Here is a selection of objects “Made in Vaucluse”, which will evoke the warmth of the Midi in the heart of winter, and which will support passionate craftspeople and farmers.
1 – Rustic knitting kits from Tricote-moi un mouton (Knit me a sheep)
Based near Apt, in the Luberon, Emilien and Emilie are Merino sheep breeders – you know, the breed with abundant fleece, which produces high-quality white wool.
Once the sheep are sheared in the spring, the wool is brought to Italy where it is combed and washed, then sent to the Fonty weaving manufacture in the Creuse area, where the threads are twisted and dyed. Our couple of breeders then retrieves the wool and sells it in balls of shimmering colours, nicely labelled, or packs it in beautifully illustrated small boxes, to help you begin knitting or to encourage your friends. You can order a Virgile, Armand, Léontine or Cassandre knitting kit, all of which contain everything you need get stuck in. These rustic balls of yarn are already knitting a good reputation for themselves!
Good to know
It will cost you : €40 for the knitting kit, which includes wooden needles, coloured balls of yarn, wooden buttons, a woven label, a knitting ABC and step by step instructions. A small price to pay for your support of Provençal crafts and agriculture!
Practical Information
Les Cabanes
84220 Lioux
Open all year long, by appointment only
Emilien et Emilie BONNET
tricote-moi-un-mouton@orange.fr
T. 00 33 (4) 90 74 03 99
2 – Organic and poetic herbal teas from the Jardin d’Ô
Good to know
It will cost you : €6 / 30 gramme sachet., which is a small price to pay for so much poetry and support for local agriculture!
A 180 ° career shift did not scare Olivia Désir, who went from a profession focusing on culture and picture rails in museums, to farming and harvesting in the Provençal scrubland.
She specialises in the production of organic aromatic plants to make infusions, and also seasoning, salts flavoured by plants and flower-based oils. How could you not fall in love with the pretty kraft paper tea bags, or with the sweet names such as Au Lit P’tit Loup (to bed, little one), a mixture of linden, elderberry, poppy, strawberry mint, strawberry and apple, for a peaceful night, Un Tournesol à ma Fenêtre (A sunflower at my window ), detoxifying and invigorating, to brighten up your day, or Songes d’Hiver (Dreams of Winter), a comforting brew to counter winter ailments)? The brews are organic and full of poetry.
Practical Information
Route d’Oppedette
84750 Viens
Open all year round by appointment. Workshops and tours organised.
Also at Naturellement Paysan (Maubec), Luberon Paysan (Apt), La Ferme des 4 Saisons (Orange).
Olivia Desir
contact@lejardindo.fr
T. 00 33 (6) 19 76 27 39
3 – An organic moisturizing cream with lavender essential oil from Haute Provence AOP (Protected designation of Origin)
It’s a classic product that can be used not only on the face, but also on hands, feet etc.
Lavender producers from Provence have teamed up with local cosmetic laboratories to offer creams made with lavender essential oil, which has benefited from the lavender appellation of Haute Provence AOP for more than 20 years, and is distilled on site.
Start the day smoothly by enveloping yourself in the scent of this small flower, which is emblematic of Provence.
It will cost you
€34 for an organic face cream made with the lavender essential oil of Haute Provence AOP (50ml), a small price to pay in exchange for the smile on your face every morning!
Practical Information
Le Château du Bois
Lieu-dit Musée de la Lavande
276 Route de Gordes
Hameau de Coustellet
84220 Cabrières d’Avignon
Open all year round
Shop also in Avignon: 61 rue de la Grande Fusterie
T. 00 33 (0)4 90 76 91 23
contact@lechateaudubois.com
4 – Preserved fruit from Apt
For almost 60 years, the Maison du Fruit Confit, the showroom of the Aptunion company, has mastered the art of preserving the ephemeral to perfection!
Here, thanks to its proximity to the Luberon orchards, bigarreau cherries, Cavaillon melons or pink Provence apricots are transformed into delicious sweets all year round. A taste of Provençal warmth in the middle of winter!
It will cost you
From €9.90 for a range of colours and flavours from Provence.
Practical Information
La Maison du Fruit Confit
538 Quartier Salignan
D 900
84400 Apt
Open all year round
From Monday to Saturday
9:30am – 6:30pm
Online shop
T. 00 33 (0)4 90 76 31 66
5 – A woollen shawl from the Brun de Vian Tiran mill at l’Isle sur la Sorgue
Good to know
It will cost you: from €250 for a Mérinos d’Arles Antique woollen shawl, a small price to pay for a product totally made in France, which supports breeders from some of the most remote places in the world!
A little over 200 years ago, taking advantage of the water of the Sorgue, whose constant flow provided a very precious source of energy, the Brun family set up a mill, powered by huge water wheels, on the edge of a canal at l’Isle sur la Sorgue, powered.
Eight generations of wool spinners have since travelled the world, from South America to the steppes of Mongolia and to the nearby Camargue, in search of the most beautiful fibres, with the intention of including them in their manufacturing process. Over the years, these fabrics have served various uses: plaids to cover the seats of cars at the beginning of the 20th century, blankets for bedding, “Avignon carpet” for beautiful interiors, shawls for ladies etc. We can take advantage of this centuries-old expertise by falling for a Mérinos d’Arles Antique sheep wool, cashmere or Yangir hair shawl, according to our budget. Trendy capsule collections have also been imagined by Jean-Louis Brun in partnership with the highest French school of industrial design.
