The Salies-Salet Farm Producer of Cheeses / Cheesemongers in Arette

Our small family farm in the middle of the mountains is located in Arette, Quartier Vic de Bas. Surrounded by meadows and groves, we raise La Basco-Béarnaise, a local dairy sheep, which makes up our entire herd.

This rustic breed, adapted to the local Béarnais climate, produces quality milk that we transform into raw milk farm cheese. A few beef cows, the Blondes d'Aquitaine, accompany our herd.

To respect their well-being, we graze our sheep every day on rich and abundant grass. In winter, we bring them back in the evening to the sheepfold where they delight and feed on hay and new crops produced on the farm.

In summer, from June to September, the ewes move to the mountain pasture of Mahourat (La Pierre St Martin) at an altitude of 2000 metres. In these places of high limestone mountains we find a specific flora on which our animals like to graze.

This flora is their only food during the four months of summer, and this diversity and this rarity are found in the taste of our mountain pasture cheeses.

Up there, we have been able to preserve the know-how of our predecessors despite the hard work of being a cheese shepherd.

To continue with this quality approach, we refine our cheeses ourselves. Thus, they spend their first month in the summer pasture salting room then go back down to the family cellar where they will stay until the age of 6 months. During this long period, they are turned and stroked with salt water every day, which gives them that lovely hazelnut-colored crust.

The duration and success of ripening allows us to truly meet consumer expectations and achieve the taste qualities and optimum flavors of the cheese.

We welcome you all year round to the farm to taste our sheep tommes and tell you about our passion.

Production and sale of cheese on the farm as well.