THE CHEESE CELLAR

  The 9th of June 1814, in the lawyer’s office of Joseph Fulcran Clainchas, royal lawyer in Lodève, Pierre GAUFFRE, living in the hamlet " Bernagues " purchases from Pierre MAUREL, farmer in Lunas, a plot of land, on which he is planning a cellar for the preparation of cheese.

   This plot of land, as well as an appropriated access track for loaded animals and mules, was situated about 100 m above the Nize-bridge in Lunas, on the left bank. It was especially to mention, that there was on this parcel "a big natural hole or hollow in the rock".

   The sale was concluded in exchange of a sum of 200 Francs.

   Pierre GAUFFRE, 33 years old, executed as tax collector the recovery of the taxes of the parish of Lunas. He probably was interested in this cave, this „natural hole in the rock ", that offered in his opinion all the advantages for the maturing of cheese, just as the caves of the Combalou-massif, where since many centuries was completed the maturing of the famous Roquefort-cheese. He had recognized the ideal conditions (temperature and humidity), especially this cold and damp breeze from the big faults, under which the particular penicillin is developing, giving the cheese his gastronomic reputation.

   Today this cave can still be visited, which he destined to his little industry, as it has been : 17,80 m long, 3,50 m large and with a rib vault of 5 m high.

   As a consequence, it was a quite small cave, where it was possible to complete maturing of maximal 80 to 100 quintals of cheese. This was the rhythm of production until 1867, when he bought from Pierre MAUREL the resting plots beneath the cave and the brook Nize, with intention of extension.

   Unfortunately, Pierre GAUFFRE got blind and had to give over the industry to his nephew Alcide Maximilien GAUFFRE, who becomes real owner of it in 1880, at the death of his cousin Marie Gabrielle Stina ROUIS, born GAUFFRE from Lodève, who left him everything the 12^th of July 1879.

   Alcide Maximilien GAUFFRE and later his sons, went on with the production of a sheep cheese in Roquefort-manner. They extended little by little the installations, but still maintained the natural cave, which was the real heart of the firm. The annual production reached a thousand quintals of cheese.

   The production of sheep’s cheese of the brothers "GAUFFRE" went on until 1911.

   The Company of cheese caves of Roquefort had noticed the excellent quality of the cheese coming from Lunas and acquired the brand "Brothers GAUFFRE ", still existing today, but exclusively produced in Roquefort, following to the clauses from the 26^th of July 1925, stipulating that " Roquefort " cheese only can be cheese "coming to 100 percent from sheep, produced and matured according to the local tradition in the natural caves of the Combalou mountains".

   Faisselles à fromages ( Collection M.T. MARC)