Biscuiterie de Provence, almond bakery from the Drôme provençale
The Biscuiterie de Provence is a family-run almond bakery from Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues in the Drôme provençale, connected to the almond since 1833. It bakes flourless gluten-free almond cakes, delicate macarons, and savory croquets—both sweet and salty—using natural ingredients and knowledge grown over six generations.
The Biscuiterie de Provence stands for almond-based pastries, baked in Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues at the foot of Mont Ventoux. What began in 1833 as an almond trade is now a small manufactory with around 150 recipes, led by Frank Bédouin in the sixth generation. Their most famous classic is the flourless, gluten-free almond cake, the Délice de l'Amandier, which is available in several varieties. Honest craftsmanship from the south of France.
From almond shelling to biscuit bakery since 1833
It all started in 1833 in Visan, in the heart of the Enclave des Papes. That is where Joseph Bédouin began trading: almonds, apricot kernels, linden blossoms, and dried herbs for herbal medicine all changed hands with him. The almond was present from the very beginning. Even then, Provence was famous for its almond trees, and the family gradually turned the raw material into their own craft.
Over the generations, it remained the queen of the family. In 1870, Régis Bédouin set up his own casserie—an almond shelling plant—in an outbuilding of the family home, which Paul significantly expanded starting in 1935. It supplied bakers, confectioners, and nougat makers throughout Provence with almonds in every form: whole, ground, sliced, or chopped.
As early as 1905, Paul had an idea for the shells, which no one wanted until then. He had them ground so that they could have a second life in metalworking and the nascent automotive industry. With the Bédouins, nothing from the almond went to waste.
The raw material trade gradually turned into pastry making. In 1985, twins Jean-Paul and Jean-Louis bought the recipe for the famous Croquette de Vinsobres and ventured into almond paste and their first cereal bars. Ten years later, in 1995, the Bédouins founded the Biscuiterie de Provence.
There is a small story behind this recipe. Henri Chauvet, a village baker in neighboring Vinsobres, was already baking his croquettes in the mid-19th century and had the name registered in 1908. In 1951, he passed the manufacturing secret on to Corbin, the second baker in the village, before it came to the Bédouins in 1985. Four ingredients—that's all it still takes today: flour, almonds, eggs, sugar.
Today, Frank Bédouin leads the firm together with his wife France and his brother Victor. They have moved the manufactory from Visan to nearby Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues, not even six kilometers from Vinsobres. Croqueurs d'amandes—almond crunchers—is what the family calls itself, almond experts for six generations. What began as trade has long since become a vocation.
Almond cakes, macarons, and savory croquets
The centerpiece of the range is the Délice de l'Amandier, a moist almond cake that contains no flour and is therefore gluten-free. Almost a third of the batter consists of almonds, and you can taste it in every bite. It is available in several varieties. The chocolate almond cake reaches 30 percent almonds, and the small almond macarons even hit 46 percent, keeping everything moist even without any flour.
It tastes delicious on its own as a classic almond cake with 32 percent almonds, light and summery as an almond cake with lemon, and deeply chocolatey as a chocolate almond cake. During the Advent season, the organic-certified Christmas almond cake with candied orange, walnut, and chocolate joins the selection. Each cake comes in a round flavor-sealing tin that keeps it fresh for over a year.
If you prefer smaller portions, reach for the gluten-free lemon almond macarons, crumbly on the outside and soft on the inside. They only contain four things: almonds, sugar, honey, and eggs. Because there is no butter involved, they are also lactose-free, and the lemon keeps the whole thing fresh and light.
For the aperitif, the house bakes savory croquets, one version with pistou and parmesan, another with tomato and Espelette pepper. These crunchy croquants made from wheat and einkorn are spicy and expressly not gluten-free, but they are entirely in the spirit of the founding pastry. Thin, golden-brown, with that typical crunch—just as the old croquette established.
Few ingredients, natural and honest
The Biscuiterie de Provence bakes with as few high-quality ingredients as possible. No palm oil, no colorings, no artificial flavors, no preservatives—just almonds, free-range eggs, churned butter, and a little vanilla. You can pronounce everything that is inside. Some recipes have remained almost unchanged for over twenty years, simply because they are good.
The manufactory grinds the almond flour itself, just before it goes into the dough. Whole almonds arrive, and much like a roaster with their beans, the house grinds its almonds at the last moment so that the aromas awaken. Anyone who has smelled freshly ground almonds knows what a difference that makes.
