Paris1972-Versailles2003

Moving right along from my latest visit this week, i come to what my readers should know is a very sentimental town and all of it for me. This is Meaux in dept 77 Seine et Marne of the Ïle de France region of my belle France. I like to tell you a bit on the foodie in Meaux, Brie de Meaux, and more !!! Hope you enjoy it as I

We came again to another nostalgic place my dear late wife Martine introduce me and I continue religiously, this is Meaux. If you know French gastronomy and you should simply the best always imitated but never better,then you should know about Brie. The Brie de Meaux cheese (the real one here! ) was elected by the leaders of Europe in the Congress of Vienna of 1815 as the king of cheeses and the cheese of kings! Here is the original anywhere else is imitation even if legally sold the milk for the original has to come from Brie country and only here you get the Terre de Meaux brie with raw cow milk from the Meaux region or pays de Meaux!! Enjoy it while here, short distance from Paris and Disneyland and none better than the Fromagerie Saint Faron, unique.

The one in Meaux has been doing for years from generation to generation and the one our family buys from. This is the Fromagerie de Saint Faron. Here it is produce as well as the smaller cousin of Melun. You can have tours and tastings as well.  The guided tours can be done in English or French. Groups are done with reservations,and individual visits can be done Wednesdays,Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9h -12h30 and 14h30 -17h. The place is outside the city in an industrial park just before reaching the museum of WWI and the American Monument on the N405 road. From the train station in Meaux coming from Paris gare de l’Est you can take bus P to it or take the navette bus from the train station to the museum WWI and walk down to the cheese maker. By car of course , we come always as it is on the way to my In-Laws house!

I was introduce back in 1990 by my dear late wife Martine, and always come back here for more, Meaux is in Brie country, the original Brie cheese often imitated ,copied you name it but the original is from right here. The couple of places still making it traditionally one we always go is the Fromagerie Saint Faron near the museum of the great war (WWI) and the American Monument. (see posts), Here you can buy the Brie in all sorts and the beer of Meaux as well as the Pommery mustard of Meaux famous by all chefs in the world. The spot to be with little time is this one !! Of course, we loaded up to bring back home. Enjoy it while here, short distance from Paris and Disneyland and none better than the Fromagerie Saint Faron, unique.

Awarded in 2017, with the prestigious Prize of Excellence at the Concours Général Agricole de Paris, this cheese factory preserves the ancestral techniques of making brie.   For an update, the Triple Crème P’tit Saint-Faron or the triple cream small St Faron has been awarded at Lyon Concours international des fromages et des produits laitiers as the best Brie de Meaux cheese in the world ! And for the Brie de Melun, the silver medal! This was in November 29 2024.

 

The fromagerie Saint-Faron dairy, producer and refiner of Brie de Meaux AOP and Brie de Melun AOP. It takes its name, “Saint Faron,” from one of the 7C bishops of Meaux. Awarded the prestigious Prix d’Excellence at the Concours Général Agricole in Paris in 2017, this cheese dairy preserves the ancestral techniques of Brie production. Discover Brie de Meaux Terre de Meaux, the only Brie de Meaux made and matured in Meaux: high-quality raw milk selected from 12 local producers, hand-molded in two stages using a shovel, and matured for a minimum of 7 weeks. Renovation of the visitor circuit with fun and educational videos to learn more about all the stages of making Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun and the p’tit Saint-Faron voted best cheese in the world 2025 ! An outdoor area with tables and benches open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9h to 12h30, and from 14h to 17h.

