Les Ruches de Mamille

Based in La Couronne, on the outskirts of Angoulême, Les Ruches de Mamille is a young beekeeping business set up in late 2022. Rémi Blond produces a product that is particularly unusual for the Charente region: royal jelly, alongside several varieties of honey and fresh pollen.

The farm benefits from an environment rich in biodiversity, in the heart of the Eaux Claires valley and close to a Natura 2000 site. This floral diversity provides a valuable setting for the bees and for the beekeeper’s work.

History and origins

Les Ruches de Mamille is a young beekeeping business established in late 2022. Rémi Blond trained in beekeeping at the École du Rucher before setting up in La Couronne. His career path has taken him to the Pyrenees, Mouthiers-sur-Boëme and Roullet-Saint-Estèphe, amongst other places.

The apiary is now firmly established in the La Couronne and Angoumois regions.

Expertise

What sets Les Ruches de Mamille apart is its production of royal jelly, a demanding product that requires precision and consistency. Rémi Blond harvests it every three days, in line with the development of the royal jelly cells.

Production takes place in an environment particularly favourable to beekeeping, with a diverse range of flora surrounding the apiaries.

The farm is part of the royal jelly producers’ association, and its royal jelly carries the GRF – Gelée Royale Française – label.

Products

• Royal jelly. This is the farm’s flagship product. It is available in 10 g jars or in packs of 3 × 10 g.
• Spring honey. A honey derived from spring blooms, sold directly by the farm.
• Summer honey. Another expression of the region’s summer blooms.
• Chestnut honey. A honey with distinctive notes derived from chestnut blossoms.
• Acacia honey. A honey prized for its sweetness and delicate flavours.
• Fresh pollen. Kept frozen to preserve its qualities, fresh pollen can be enjoyed every day, in both sweet and savoury dishes.
• Honey sweets. A delicious way to enjoy honey in an easy-to-eat form.

The signature product: royal jelly

French royal jelly is truly the hallmark of Les Ruches de Mamille. This substance, produced by nurse bees, is intended to feed the queen within the colony.

In La Couronne, Rémi Blond has specialised in its production and works throughout the flowering seasons to offer a local royal jelly. This is a particularly rare speciality in the Charente region.

Royal jelly is available in 10 g jars or in a box of 3 × 10 g jars.

The visitor experience

Direct sales at the farm give visitors the chance to discover the products from Les Ruches de Mamille and chat with the beekeeper.

The farm has also taken part in the ‘Marchés des Producteurs de Pays’ in La Couronne, enabling the public to meet Rémi Blond and learn about his work.

Another product developed by the beekeeper is well worth a look: bee bread, a lacto-fermented pollen that he hopes to raise awareness of.

Where can you find the products?

• At the farm. The products are available by appointment in La Couronne.
• Coccinelle et Coquelicot – Angoulême and Gond-Pontouvre. Royal jelly is available there, amongst other things.
• Art et Création Pervenche – La Couronne. A florist and delicatessen stocking the farm’s produce.
• Les Belles Saisons – La Couronne. Products from Les Ruches de Mamille are also stocked here.
• Péché-Mignon – Tourriers. A bar, restaurant and delicatessen also selling the farm’s produce.
• Épicerie Marthonnaise – Marthon. Honey, royal jelly and fresh pollen available to order.

Key points

On the outskirts of Angoulême, Les Ruches de Mamille offers a unique insight into beekeeping in the Charente region, centred on a rare product: local royal jelly, complemented by honeys and fresh pollen. A lovely place to meet a young beekeeper and sample the products of the bees’ labour.