"The young Eugène Laponche, freshly arrived from Auvergne, settled in Draguignan in the Var region. After marrying the daughter of a beekeeper, he developed a passion for his father-in-law’s craft. In 1925, he started beekeeping with around fifty modern hives (frame hives). Thanks to the Mediterranean climate, his apiary quickly thrived.
 
 
His son François learned the trade during school holidays. After earning an agricultural technician diploma, he became a beekeeper himself in 1973, taking over the family business. The 1980s saw a growing interest in natural and regional products, including honey, but also the arrival of the Varroa mite, which devastated much of the French bee population. François Laponche refocused the business on honey production and selling bee colonies, practicing large-scale transhumance. With passion and dedication, he continued his family’s rich apicultural tradition.
 
 
Chestnuts have long held a place in Provençal cuisine. However, wild chestnut trees are now rare. The Massif des Maures is one of the few regions known for its extensive chestnut forests (unfortunately heavily affected by the 2003 fires). In France, chestnuts are also found extensively in Corsica, and to a lesser extent in regions such as the Cévennes, Brittany, the Pyrenees, and the Massif Central. Their yield can be affected by high temperatures.
 
 
Chestnut honey is very rich in minerals, containing potassium, magnesium, manganese, and barium. It is valued today for its healing properties and is reputed to support healthy blood circulation.
 
 
At the Rucher de la Bouverie, bees produce a rare chestnut honey with intense aromas and a hint of bitterness. Its dark brown color, reminiscent of chestnuts, sets it apart from other honeys, and it crystallizes quickly."