The local Meaux Marne Ourcq tourist office on the fromagerie Saint Faron : https://www.meaux-marne-ourcq.com/en/savour/our-producers-shops/4672273_fromagerie-de-meaux-saint-faron/

The Facebook page of the Fromagerie Saint Faron : https://www.facebook.com/fromageriesaintfaron/

There is a group Brie de Meaux et de Melun, that protects the cheeses creating an AOP or Appellation d’Origine Protégée. The official Brie de Meaux et Melun: https://www.briedemeauxetdemelun.fr/

For the Brie de Meaux ,there is the Confrérie des Compagnons du Brie de Meaux  or grouping of lovers of the cheese that is to protect and defend the tradition; the official Confrérie des Compagnons du Brie de Meaux : https://www.confreriedubriedemeaux.fr/

There is a group Brie de Meaux et de Melun, that protects the cheeses creating an AOP or Appellation d’Origine Protégée. The official Brie de Meaux et Melun: https://www.briedemeauxetdemelun.fr/

The brie de Meaux is done on a covering crusted in hormones of the cow’s milk ,soft and fondant, it has a flowery smell and it is delicious alone or with bread or an apple or even with honey. It takes about 25 liters of milk for 3,5 kg of cheese in a round form. It was first given credit to be created in the Abbey of Notre Dame de Jouarre (see post) about 17 km from Meaux on the N3 road.  Today due to shrinkage of the old traditions, the cheese makers are for 70% of the production located in the areas of Cousances-lés-Triconville, Raival, and Biencourt-sur-Orge within the allow territory of the AOP.  Covering several departments such as Seine-et-Marne (77), Loiret(45), Meuse(55) , Aube(10), Marne(51)  , Haute-Marne(52), and Yonne(89). And I have seen even in Savoie!(73). Other than at Meaux itself, you can get a good one at the oldest family run cheesemaker or fromagerie place that of fromagerie Ganot since 1895. The fromagerie Ganot is located at 4 rue Cécile Dumez , Jouarre. The official fromagerie Ganot: https://www.fromagerie-ganot.fr/

And in the former post office, in the heart of the episcopal city of Meaux, you’ll find the tourist office reception. Take the opportunity to visit the Maison du Brie de Meaux or House of Brie de Meaux located on the first floor. If you’re lucky, you might even meet members of the Confrérie du Brie de Meaux or Brotherhood of Brie de Meaux! Reenactments and displays will allow you to learn more about the history of this famous cheese. You’ll discover the different stages of its production, from milk collection to aging in the cellars. Then you’ll learn about the current challenges facing Brie de Meaux AOP, proudly represented by its Brotherhood. To top off this experience, tastings are available by reservation through the tourist office’s online ticketing service. Throughout the year, events celebrating Brie and local produce are offered! Workshops, tastings, exhibitions—there’s something for everyone! It is right in the Episcopal palace next to the Museum Bossuet. You can buy it direct too.  5 place Charles-de-Gaulle, Meaux. The City of Meaux on the Maison du Brie de Meaux:https://www.ville-meaux.fr/ma-ville-et-actualites/tourisme/balade-a-meaux/la-maison-du-brie-de-meaux

This is the real Brie de Meaux, the king of cheeses, the cheese of kings , Vienna Congress 1815. Indeed, and there are lots of imitations and even those claiming to be using the same method but in far away lands ,even in France.  However, the real unique Brie de Meaux comes from the brie region of the department 77 Seine-et-Marne, and the town of  Meaux  (from which my wife comes from) is the epicenter of it. Sadly, today , many farmers are gone, industrialization has and does kill traditions. It remains only folks like us, me to preserve them and sponsored them so they keep delighting us with the real thing.

The Brasserie de Meaux, opened in December 2015, offers quality craft beers. From wheat beer and blonde ale to amber, brown, Christmas beer, and cherry beer, Meaux beers pair perfectly with local cheeses or are simply delicious as an aperitif or with friends. The blonde beer, created in December 2015, was the first in the range, quickly followed by an amber beer in March 2016. The wheat beer was Brasserie de Meaux’s third creation in June 2016. A brown beer joined the family at the end of 2016. The cherry beer arrived in spring 2018, and the Christmas beer is available for the holiday season. Brasserie de Meaux won no fewer than 3 medals at the Concours Général Agricole PARIS 2023: Silver Medal for our 77 Happy Blonde, Bronze Medal for our Blanche de Meaux, and Silver Medal for our 77 IPA. They only open on Friday and we were on Thursday but they have stock at the fromagerie Saint Faron above.See basket!

