Fromagerie Urepel

La FROMAGERIE D'UREPEL was founded in November 1993 at the instigation of shepherds in the commune who formed an association (Groupement Pastoral TEYLE) to deal with the threat of an industrial cheese dairy stopping collecting sheep's milk.

The specificity of our company lies in the fact that we continue to produce exclusively raw sheep's milk cheeses despite the constraints linked to the processing of mixed milk: we are currently the only ones in the Basque Country to process everything into raw milk; our competitors hardly make any more.

The milk thus retains all its flora and richness, which allows us to make cheeses with a real authenticity and particular taste.

The production of Urepel cheese is seasonal. It runs from December to July. It respects the ancestral traditions of local pastoralism.

The production of fresh cheese takes one day (from milk collection to salting).
Urepel cheese comes in two formats: tome (2 kg) and tomette (800 g).

Refining is carried out at a temperature of 10.5 to 12.5 °C. This stage lasts an average of 4 to 8 months depending on the size of the cheese and the season.

This cheese has a completely natural rind. It is simply cleaned with water for marketing.

95% of the products are marketed in the Basque Country.
We organise visits to the cheese dairy for groups of 50 people and also for individuals: during a guided tour, we show you the secrets of the cheese making process. FROMAGE D’UREPEL.

In fact, our cheese dairy is designed to receive the public thanks to its windows that show the different rooms, thanks to explanatory panels that trace the cheese making process from the collection of the milk to its maturing.

We also talk about traditional pastoralism, with the maintenance of the "black-headed Manech" sheep, an emblematic breed of the Basque mountains; we also talk about the culture, language and also the way of life of the people of the valley: in short, all subjects are covered because in fact it is a global visit to the region.

TASTING-SALE AT THE CHEESE DAIRY :

- all year round: 9:00 > 12:00
- from 01/07 to 31/08 : 9:00 > 12:00 / 14:00 > 18:00
guided tour of the cheese dairy :
- all year round : by appointment
- from 01/07 to 31/08 : every thursday, visit with the cheese maker without appointment : 14:00 > 18:00
- ALL YEAR ROUND: closed WE and bank holidays