Early in the afternoon, we were heading to Bosdarros, very close to Pau, to visit the Mazerolles family at Le Vieux Chêne. From a winding departmental road leading high into the Pyrenees, a small, dusty, steep track suddenly branched off. We crossed a stream and then wound our way up the mountain until, as if out of nowhere, an old farmhouse appeared. This picturesque farm turned out to be the company headquarters after all.
We were warmly welcomed by Fabienne Mazerolle, the daughter of the company founder. She told us how it all began. Her father was originally a farmer; he had some animals, mainly ducks, and grew some vegetables. He was and still is a passionate amateur cook, and this passion led to the creation of the company in 1994. Out of nowhere, he built a thriving business over the last two decades. It started in the home kitchen, where he developed and produced his own unique recipes. Year after year, demand for Mazerolle's unique, high-quality products grew, and over the years, a modern production facility was built behind the old family farm, which now employs 16 people. As with all the companies we have visited on this trip so far, Le Vieux Chêne is also a family business, so it is perfectly clear that both of his children have now joined the company.
The remarkable thing about this company is that quality control is still in the hands of the company founder, Daniel Mazerolle; he develops the recipes and tastes them, and whatever he likes is produced.
Fabienne showed us around the premises, giving us a glimpse into the production process. She told us that approximately 2,000 to 2,500 ducks are processed each week. The ducks are certified under the strict I.G.T. Sud-Ouest label (indication géographique protégée = protected geographical origin Southwest), meaning they were born, raised, fattened (and only with corn), and slaughtered exclusively in the region. The Mazerolles originally raised and fattened the ducks themselves, but now they buy their ducks from selected farms in the area so that they can focus entirely on developing and producing their delicacies. However, the purchased ducks are still broken down and processed by hand in the traditional way at their farm.
At the end of our visit, their son Laurent joined us while we were still browsing the shop. We asked Fabienne which product she would particularly recommend, and if there was one her father was especially proud of. "Oh, you know," she said, "my father would never praise himself for one of his creations; he is a modest and simple man." Despite their success, the Mazerolles family is not arrogant; they are not swayed and consistently continue to follow their own path.
