Les Confitdélices de Sophie
Sophie Thiriet
Spread over 10 hectares of land, an orchard of fruit trees provides shade for this caravan owned by Sophie Thiriet, where guests can enjoy a stay surrounded by nature. The orchard is also a playground for the retired animals from the Noah’s Ark educational farm, where she welcomes groups and families to share her passion for animals.
Sophie uses the fruit produced in the orchard to make jam, depending on availability and her inspiration. She makes a multitude of flavours, with a good dose of tradition and a pinch of originality. “I like to mix fruit with other flavours, such as mirabelle plums with almonds, speculoos biscuits or lemon. For Christmas I make purple quetsch plum jam with almonds, walnuts and mulled- wine spices. Winter also sees fig jam, onion chutney and Sauternes or Gewurztraminer jelly, for serving with foie gras.” Her jams and preserves are on sale on site and in other local shops.
Les Confitdélices de Sophie
8, La Fosse aux Chevaux, 08261 ETEIGNERES
Département des Ardennes, France
Tel: +33 6 85 79 21 43
https://www.facebook.com/confitdelicesdesophie/
Fruit trees provide shade for Sophie Thiriet's caravan, for a stay surrounded by nature.
Cooking at Confidélices de Sophie
Wide range at Confidélices de Sophie
Grapes at Confidélices de Sophie
Noah's Ark workshops at Confidélices de Sophie
Jar of jam at Confidélices de Sophie
Sophie recommends: GAEC de la Croix de Fer
At GAEC de la Croix de Fer, on the Rocroi plain, Claudine and Jérôme Lenoir raise dairy cattle. They use the milk they produce to make “delicious cream and excellent butter” according to Sophie. And also delicious yogurt and tommette hard cheese with fenugreek.
These products are only sold at the farm, ensuring low food miles.
The undisputed star of Claudine’s produce is her famous Rocroy cheese, made with skimmed cow’s milk, with curds pressed to create a soft cheese with a washed brown rind. There is evidence it was being produced in this area in the seventeenth century, and similar cheese would also have been maturing in the kitchens of most local farms in the twentieth century. It’s said to be related to Maroilles cheese, with a similar strong scent but a very fine flavour. It is recognised as the lightest cheese in France, with barely 10% fat content!
GAEC de la Croix de Fer
1824, La Croix de Fer, 08230 ROCROI
Département des Ardennes, France
Tel: +33 6 29 18 20 02
https://www.facebook.com/Gaec-de-la-croix-de-fer-1233386623406373/?ref=page_internal
Photo credit: NickyPe / Pixabay
GAEC de la Croix de Fer
GAEC de la Croix de Fer cow in the cowshed
