In Montricher, La Fromagerie Gourmande unveils all the stages of Gruyère AOP production through a playful and interactive visit that brings the five senses to life. An original way to discover a national flagship.
We wanted to find somewhere indoors to visit on Sunday since it was quite cold and windy so we settled on the Fromagerie Gourmande which is not far from Aubonne.
We are big fans of cheese in our house and even though we don't agree on whether the best producers are English or French, we are united in our love of Swiss cheese, so it was great for us to discover a bit more about how it is made.
The exhibition is above the cheese factory itself and there are glass panels in the floor so that you can see the production going on live (or wave and blow kisses to the people below in Alba’s case). The steps in the cheese making process are clearly explained and it’s a very user friendly exhibition with lots to look at, culminating in a view of the cheese maturing cellar with its amazing cheese brushing machine.
There is a nice little play area upstairs too as well as a smart bar/café. The cheese shop was sadly closed when we were there but there was a vending machine so we bought some fresh milk, some fondue and a delicious stab of gruyere for a little dégustation when we got home. Jude said the milk was the best he had ever had and, despite being strictly a cheddar man, he loved the fresh Gruyere cheese too.
It’s a great short outing...and free!
Information
Parking : Yes
Toilets : Yes
Baby Change Facilities : Not that we saw
Accessibility : Possible for pushchairs or wheelchairs
Wednesday to Saturday
9 h - 16 h
Sunday
9 h - 18 h