Gourmet products
As you're sure to discover during your stay, the Aveyronnais are lucky people, who only need to reach out for a loaf of farmhouse bread, an excellent cheese, a competitive charcuterie or a good bottle of wine. Farmers, producers and restaurateurs have naturally opted for quality, and most of their products will fit easily into your suitcase.
Charcuterie. The image of the pig being slaughtered on Sunday mornings in the farmyard, with friends and neighbors all pitching in, is no longer the prevailing one in the département. Today's pork industry is largely based on industrial standards. However, a few breeders in the département continue to stand out from the crowd, fighting to produce quality pork. In the same way, pork butchers maintain a traditional know-how, with rigorously selected raw materials and time devoted to work. Their dry sausages, smoked or not, their pure pork sausages, with walnuts or Roquefort, and their fricandeau (a small pâté baked in a pork crépine) and other specialties will make your mouth water. Wouldn't it be a shame not to share with your loved ones?
Cheeses. Aveyron is also a cheese country. Our département is proud to have produced three AOC cheeses, a guarantee of quality well known to consumers. Roquefort is a cheese made from sheep's milk, produced within a defined area and aged in the village that gives it its name. Creamy and full-flavored thanks to its blue-veined texture, it's the king of cheeses! Nearby, Bleu des Causses also has penicillium stains, but is made with cow's milk. Laguiole, made with raw cow's milk, is the latest to be awarded the precious AOC label. Pérail, thérondels and vieux rodez (close to parmesan), to name but a few, also deserve to be known. They're not easy to transport, of course, because of storage requirements, but when you get home, you'll enjoy a piece of cheese with a good Marcillac red wine.
Sweet treats. We're probably being a bit chauvinistic here, but it's fair to say that when it comes to cakes, the département also does well. The fouace is found in the vast majority of bakeries. Its name derives from the Latin qui focus, which used to designate the hearth in which it was baked. Fouace has the advantage of being easy to transport. Some bakeries, such as Cavalier in Campagnac, offer online sales and shipping throughout France. Pure butter spit-roasted cakes, baked over a wood fire and turned by hand, scalded pastries and prune rissoles are also among the specialties of Aveyron that will live long in the memory. Here and there in Aveyron, other artisans have developed their own range of less traditional cakes. In Camarès, Guy Majorel's biscotin is a pure butter shortbread. A few kilometers away in Montlaur, Adeline des Délices du Rougier is a hit with its aperitif cookies, including the Roquefort-flavored apérockfort.
Drinks. In addition to some of Aveyron's finest wines, such as Marcillac, Côtes-de-Millau and Entraygues-et-du-Fel, all with AOC status, the region also boasts a number of beer producers. Brasserie d'Olt, in Saint-Geniez-d'Olt, led the way just over twenty years ago. Since then, many other craftsmen have followed in their footsteps, and today cover the entire region. Les Mousses du Rouergue in Decazeville, La Hocq in Saint-Christophe-Vallon, Brasserie de l'Aveyron in Onet-le-Château, Brasserie du Larzac in Millau and microbrewery LVZ in Alrance, among others, combine tradition and conviction to produce tasty local beers.
Since 2017, Aveyron has also been a whisky producer. Le presbytère des Anges in Laguiole served its first bottles in November 2020. For aperitifs, we also recommend Marius Bonal's recipes: the famous Aubrac gentian, Aveyron pastis, pretty quince or ratafia.
Products made in Aveyron
Over the ages, Aveyron has developed a strong sense of identity and know-how. In addition to Laguiole knives and Millau gloves, the main manufacturers of which are described later in this guide, many other craftsmen and women rely on local production. And they do so in every field: beauty, fashion, home..
Wellness and beauty. Aveyron boasts a precious environmental wealth that has inspired many artisans in the beauty and well-being sector. The Haut Ségala laboratory in Rieupeyroux has developed a range of natural and organic cosmetics. Elodie Corocher and her Naturae Bioty brand in Millau create ecological and eco-responsible cosmetics, while Secrets d'Elo in Onet-le-Château is a great success. Their products are ideal for gifts.
Fashion. Aveyron has also spawned a number of remarkable industries, notably in the leather trades, and is now home to a large number of glove and leather goods makers. Le Sac du berger in Marnahgues-et-Latour, for example, has restored the old shepherd's bag to its former glory. In Saint-Georges-de-Luzençon, Bleu de Chauffe plays in the big league with its revisited trade bags. Prices are high, but the effect is guaranteed.
In a completely different register, that of textiles - and at a more affordable price! - the Propre T-shirt, French-made and eco-responsible, is sure to please.
Home. If Aubrac gave birth to the emblematic Laguiole knife, the Marcillac valley has resurrected the Liadou: the authentic knife of the Vallon winegrowers. Najac and Sauveterre-de-Rouergue also have their own knives. But remember, if you give one of these specimens to a relative or friend, the person who receives it will have to give you a coin to maintain the bond that unites you.
On the home side, Jérôme Roux's buffadoo in Laguiole, for fanning the flames of the fireplace or barbecue, is another fine item to bring home.
Of course, this list is far from exhaustive. And it's a safe bet that you'll fall in love with other local creations during your stay in Aveyron.
