Buchette de Manon is made by Francois and Vanessa Matso, who revived an abandoned farm in Simiane la Rotonde, in Haute-Provence, France. Their cheeses are made from the milk of Rove goats, an ancient Provencal breed.
Rove goats originate from Mesopotamia in Iraq but have been in Provence, France since ancient times. They are goats which move around a lot and feed themselves on the ‘Garrigue’ - low, woody, fragrant vegetation, which is typical in Mediterranean regions. They eat hardy herbs and flowers, including rosemary, thyme, lavender and savoury, and produce a very rich, concentrated and flavoursome milk in return.
Due to the scarcity of food and arid temperatures throughout the long summers, the goats hardly produce any milk, though what they do produce is hugely flavoursome and nutritious, and packed with vitamins.
The goats are outdoor reared on the organic garrigue and their milk is made into cheese just next door, meaning there are very few food miles in production and none in sourcing food.
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