The almonds come from the Mediterranean region—from Spain, Italy, and France—and the butter carries the protected designation of origin Charentes-Poitou. The loose almonds come from a producer in Saint-Sauveur-Gouvernet, thirty-eight kilometers away, who maintains their trees without unnecessary treatments. For the sweet cakes, the absence of flour means they are gluten-free and also have a more intense almond flavor.
In addition to the classic line, there is a growing organic line, recognizable by the control number on the packaging. The Christmas almond cake and the almond macarons, for example, are organic-certified. "We have been combining terroir and innovation for thirty years," says Frank Bédouin about this path. Baking honestly with what the region provides and putting nothing in that doesn't belong.
Craftsmanship at the foot of Mont Ventoux
Baking takes place in Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues, a small town of about 770 inhabitants in the Drôme provençale, with a view of Mont Ventoux. The croquant, the crunchy small pastry, was at the beginning of the company's history; today the range extends from sweet to savory across over 150 recipes. From almond paste to cakes and cookies to savory snacks, a whole small universe around the almond has been created.
Since the new construction in 2006, the house has been working on 2,800 square meters in two separate workshops, and one of them bakes exclusively gluten-free. That is why the cakes are allowed to carry the crossed-out grain symbol of the French Celiac Society, confirmed by analyses and audits, complemented by IFS certification. If you have to avoid gluten, you will find the real difference here.
Year after year, the manufactory processes about 60 tons of almonds into around 250 tons of cakes and pastries. Modern technology meets traditional techniques here; every croquant is still carefully shaped and baked slowly so that it keeps its typical crunch. Because the cakes stay fresh in their tins for so long, they do not need preservatives. About a fifth of them leave France and travel as far as Asia and America; the rest remains in the country.
For the savory pastries, the family brings in ingredients by name: Espelette pepper from the Basque Country, balsamic vinegar from Modena, Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy. From the neighborhood come olives from Nyons, white garlic from the Drôme, and honey from Provence, each with a protected origin. You can taste the origin; that is what they are convinced of in the Drôme.
La Fabrique, open to all visitors
If you are traveling in the Drôme, you can watch the manufactory at work. La Fabrique is the name of the building across from the production site, and the tour is free of charge.
Through large windows, you can look into the ateliers where chocolate is tempered, calissons are poured, and cookies are packed by hand. Display boards and films explain the process, also in English, and on weekends when the conveyor belts are still, videos take over. At the end of the path, a tasting awaits, also free.
Next to it lies the halle gourmande, three hundred square meters full of almond pastries, fresh patisserie, and over 350 products from the surrounding area—oils from Nyons, wines, honeys, jams. In the tea room, there is homemade lemon lemonade under shady trees, and for children, a small workshop focused on the five senses.
Three brands live under this roof: Biscuiterie de Provence, Croquettes de Vinsobres, and since 2019, Le Petit Duc from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. "Ethics, proximity, and passing on knowledge," emphasizes France Bédouin, who is responsible for sustainability in the company, referring to employees, customers, and suppliers alike. Located between Montélimar and Avignon, just a few kilometers from Nyons, it is a detour that is well worth it.
Where to best begin
If you don't know the Biscuiterie de Provence yet, start with the classic flourless almond cake. It best demonstrates what this manufactory can do: moist, almondy, uncomplicated. Briefly warmed up with a scoop of ice cream, it becomes a small dessert; cold, it tastes just as good with sorbet, fruit salad, or simply with afternoon coffee.
For the coffee table, we love the chocolate almond cake; in summer, the fresh lemon almond macarons are the favorites. If guests arrive for an apéritif, set out the savory croquets with a glass of wine and a piece of cheese—nothing else is needed. And as a gift, the gluten-free cake in its pretty tin always makes a good impression, whether for Christmas or just because.
During the Advent season, it's worth checking out the festive Christmas almond cake with orange and walnut; in summer, the lemon varieties are the first choice. In this way, the manufactory has the perfect pastry for every season: gluten-free when you reach for the cake, and crispy-savory when it comes to the apéritif.
Incidentally, they bake with similar finesse at La Sablésienne, the sablé manufactory from northwestern France. If you want to taste your way through the range, you will find something for every occasion at Biscuiterie de Provence, sweet or salty. A slice of cake for the coffee table, a handful of croquets for the apéritif—good enjoyment can be that uncomplicated. Taste your way through Provence.
