Saphir du Velay, Tomme Givrée), UHT milk and butter are processed. Didier Gérentes, CEO of the cheese-making business, is also one of the founders of Biodéal.
« 100% French and fair trade milk »
« When Adnan Jaoui and I founded Biodéal in 2000, I was already heavily involved in the family cheese-making business in Araules. So it was only natural for Biodéal to start producing its first organic products in Araules: UHT milk, cheese and butter. I then supported the development of Biodéal across its other sites, in particular in Selles in the Franche-Comté region, where I supplied my expertise in the development of the fresh dairy products plant. Today, Biodéal is still growing and supporting the conversion of milk producers to organic. »
Didier Gérentes