Cheese dairies and cooperatives
In Savoie, the “fruitière” has nothing to do with fruit: it is the local name for the cheese cooperative. That is where the milk of several farms is gathered, turned into cheese and aged. For anyone who wants to buy Savoie cheese as close as possible to the producer, the fruitière is the right move, often better and cheaper than the supermarket.
What a fruitière is
The word “fruitière” comes from the idea of pooling the “fruit” of the work, that is, the milk. In a valley, several farmers brought their milk to a common workshop, where a cheesemaker turned it into large wheels. This cooperative organisation is old and stays very much alive in Savoie. It made it possible to produce keeping cheeses such as beaufort or abondance, which need a lot of milk for a single wheel.
Today the fruitière collects the milk of its member farms, makes the cheese according to the appellation rules, ages it in a cellar, and sells it in a shop on site. Buying at the fruitière directly supports the local farmers.
Why buy your cheese there
At the fruitière, the cheese is fresh, well aged and at the best price, with no middleman. You find the valley’s cheeses, from reblochon to abondance by way of Tomme de Savoie and beaufort, often in several stages of ageing. The cheesemaker advises, lets you taste, and cuts to order. It is also the right place to buy what you need for a fondue or a raclette.
The cellar visits
Many fruitières and cooperatives offer visits of their workshop and ageing cellar. There you see the work of the milk, the moulding, the pressing, and the rows of wheels maturing on the spruce boards. Some organise a tasting at the end. It is an ideal outing in bad weather or with children, and a good way to understand what is on your plate.
Where to find them
You find fruitières in every cheese valley of Haute-Savoie: the Aravis and the Thônes area for reblochon, the Abondance valley for abondance, the Grand Massif around Samoëns. The destination pages and tourist offices show the fruitières open for visits. To string together several producers, see the cheese routes page.