In a sunny corner of Bormes les Mimosas, Laura and Rémi created La Butinerie, a beekeeping operation that offers natural honeys with unique flavors. Their journey into the world of bees began in childhood, with Rémi accompanying his father to the hives. Today, they raise their bees with love and are careful to promote biodiversity and sustainability. In this interview, we delve into their story, their commitment and their passion for bees and honey.
What was your journey to becoming a beekeeper?
I was born in the bees. My mother at the time used to put a mosquito net on my crib so that I can approach them. This is probably why I works today with confidence with my winged friends, most of the time without my gloves. I learned the job with my father that I have always accompanied. As a child, I held the smoker so that the bees remain calm and my father works serenely. I hope at that moment that, in a few years, it will be him who accompanies me with the same gesture.
What are the challenges of being a beekeeper?
Being in the right place at the right time
One of challenges of the beekeeping profession is follow the honeydew. To harvest lavender honey, for example, we need to bring our hives within 3km of the lavender fields, just as they are beginning to bloom. We then need harvest the supers full of honey as soon as these flowers fade or are cut. This is how we know that we have “lavender” honey and not from another flower. We We move the hives throughout the seasons and the blooms for harvest different honeys. This is called the transhumance.
Why did you choose Bormes les Mimosas to set up the honey house?
Very close to the village, there is my grandfather's old house. We moved there about ten years ago, and that's where it all started. Bormes the Mimosas offers exceptional site for bees. It’s a sunny, natural and preserved setting. THEwinter is mild and the beekeeping season starts early there. From February, the bees go looking for mimosa pollen to feed their offspring. Our hives are installed at in the middle of wild expanses of scrubland, between sea side and Massif des Maures.
Some key figures
35
years of experience with bees
42 125 683
bees at La Butinerie
41 230
km per bee for 1kg of honey
What is special about your honey?
À The Butinerie, we are “great transhumants”. We have hives in the South who harvest the scrubland, garrigue and lavender honeys. But we also have beehives in the Massif Central and even in the Center of France, at Rémi's parents' house. Up there, they give us some more original honeys like buckwheat or coriander. Or simply the flower, acacia and chestnut honeys. Their availability remain random and of course depend on the vagaries of nature.
Real honey, 100% from our bees!
We can thus offer a wide range of honey to taste. However, our commitment is strong: We only present natural honeys, from our farm, harvested by our bees.
Are there any unique flavors associated with the Bormes region?
Our hives are placed between the massif, the plain and the ridge road, sea view. From the spring, the bees forage for seaside wildflowers, white heather, butterfly lavender and asphodel. These precious nectars make up the famous Maquis honey, honey from Bormes les Mimosas. This honey has character and amazing caramelized flavors.
What are the steps in making honey?
De l'élevage from bees to potting honey, we carry out each step ourselves and with the greatest care. The season starts from the month of Mar with l'élevage. We raise our own queen bees, to form swarms, “baby hives”. We take care of our hives throughout the season, during the transhumance. Each time end of flowering, us let's harvest the honey. That is to say, we are going to look for increases full of honey for the bring back to the honey house. It is in this building, at Bormes the Mimosas, which begins the extraction of honey.
Once the honey is put in jars, we also take care of the sale of our products on markets or at the honey house. This is for the consumer a perfect traceability.
What are your initiatives to promote biodiversity and sustainability?
A job that makes sense
This is what we anime and U.S gives energy essential for coping with climatic hazards and difficulties of our profession. At our level, we hope to contribute to the balance of biodiversity.
Bees produce a gourmet product, honey, and that already makes our happiness. But you know well that the manufacturing process Honey also contributes to the pollination. By taking care of our hives and raising new colonies each year, we hope to participate in the preservation of bees and biodiversity.
What are your actions towards educating the public about bees and beekeeping?
In season, the honey house opens its doors to the public. The idea is to discover the work building. During this visit, you can see, touch, smell, taste. We have imagined a fun and interactive course learning while having fun, for young and old.
En guided tour or freely, the visitor discovers the honey production, from the flower to the hive, to the potting. Convinced that our future is built together, these visits, free and accessible to all, raise awareness of the Environmental Protection and participate in the saving bees.
At the honey house, we also have the pleasure of receiving school groups. The little ones discover the life of the colony and approach the bees closely of the glass hive. The challenge is to understand the role of bees in the balance of biodiversity.
10 years ago, Rémi wanted to get into bees and set up your business. For its part, Laura rather saw himself continuing his cultural projects in the city, working in a museum. One evening, while they were trying to imagine the outlines of a life together, they drew on a piece of paper. the sketch of a crazy idea. “A great honey house to visit, with an incredible exhibition on bees.” Laura fell asleep on this utopian dream, but Rémi was already starting to looking for agricultural land in Bormes les Mimosas to make this dream come true! This is how was born The Butinerie 🥰
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