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 among the bees. My mother used to put a mosquito net over my crib so I could get close to them. That's surely why I work with my winged friends so confidently today , most of the time without gloves. I learned the trade from my father , whom I've always been by my side. As a child, I held the smoker to keep the bees calm so my father could work peacefully. I hope that, in a few years, he'll be the one guiding me with the same gesture.
What are the challenges of being a beekeeper?
Being in the right place at the right time
One of the challenges of beekeeping is following the nectar flows. To harvest lavender honey, for example, we need to move our hives to within 3 km of the lavender fields, right at the beginning of the flowering season. We then have to harvest the honey supers as soon as the flowers wither or are cut. This is how we know we have "lavender" honey and not honey from another flower. We move the hives throughout the seasons and according to the blooms to harvest different honeys. This is called transhumance.
Why did you choose Bormes les Mimosas to set up the honey house?
Very close to the village is my grandfather's old house. We moved there about ten years ago, and that's where it all began. Bormes-les-Mimosas offers an exceptional location for bees. It's a sunny, natural, and unspoiled setting. The winters are mild , and the beekeeping season starts early. As early as February, the bees gather mimosa pollen to feed their offspring. Our hives are located amidst the wild expanses of maquis shrubland, between the coast and the Massif des Maures mountains.
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?
At La Butinerie , we're "great transhumant beekeepers." We have hives in the South that harvest honeys from the maquis, garrigue, and lavender. But we also have hives in the Massif Central and even as far north as Central France, at Rémi's parents' place. Up there, they give us more unusual honeys like buckwheat or coriander. Or simply wildflower honeys, acacia and chestnut. Their availability remains unpredictable and, of course, depends on the whims of nature.
Real honey, 100% from our bees!
We can therefore offer a wide range of honeys to taste. However, our commitment is strong: we only offer natural honeys, produced on our farm, harvested by our bees.
Are there any unique flavors associated with the Bormes region?
Our beehives are located between the mountains, the plain, and the ridge road, overlooking the sea. From spring onwards , the bees forage on the wildflowers along the coast: white heather, butterfly lavender, and asphodel. These precious nectars make up the famous Maquis honey , the honey of Bormes-les-Mimosas. This honey has character and surprising caramelized flavors.
What are the steps in making honey?
From raising the bees to bottling the honey, we carry out each step ourselves with the utmost care. The season begins in March with beekeeping . We raise our own queen bees to form swarms, or "baby hives." We tend to our hives throughout the season, following the seasonal migrations. At the end of each bloom, we harvest the honey. This means we collect the supers full of honey and bring them back to the honey house. It is in this building, in Bormes-les-Mimosas, that the honey extraction begins.
Once the honey is jarred, we also handle the sale of our products ourselves at markets or at the honey house . This ensures perfect traceability for the consumer.
What are your initiatives to promote biodiversity and sustainability?
A job that makes sense
This is what drives us and gives us the essential energy to face the vagaries of the climate and the challenges of our profession. At our level, we hope to contribute to the balance of biodiversity.
Bees produce a delicious product, honey, and that already brings us joy . But you know that the honey -making process also plays a role in pollination. By taking care of our hives and raising new colonies each year, we hope to contribute to the preservation of bees and biodiversity.
What are your actions towards educating the public about bees and beekeeping?
During the honey season, the apiary opens its doors to the public. The idea is to discover the working environment. During this visit, you can see, touch, smell, and taste. We've designed a fun and interactive experience for learning while having fun, for both children and adults.
Whether on a guided tour or exploring independently, visitors discover the honey-making process, from the flower to the hive, all the way to the jar. Convinced that our future is built together, these free tours, accessible to all, raise awareness about environmental protection and contribute to the preservation of bees.
At the honey house, we also have the pleasure of welcoming school groups. The children discover the life of the colony and get up close to the bees in the glass-sided hive. The aim is to understand the role of bees in maintaining biodiversity.
Ten years ago, Rémi wanted to start beekeeping and set up his own operation. Laura , on the other hand, envisioned continuing her cultural projects in the city, working in a museum . One evening, as they tried to imagine their future together, they sketched out a crazy idea on a scrap of paper: "A large honey house open to the public, with an incredible exhibition about bees." Laura drifted off to sleep with this utopian dream, but Rémi had already begun searching for farmland in Bormes-les-Mimosas to make it a reality! And that's how La Butinerie was born 🥰
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