How did you start in the business?

I represent the 7th generation on the family farm, where I started working in 1987 after my studies and two years' working for industrial cheese dairies. My parents retired in 2006 and I took over from them. The farm (250 ha) produces AOC goat cheeses (Charolais and Maconnais) (99%), farmhouse cheeses, cow's milk cheeses (1%) and forage under reasoned agriculture for the goat herd.

How has the farm developed?

In 1987 the farm had 400 goats and now we have over 1,800 for 1.2 million litres of milk a year. This is one of the largest herds in the EU for farmhouse transformation. The farm is divided into two entities that I manage: SCEA de la Baratte (farming) and Sarl Chevenet (cheese dairy) licensed for maturing. The growing demand from our clients drove us to expand and upgrade to the latest standards and to create original products, especially for our number one restaurant client, Paul Bocuse. We reorganized our line around the Maconnais and Charolais cheeses where I invested a lot to obtain AOC certification. AOC certified goat cheeses from Burgundy enhance the wealth of our region and our gastronomic heritage. We created the "baratte" or churn, a 30 g "portion" of fromage frais with a straw for the catering trade and developed more "technical" cheeses like the "carré de vigne" (matured with white wine from Burgundy), the fresh goat cheese terrine with tomato-spinach terrine or again the "couronne de Bourgogne" (180 g coated in wood ash). We are known for our technical excellence in meeting specific demands (form, aroma, maturing) and we will be producing a goat's cheese with wasabi (the "wasabic") for the Japanese market. Our line includes 150 listed products, the most important of which are the AOC Maconnais (50 g with 12 days' maturing), the baratte, the tonnelet (150 g to 200 g), the AOC Charolais (250 g with 16 days' maturing). Our 2 AOC cheeses are available in about thirty listed products, a good number of which are blue-veined. 80% of our products are traditional and 20% special demands.

How do you work?

Our herd is composed of wholly free range alpine horned goats that are milked twice a day. They have two sites, with one reserved exclusively for feeding to avoid sanitary risks (excrement). The problem in "green" feeding (consumption of green grass in summer for 120 days according to the AOC specifications) is the rainy periods, because the goats do not eat wet grass and that changes the composition of their milk. Furthermore, some of them are naturally "de-seasoned" in order to have milk all year round. Our production is done by traditional methods and 95% is made from raw milk, while the remainder is made from pasteurized milk for airline catering and shipped under gas for a longer shelf-life.

Our cheeses are processed according to the AOC Maconnais specifications. Only the Charolais is collected from our producers after three days but processed on our premises. The cheeses are packaged fresh or go into drying-maturing. We buy a little milk and especially the fromage frais from our partner producers under specifications to maintain our production volumes and remain within traditional production methods.

Who is your clientele?

About 60% concerns traditional retail stores and 40% the regional large and medium-sized retailers (cheese department). The restaurant trade is both regional and top-of-the-line (Bocuse, Troisgros, Pic, Blanc, etc.). For logistical and cost reasons we go through wholesalers, especially Rungis and Lyon. This is a tough market with low prices on industrial productions whereas the prices of some AOC products are still protected.

What do you think of Rungis Market ?

We have been supplying Rungis Market since the 1970s. It's an essential location for our products, with professionals who know the products and the clients. This market has evolved and it is still an important link to optimize our deliveries in France and for exports (Germany, Benelux, etc.). In fact, we organize a "wine and cheese" operation there, every year in May.