Fromagerie Beillevaire began in 1980, when Pascal Beillevaire decided to combine his two passions, agriculture and trade. Operating a family farm, looking for additional market penetration for their produce, homemade butters and creams, Fromagerie Beillevaire was created.
From the onset, the company’s commitment to tradition and quality set it apart from other producers and affineurs in the French Market. The company focuses on the promotion and preservation of farmhouse and artisan cheesemaking practices, and the name Beillevaire is a guarantee of quality and prestige.
Beillevaire’s business model is unique, operating as both a producer and affineur. Beillevaire makes cheeses, butter, cream and yogurt. To meet demand for their products, milk is collected twice daily from a dozen nearby family farms and brought to the workshops still warm. Milk collection has become a trademark process of the business, ensuring that only the highest quality milk is used for their products. All of Beillevaire’s products are artisanal (they are among the last producers making butter with raw cow cream in wooden churns).
Production happens at 3 workshops: Machecoul, Gavray and Fontenille. Machecoul is the company’s primary workshop, producing a selection of firm pressed cheeses, and focusing on some affinage. Gavray in Normandy and Fontenille in the southwest (south of the Loire River) both focus on the production of soft-ripened goat milk cheeses. In addition to these workshops, Beillevaire selects AOC cheeses (Beaufort, Comte, Tomme de Savoie) from the finest artisan and traditional cheesemakers in France. Cheeses are selected, pampered (“Bichonne”), packaged and dispatched to their ultimate destinations for consumption.
In 2011, Fabrice Beillevaire decided to push the family business in yet another direction, opening the first branch abroad. La Fromagerie Beillevaire UK, based in London, opened a new market for their artisan products and aged cheeses. In addition to the UK, Beillevaire products are sold in Asia, Northern Europe and North America. Amongst all of the growth over the past 30 years, Beillevaire remains true to their core values, standing out as France’s finest.