Practical Information
Avenue de la Libération
84800 Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
Open all year round by appointment.
Monday to Saturday, 10am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 7pm
Sundays from 12pm to 7pm
Contact Relations Presse :
Cristel Pical
cristel@quaidelapresse.com
T. 33 (0)4 28 70 28 00
6 – A chocolate bar made by Aline Géhant, designed by Tolubolu
Aline Géhant is the chocolate maker from Avignon, who we love as much for her wonderful chocolates as for her soft and warm personality.
In 2017, a chance meeting with the creative geniuses of Tolubolu, at l’Isle sur la Sorgue, triggered the desire to create series of chocolate-object bars, the “Balade en Provence“, with an ultra-graphic look, bright colours and featuring the names of iconic places in and around Avignon. Each beautifully packaged bar: “Sur le Pont d’Avignon”, “Le Mont Ventoux” and “Palais des Papes”, has a different recipe, and contains a small card with a story about the place in question. From 7 to 77 years old.
It will cost you
€12 /bar, a small price to pay for so much joy and creativity!
Practical Information
15 rue des Trois Faucons
84000 Avignon
Open all year round from Tuesday to Saturday
10am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm
Aline Géhant
T. +33 (0)4 90 02 27 21
Commande.chocolaterie@gmail.com
7 – Apt earthenware from Apt Faïence Luberon
In her workshop, ceramic artist Christine Jouval continues Apt’s three-hundred-year mixed clays tradition.
The tradition of working mixed clays in Apt dates back to the 18th century. Earthenware makers brought together multi-coloured or natural clays and also dyed clays with the ochre pigments found in the region. This very finely kneaded mixture forms a design throughout the entire thickness of the clays, thus giving the veins of the marble their mineral aspect. Christine Jouval is following in the footsteps of eight generations of the Bernard/Faucon family bringing modernity to the craft in Apt and preserving its reputation. Born in Roussillon, she trained in the ceramics trades and joined the Atelier du Vieil Apt, where the know-how of the Faucon worshop was perpetuated. She opened her own workshop in 2013.
It will cost you
it is difficult to give a set price as they vary depending on the complexity of the parts, patterns and decors, but a bowl costs around forty euros
Practical Information
575 Av. Victor Hugo
84400 Apt
Open all year round from Monday to Friday (by appointment)
9am to 5pm
Christine Jouval
T. +33 (0)4 90 74 30 90
faienceapt@orange.fr
8 – A bottle of Ardence virgin olive oil
Good to know
It will cost you : €16 /20cl, or €26 /50cl, a small price to pay for so much taste, not to mention the health benefits!
It is the queen of olive oils from Provence, an exceptional cru, and what’s more, it’s organic. First of all, the olives – picholines mainly – are picked by hand, then pressed straight away.
The oil is instantly extracted at room temperature, without the need to mix the paste or cool it. It takes two to three times more olives to produce this particular oil, which explains the higher price, but this price is worth it for the quality of the oil: a pure fruit juice, which has retained all its polyphenols and antioxidants, as well as all the aromas contained in the fruit. A veritable elixir, which has won multiple tasting competitions!
Practical Information
Bastide du Laval
Chemin de la Royère
84160 Cadenet
Open all year round from Tuesday to Saturday
10am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm
Press contact: Julie Poullier
T. +33 (0)4 90 08 95 80
julie@bastidedulaval.com
9 – A collection of natural soaps made by Manon Monge
Another young farmer who moves mountains from her farm on the northern slopes of the Luberon.
The enthusiastic Manon Monge grows organic fruits, vegetables, aromatic plants and olive trees. With olive oil from her olive grove, she manufactures soaps using a “cold” method without any synthetic products. As for the rest, she harvests calendula from her fields to transform it into a solar maceration, picks wild St.John’s wort, uses the essential oils of neighbouring distilleries etc., in short, these small soaps only contain homegrown, good-quality products, which are also beautiful and smell divine!
It will cost you
€6.75 for a rosemary, lavender or cedar soap, a small price to pay for such an exquisite object, which will support a young farmer!
Practical Information
Hautes Courennes
84750 Saint Martin de Castillon
Online shop
Manon MONGE
manonmonge@gmail.com
T. 00 33 (0)6 73 05 99 52
10 – The tasty nougats of Les Frères Silvain
In the 1980s, in order to keep control over the sale of their production and the prices applied, the Sylvain brothers became the first farmers to produce nougats since they were already almond growers and beekeepers.
You can play the game of guessing which ingredients are behind the names of the gourmet, traditional and even aperitif nougats of the Silvain Brothers: “The Dreamer”, “The Partygoers” or “The Big Guy”…. And while athletes might opt for the “L’Endurante” energy bar, others will certainly hesitate: white citrus nougat, truffle nougat, quincy paste or Provence almonds… After all, do you really have to choose?
It will cost you
From €5.70 for a 100 g soft white nougat bar, €9 for a bag of 190 g fruit pastes and €8 for a 150 g bag of salted almonds. Prices you couldn’t argue with!
Practical Information
4 Place Neuve
84210 St Didier
Open from February to December
7/7 (except from February to May – closed on Mondays)
Online shop
T. +33 (0)4 90 66 09 57