The Fourme d’Ambert Appellation d’Origine Protégée is produced by 10 farms and 6 dairies. The dairies employ over 300 people.
THE FARMS
- GAEC Croix de Chazelles
GAEC des Croix de Chazelles is one of four farms producing Fourme d’Ambert AOP. Their history begins towards the end of the XIX century with the great grandfather, then the grandfather and finally the father. Starting out as an artisan raw milk producer, in the 70s and 80s the farm began to produce pasteurised milk. Following the small dairy’s decades-long closure, the youngest of the agriculturalists (Dominique) decided to begin producing farmhouse cheeses.
GAEC des Croix de Chazelles is on the Route des Fromages AOP d’Auvergne and open to the public.
- Ferme des Supeyres
Based in Valcivières (at an altitude of 1,100 m), near Ambert, the Ferme des Supeyres is one of 3 Fourme d’Ambert AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) farms. Established in 2007 by Antoine de Boismenu with the help of his brother Louis, this GAEC today produces close to 1,000 Fourmes d’Ambert per year.
GAEC de la Ferme des is on the Route des Fromages AOP d’Auvergne and open to the public.
- GAEC Geneste
GAEC Geneste is one of 4 Fourme d’Ambert AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) farms. It received AOP accreditation for the manufacture of La Fourme d’Ambert in October 2007. Located at Bongheat (63,160) close to the famous Chateau Mauzun, GAEC Geneste is on the Route des Fromages AOP d’Auvergne and open to the public.
- GAEC Rodary
- GAEC Cussac
- GAEC du Puy de Coujoul
- GAEC Mélodie
- GAEC Peny Sarcenat
- GAEC Sudre in Gelles
- GAEC d’Avèze in Avèze
THE DAIRIES
- Laiterie de la Montagne – Paul Dischamp
In 1911, Jean Dischamp took over a cheese shop in Clermont-Ferand, « A la renommée des vrais Saint-Nectaire », in the Place Hippolyte Renoux, on the central plateau. The commercial property’s contract of sale stipulated that the owner would train the buyer in how to mature Saint-Nectaire. At the time, Saint-Nectaire cheeses were aged in multi-storey cellars dug out of the volcanic tuff around the Clermont-Ferand cathedral. The second generation, in the shape of his only son Paul Dischamp, took over the business in order to expand it after the war. Even though the family business gained its prestigious AOP letters thanks to Saint Nectaire, today the De la Montagne Dairy is responsible for a large proportion of Fourme d’Ambert AOP production.
- Fromagerie de Saint-Flour
Les Fromageries Occitanes (LFO), a subdivision of the cooperative dairy SODIAAL, was created in 1994. This subdivision’s goal is to promote pays d’Oc cheese-making know-how. At the time of its creation, LFO brought together 640 collaborators from establishments and subdivisions in CANTAL, AVEYRON, LOZERE and HAUTE-GARONNE. You can find out more about the largest AOP cheese maker in Auvergne by going to Saint-Mamet-la-Salvetat, as this is also a stop-off on the Route des Fromages AOP d’Auvergne.
- Société Fromagère du Livradois
La Société Fromagère du Livradois was created in 1949 by Mr Jean THUAIRE, the grandfather of the current owners. The Thuaire brothers, Didier and Philippe, took over from their parents in 1993. La Société Fromagère du Livradois has expanded considerably since the creation of the first dairy at Fournols, in the Ambert canton. Today it incorporates a number of establishments throughout Auvergne. This enterprise also produces or matures other Auvergne AOP dairy products. The general public can find out more about its activities by visiting La Cave de Salers, at Salers (15), which is on the Route des Fromages AOP d’Auvergne.
- Société Fromagère de St Bonnet
Jean RIZAND created the dairy in 1913. After setting himself up in Chalmazel as a milk producer in 1905, Mr Rizand decided to sell up and invest everything in a small dairy, where he transformed 800 litres of milk per day! From 1913 up to 1989 when the dairy was sold to LAITERIES H. TRIBALLAT, its capacity gradually grew and by 1979 it was processing close to 15,000 litres per day.
- Société Laitière de Laqueuille
The Société Laitière de Laqueuille is an agricultural collective (SICA) in which local farmers hold a large stake. Visitors are welcome at its newly refurbished dynamic, small boutique, close to an exit of the A89 motorway. An educational video is shown during the summer months, as this dairy is also a stop-off on the Route des Fromages AOP d’Auvergne.