Eating local, seasonal products safeguards the specific characteristics of the soils on which they grow and provides you with deliciously fresh flavour. But there’s also the human aspect, the idea of getting back in touch with the people who feed us and keep the region’s ancestral traditions alive. This small selection of Orne’s producers will make your mouth water.
Cider, perry, calvados...
The Galotière cider farm welcomes you to its charming 17th-century half-timbered farmhouse where the cider of the Auge region expresses its subtle notes. Through a film and guided tour, you’ll learn about the history of cider and how the region’s ancestral savoir-faire has made it evolve. The Galotière’s distillery uses organically-grown apples to produce great quality and bottled happiness, to be enjoyed without delay directly at the farm!
Next, meet Grégoire Ferré, THE cider-making expert of the Perche region. With his PDO Perche cider, he defends the region’s colours as a great producer of cider and perry. He has a passion for his work, returning to yesteryear’s farm traditions of sharing and togetherness, and inviting you to try the products from the soils of his traditional Perche farm. A journey to the heart of his garden of Eden, from the orchards to the tasting cellar of “Les Mares”.
In a charming Auge farmhouse set amid a rolling landscape of orchards in bloom and lush green hills, the Hubert family has kept traditional cider- and calvados-making expertise alive for some 150 years. While respecting ancient traditions, Astrid is now adding a modern touch to her range in a variety of flavours and products. To make your salads more aromatic, pour in a few drops of balsamic cider vinegar, perry vinegar or sage vinegar. A real delight!
Last but not least, discover Domfront PDO perry with the enthusiastic Jérôme Forget, who has an authenticity and sincerity about him that can only make you eager to find out more about his passion… for pears. At nature’s pace, in orchards grazed by his Norman cows, he hand-picks the fruit from untreated trees to make his famous, naturally sparkling pear cider. With Jérôme, walk among the 200 to 300-year-old pear trees, as a cow calmly watches you pass slowly by, and follow the different stages of cider production. A return to the roots through an experience with character.
Gourmet treasures in a basket
Ice cream delights at Bidard Farm
If you enjoy discovering unique places and small-scale producers who put their heart into their work, then the Bidard family farm is the place to visit! This farm promises a warm welcome and a chance to taste craft ice cream made from the milk of their own cows, all in a lovely setting where your time is filled with delicious experiences. Try the inevitable caramel ice cream, but also local specialities such as Calvados ice cream, perry sorbet or camembert ice cream. You’ll be scraping the bottom of the tub!
Dairy produce from the Etoile Farm:
In a typical Perche house near the forest, Patrick, Marc, Xavier, David and Alain share the same family history and stories of friendship. While one of them makes a fuss of the cows, another tends to the piglets, yet another grows cereals, and the rest put together all sorts of tasty products. Cheese, jars of cream, yogurts, caramels… all from recipes handed down for generations and guaranteed to make your mouth water!
True farmhouse camembert from Champ Secret:
Only the Champ Secret farm (or nearly) holds the secret of making real traditional camembert). Here, ancient methods are worshipped: moulding by ladle, raw milk, Normandy cows… all for a PDO farmhouse camembert that’s also organic, which makes it unique in France! It has an unbeatable taste, is good for you, and respects the envronment… Enough to delight any cheese lover.