Iconic Life

An aeronautical engineer who has been retraining for a number of years, he is the local beekeeper who supplies the region's top chefs and institutions - proof of his undeniable and recognised expertise. Behind Apis Mellona is Laurent Cazeneuve, the passionate son of a beekeeper from the Béarn region who, bitten by the beekeeping bug, chose to patiently develop his apiary around Hossegor over the years. We met him in Seignosse, in his honey house, just fifteen minutes from the Bords du Lac property.

“I inherited it from my father. We always had beehives at home, that's how I grew up. Visits, harvests... we did them as a family. I wanted to relive the same emotions I experienced as a child. (...) To get back to the business, my hives are a bit scattered. In Tosse, Seignosse, Saubion, Hossegor, Arcangues... I take them all over the place, depending on the flowers, and especially in areas where there are no pesticides. They have to be moved around. We close them at night and transport them. They're used to it, they know their hives. Depending on the flowering season, we move them four times a season. Once the season is over, they are placed in a wintering hive and spend the winter peacefully.”

Attentive to his bees, Laurent shares his vision of sustainable beekeeping with this quote from a reference book.

“All year round, it is through this small opening that the life of a colony beats. It's through here that it breathes and rejects everything it can't stand in its own domain. It is through this opening that the bee transmits its rich message to those who understand it, because this is where, by its attitude, it lets us know its state of health, its suffering, whether it needs the beekeeper's help or not.”

Traité d'apiculture - Au trou du vol, H Storch

Bourdaine, heather, chestnut, wild flowers... We like to taste them all and detect the differences and subtleties in taste and texture. Heather honey? Very floral, with citrus notes and a slight crystallisation. Bourdaine honey? Intense and regressive. Chestnut ? Woody, bitter and tannic. Of course, they're even tastier right off the shelf... And the really good idea? A cocoa-flavoured honey to spread on a slice of toasted farmhouse bread, or for baking. Granola and other honeyed treats complete the offer. In short, the hardest part will be choosing (and perhaps giving up)!

‍Apis Mellona - 2 Rue du Maresc, 40510 Seignosse

More information about Les Bords du Lac here

Images : Sarah Arnould