The official Brasserie de Meaux (brewery) : https://www.brasseriedemeaux.com/

Since 2020, the Maison Saint-Nicolas bakery has replaced Maison Aucuit at 154 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Nicolas. Christophe Aucuit gave way to Nhanndi Yessine, Another of mye dear late wife Martine favorite shops, The bakery is open Monday to Sunday from 7h to 18h30, check for later hours. The city center shops are spread across three districts: the Cathedral, the Faubourg Saint-Nicolas, and the Market. The Rue Faubourg Saint Nicolas and the bakery is just off the Rue Noefort where I met my dear wife in 1990,  My dear late wife Martine took me to the bakery here and came thereafter, I still do each time in town to bring sweets and bread to the family still around the city. The bakery is Le Fournil du Faubourg  at 52 rue du Faubourg Saint Nicolas or the other closer as this time Boulangerie Saint-Nicolas, at 154 rue du Faubourg Saint Nicolas,who took over from the former Maison Aucuit,

No website but RestaurantGuru reviews under old name of Maison Aucuit : https://restaurantguru.com/Maison-Aucuit-Meaux

The Saturday market is the highlight of the week. The two market halls house the food section, including butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers, fruit and vegetable vendors, cheesemongers, and florists. Food vendors also share the market with specialty merchants (clothing, home decor, tableware, accessories, etc.) in the adjacent streets. Open every Saturday, year-round, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The food section is open from 8h to 13h, and the non-food section from 8h to 17h

The local Meaux Marne Ourcq tourist office on the markets of Meaux : https://www.meaux-marne-ourcq.com/en/savour/markets/

The Campanile Hotel Restaurant is located 5 km from Meaux train station, 45 km from Paris via the A4 autoroute, and 20 minutes from Disneyland Paris. The hotel is also close to the A1 autoroute, 15 km from Roissy CDG Airport, Lille, and Parc Astérix. I posted here for the memories as it was a hotel I stayed with my dear late Mom Gladys in March 1991 when came for the wedding reception with my dear late wife Martine, and there was no space in the house from so many guests,Thereafter, we stayed in the house,

The official Campanile Hotel of Meaux : https://meaux.campanile.com/en-us/

My dear late wife Martine took me for lunch at a pizzeria, a simple restaurant near the administrative buildings of the City where she was born. It was nice, pleasant, good value, I enjoy it, this was back in around 1991-92 ! When we moved to France in 2003, of course we visit Meaux and had lunch here at the Pizzeria Villa Roma ,with our boys and parents at the same pizzeria, and the owners recognised us ! Now each time in town, we make sure we have lunch once here and even after she passed away, when I am back in town with the boys, we come to eat here too; the owners’ family still the same since 2002, amazing! Needless, to say if in the area or passing visiting Disneyland Paris only 30 minutes away by car, I have to recommend a stop here at  29 Avenue du Président Salvador Allende intersection with the Rue de la Coulommiére diagonally facing the administrative city government buildings.

The official Pizzeria Villa Roma (under maintenance) : https://pizzeriavillaroma.eatbu.com/?lang=en

The RestaurantGuru reviews on Pizzeria Villa Roma:  https://restaurantguru.com/villa-roma-Meaux

And , do not forget the mustard or moutard de Meaux Pommery world famous use by all the grand chefs of France and the world. It was known since antiquity, only offered to the religious orders at the time around 1632; it was in 1760 that the secrets was passed on to a Mr Pommery. It was served on the Royal tables and located at behind the Cathedral later moved to rue faubourg St Nicolas until 1927, however in 1925 the last of the Pommery sold the secret, name, business and all; even if the new owners since has used the same recipe.  We use it at home and buy at Meaux the original, the mustard a l’ancienne or old ways that is use in cooking and also to eat along great steaks !! You can buy at the maison du brie or the fromagerie St faron (see posts), The official mustard maker distributor is the Assaisonnements Briards : https://www.moutarde-de-meaux.com/

There you go folks, my always memorable Meaux always glad to be back, and flashes of better times here with my dear late wife Martine who introduce me to her shops in Meaux, I keep buying it. Thanks for reading me over these years since 2010. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the foodie in Meaux, Brie de Meaux, and more !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!