AOC/AOP Festival in Cambremer, Normandy

The Rencontres de Cambremer, in the Pays d’Auge region, is an annual festival dedicated notably to the 14 Normandy Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées and Protégées. The gastronomic event has a twofold mission: to offer debates and meetings on the theme of product origins, and to introduce the public to the AOC (Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées) and AOP (Appellations d’Origine Protégées). This year, it took place on May 5th and 6th, 2018, and I had the chance to visit during a gourmet weekend full of discoveries. The guest of honor at the festival this year was Switzerland and its AOP cheeses.

On the festival program: workshops, round tables, tastings, a large AOC/AOP market, music (including free concerts)…

Assortment of Normandy AOC/AOP cheeses (Livarot, Neufchâtel, Camembert) and ciders.

Street musicians playing banjo and trombone during the Cambremer AOC/AOP Festival.

Tasting of Comté AOC/AOP wheels at a Normandy festival.

Church and old houses in Cambremer, Normandy, with a stone steeple.

Presentation of Comté wheels at the Cambremer AOC/AOP Festival.

Normandy festival with AOP/AOC cider and Swiss cheese stands.

Music festival and producers in tents in Cambremer, Normandy.

If you head to the festival next year, I advise you to come for one or two days and plan enough time to enjoy the festival to the fullest. The ideal is to be able to leisurely stroll around the exhibitors and learn more about the appellations (this was the case for me with Comté, where I discovered all its specificities through an educational game and tasting).

I also advise you to take a look at the schedule for the cooking workshops, which were hosted this year by Loïc Ballet (a culinary columnist known for Télématin, who is incredibly friendly, and with whom I had the chance to travel from Paris), and where you can find chefs as well as food bloggers. Not me, of course, but several of my friends were there (Anne from Panier de Saison, Annie from By acb 4 You, Gaëlle from La Tambouille de Bouille, and Stéphanie from Une Graine d’Idée). Another interesting activity is the taste workshops, which offer discoveries and guided tastings (all free, what’s more!).

And the festival is also an opportunity to discover the cheeses of the region (Livarot, Neufchâtel, Pont-l’Evêque, Camembert…), as well as apple juice, cider, and Pays d’Auge calvados, with the possibility of bringing some home, of course (coming by car can be a good option for shopping for local products). I also suggest you try a Normandy specialty: the Normandy Teurgoule (a sort of Normandy-style rice pudding with cinnamon).

Three smiling women in front of a flower shop window in Cambremer, Normandy.

Camembert de Normandie AOC/AOP cut on wrapping paper.

Livarot AOC Normandy cheese on paper, ready for the Cambremer Festival.

Tasting of Normandy AOC/AOP cheeses and ciders with opaque glasses.

Stand of Normandy products with sausages, cheeses, cider, and apple juice at the Cambremer Festival.

Fresh eggs and artisan apple juice for sale at the Cambremer farmers' market.

Bottles of organic apple juice "Pisse de Vache" at the Cambremer AOC/AOP Festival.

Tasting glass and apple juice bottles at the Cambremer AOC/AOP Festival.

Bottles of Pays d'Auge AMBREMER cider and VAUVRECY Calvados from Ferme de Billy.

Here is a small photo of my haul from this gourmet weekend.

Normandy AOC/AOP products: Isigny butter, Isigny cream, cheeses, cider, and Calvados.

Table of Contents

Visiting Domaine Antoine Marois

If you’re in the area, I highly recommend going to discover this producer of local terroir products to bring back some bottles of his excellent cider! And besides, if you’re a fan, he also makes ice cider (somewhat like in Quebec, but the taste is still a bit different). For the non-alcoholic version, you can also bring back apple juice. And as the cherry on top, the estate is just magnificent, so it will be the perfect occasion for a little bucolic walk…

Six bottles of Antoine Marois cider: Jurassique, La Roche, La Garenne, Les Silex, Casus Belli, Blizzard.

Woman under a large majestic tree in Normandy.

Stainless steel vats and oak barrels in a cider or wine production cellar.

Domaine Antoine Marois Normandy with dirt path and greenery.

Horse and foal in a meadow under an apple tree in Normandy.

Domaine Antoine Marois

Le Chêne de Beauvais

520, rue d'Englesqueville 14340 Cambremer

Where to eat and stay in the surroundings of Cambremer?

As per usual, I suggest a selection of good addresses (restaurant and accommodation) that I was able to test during my time at the festival this year.

The restaurant Au P’tit Normand

This very lovely traditional restaurant is located in the center of the town of Cambremer and offers cuisine full of finesse with local products.

Restaurant terrace in Cambremer with red umbrella and AOC/AOP Festival poster.

Au P’tit Normand
Place de l'église, 14340 Cambremer

Price: menu at €27 (lunch and dinner) including appetizer + main course + cheese or dessert

The restaurant Les Saisons

Located in the heart of Cambremer, this restaurant can be a useful option to take a seated break in the middle of your festival visit (and thus rest a little).

Interior of a Normandy bistro, carved wooden bench, bar, and chalkboard with "Les Saisons Bon Appétit".

Small plant in a metal bucket on a table with a glass of water and a decorated tablecloth.

Restaurant Les Saisons
3 Rue Commerce, 14340 Cambremer

Price: AOC menu for the festival with main course + dessert for €12

The crêperie of the Jardins du Pays d’Auge

If you have a bit more time, I strongly advise you to head a bit away from the center of town to discover this crêperie, set in a sumptuous building renovated with great taste. Furthermore, it is nestled right in the middle of the magnificent Jardins du Pays d’Auge (admission €8.50 for adults) which you can visit before or after your lunch, for example.

The little extra: a superb terrace, ideal for sunny days and to fully enjoy the setting!

Flowery garden and Normandy houses at Domaine Antoine Marois Cambremer.

Buckwheat galette with salad and a drink on an outdoor table.

Normandy restaurant terrace with stone and timber-framed house, near Cambremer.

Normandy restaurant terrace with Carte d'Or umbrellas and stone buildings.

Garden furniture in front of a stone Normandy building, set table.

Buckwheat galette and salad with a drink, meal in Normandy.

Crêperie des Jardins du Pays d'Auge
route des 3 rois, 14340 Cambremer

Price of crêpes: between €6.50 and €12.50

Le Pavé d’Hôtes

This charming bed and breakfast is located in the very pretty village of Beuvron-en-Auge (about fifteen minutes by car from Cambremer), which is worth the detour as it is one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Restaurant interior with rustic fireplace, brown leather armchairs, and pink wall.

Set table with cups and plates in front of a Normandy-style timber-framed wall.

Le Pavé d'Hôtes
14430 Beuvron-en-Auge

Rates for my ground-floor room: between €91 and €118 (depending on the season and the number of people)

Thanks to the Michèle Frêné Conseil agency, Elsa, and the Cambremer Festival for this invitation!

Sunny Normandy orchard with a large oak tree and a clear blue sky.

I hope that all of this will have made you want to discover the Cambremer festival and the products of the Pays d’Auge, and if you also have your own good addresses and tips for this event, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!

White bearded goat looking at the camera in a green field, near the Moulin d'Andé.

Find all my articles about the Normandy region below:
⇒ All my articles about Normandy

MY ARTICLES ON NORMANDY DEPARTMENTS
⇒ L’Orne
⇒ La Seine Maritime
⇒ L’Eure
⇒ Le Calvados
⇒ La Manche

Photo credits: Melle Bon Plan
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