Iconic Life

It delights us all in soufflés, gratins, fondues and cheese boards: Beaufort, the ultimate Alpine cheese and the standard bearer of the French art of cheese-making! Its production process is particularly demanding with codified rules which are among the strictest of any French cheese. Each and every stage of the process is meticulously followed: collecting and curdling the milk, scaling the milk, brewing, cooking, moulding, pressing, brining and aging. Of course, in Courchevel, around our Chalet Le 1550 you’ll find Beaufort cheese in restaurants and shops: proof of the tireless efforts of a handful of passionate local producers. Let’s find out more.

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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEAUFORT. 

Beaufort is a pressed and cooked cheese, made with whole and raw cow’s milk. It’s soaked in brine before being aged for a minimum of 5 months. Beaufort cheese is pressed in the form of convace wheels which weigh between 20 and 70 kg. By the end of the aging process, on average, each wheel ends up weighing 40 to 45 kg and measuring 11 to 16 cm high and 35 to 75 cm wide. Beaufort has a smooth texture, without any holes, and varies in colour from ivory to pale yellow. The texture should be creamy without being sticky.This cheese is produced in the mountains of the Savoie department, including towns and villages in the Beaufortain, Val d’Arly, Tarentaise and Maurienne massifs and two adjacent areas in Haute Savoie. The milk used to make Beaufort can only come from herds of two local breeds: Tarine (otherwise known as Tarentaise) and Abondance cattle. Once the snow melts and as soon as the soil conditions are right, these cows graze for as long as possible, depending on the weather, the soil quality and the presence of grass.

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Where to munch on (or treat yourself to) some BEAUFORT in Courchevel?

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À LA CABANE DE SUL’LYS.

In the summer, they work as cheesemongers in Le Praz. In winter, they delight hungry skiers on the slopes. Naturally, Rémy and Camille’s delicious cheese is included on their incredible menu which is packed with guilty (and not so guilty) pleasures, including burgers, salads, tapas and light meals.

Access via Plan au Vah, 73120 Courchevel

LA COOPÉRATIVE LAITIÈRE DE MOÛTIERS.

Located in Moûtiers, this dairy cooperative was built after the Second World War by local Beaufort producers. Over the years, the cooperative has continued to grow and innovate, all while remaining true to its original values. Every year, nearly 8 million litres of milk are collected within a radius of 30 kilometres of Moûtiers, producing more than 800 tonnes (or more than 18,000 wheels) of Beaufort. Truly unmissable.

20 Avenue des XVIè Jeux Olympiques, 73600 Moûtiers

MADAME TRUFFE.

Alison has been head-over-heels for truffles for as long as she canremember. This passionate foodie has always been drawn to high- quality and home-made products and so she decided to launch Madame Truffe, the first food truck dedicated to all things truffle. You’ve just got to try the sandwich with Beaufort cheese, homemade pastrami, truffle butter and salad, served between two thick slices of country-style bread.

Instagram : @madame.truffe

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Find all our recommandations in ICONS Courchevel, our printed guides designed around our Iconic destinations.