"The young Eugène Laponche, having just arrived from Auvergne, settled in Draguignan in the Var. Having married the daughter of a beekeeper, he also became passionate about his father-in-law's profession. This is how He began beekeeping with around fifty modern hives (frame hives) in 1925. The Mediterranean climate helped his apiary prosper quickly.
  
His son François learned the trade during his holidays. After obtaining an agricultural technician's certificate, he in turn became a beekeeper in 1973 and took over the family business. The 1980s were marked by a craze for natural and regional products including honey. But also by the arrival of a parasite, the varoa, which destroys a large part of the French livestock. François Laponche refocuses the company on the production of honey and the sale of colonies, and he practices large-scale transhumance. With passion and courage, he continues his family's beautiful beekeeping tradition.
  
Chestnuts have always had their place in Provencal cuisine. However, chestnut trees are no longer very common in the wild. The Massif des Maures is one of the rare places known for its large chestnut forests (unfortunately decimated by the fires of 2003).
  
The bees from Rucher de la Bouverie harvest a rare honey with very strong aromas, with a hint of bitterness. Its color resembles the color of chestnut: a dark brown which distinguishes it well from other honeys. It crystallizes quickly."