Caroline and Mickaël bought the Clavel berlingot sweet-making workshop in 2018 when they wanted a change of direction in their life. They were charmed by the patrimonial side of this traditional Provence sweet, the thousand colours and flavours of which all the children in Provence love.
The Carpentras berlingot sweet
Its history will soon date back to two centuries: in 1844, a pastry and sweet-maker in Carpentras had the idea of using the fruit syrups from making candied fruits, another speciality produced locally since the Middle Ages, to make sweets.
They were a great success that continues today, with the round metal tins used to best keep these colourful little striped pyramids piled high on shelves in Provencal groceries.
Did you know?
The real Carpentras berlingot mint-flavoured sweet is pink!
The workshop tour
This is the gastronomic heritage that the young couple wanted to give people the opportunity to discover.
Tours can be booked of the newly set-up workshop in Monteux, between Avignon and Carpentras, and they show visitors around themselves to explain the craft, from the press that has been shaping the sweets since 1930 to the icing machine (so they don’t stick together!) and the little machine that safely wraps the lollipops.
A local, eco-friendly sweet
Caroline and Mickaël wanted to go further than just contributing to preserving this culinary heritage, and endeavour to source local, high quality natural ingredients. No more artificial colourings have been used for two years, but vegetable colourings instead: carrots, radishes, lemon or sweet potato!
Natural flavourings supplied by the Reynaud company a few kilometres away, and which enable twenty-or so berlingot flavours to be produced, strawberry and mint of course, but also poppy, lavender, rose… The sugar is French and the cardboard boxes are made in Nîmes. Even the individual wrappers on the lollipops are made from wood fibre and can therefore be composted.
Passing on knowledge forms the final aspect. The team is young and the couple are set on completely involving them in the life of the young company and passing on to them how proud they are to convey this craft.
Fruit pastes, honey sweets, quince jam, marshmallows…
Good to know
The artisanal company is in the process of being awarded the “Living Heritage Company’ label
Apart from the berlingot, the divine fruit pastes with local flavours also have to be mentioned: Provence apricot, Cavaillon melon, Carpentras strawberries, Rhône Valley peaches, and even – and it’s unique – Ardèche chestnut paste! The fruit comes from the surrounding area, with clementines coming from Corsica as the furthest place. This is also the case for the quince used for one of the traditional 13 Christmas desserts of Provence, quince jam, and honey for the lozenges which is extracted in South Luberon.
How the tours take place
Guided tour of the workshop
From the sugar boiling in the large cooking pot to shaping the berlingots and wrapping. It’s a real dive into the sweet-making world, its history and sweet-making processes! The tours ends in the shop.
Length: 45 minutes
Languages: French / English / Spanish
Maximum group size: 60 people, divided into 2 groups of 30 for the tour.
Days open: every Monday and by booking only the other days of the week. Closed on public holidays.
Price: €3/person, free for under-8-yo. €5/pers. for groups of children, including a bag of sweets given at the of the tour.
Parking for buses.
Contact information
La Micaline Agro
796A Avenue Cugnot Parc des Escampades
84170 Monteux
T. +33 (0)4 90 67 31 30
contact@confiserie1844.fr
www.confiserie1844.fr
4.970708
44.034111