A long history...

In 878, Louis II, called le Bègue, had himself crowned “King of France” in TROYES and offered everyone andouillettes during the celebration!

1560: The Royal Army crossed the ramparts of Troyes to take the city from the Ligueurs under the command of the Duke of Guise, Governor of Champagne. But the royal soldiers split up in the Saint-Denis area and tarried too long in the tripe houses in search of andouilles.
So the Ligueurs took the soldiers by surprise and threw them out of Troyes!

The Sun King, Louis XIV, dreamt of a campaign in Burgundy and stopped in the city to partake of Troyes’ cured meat specialities, already famous in the kingdom.

And in 1805 Napoleon I was “imperially” delighted!

A great speciality.

Troyes, historic capital of Champagne, crossroads of the great population movements, city of the famous Champagne Fairs of the Middle Ages – whose millennium was commemorated between May 30th and June 9th 1997 with particular aplomb since there were 15 European nations present – has seen the passage of merchants, warriors and pilgrims who have spread its fame far beyond our borders.

The real Troyes Andouillette

Heritage of the traditions of Troyes cured pork specialists or “charcutiers”, the real Troyes Andouillette is hand made, prepared exclusively from the large intestine and stomach of the pig, specially selected and cut in strips along the length.

It is seasoned with fresh onions, salt, pepper and placed in its natural casing by hand. Then it is cooked slowly - for 5 hours!... in a well-flavoured stock.

The Troyes Andouillette can be eaten: on kebabs, in a sauce, barbecued or grilled, cooked “en papillote”, cold cut into slices for an aperitif snack, or, (quite delicious!) with a mustard, crème fraiche, white wine and shallot sauce.

The Gilbert LEMELLE company

Over a long time the Troyes Andouillette achieved its fame, helped by the Gilbert LEMELLE Co. who made this speciality and contributed to its increased recognition not only in France, but worldwide.

This family business built its reputation on the quality of the product and the respect of the profession and tradition of Troyes cured pork specialists or “charcutiers”.

Gilbert LEMELLE , himself a master-charcutier, founded the company in Troyes in 1976 where it employed 140 people. They all perpetuated the tradition of 3 generations of cured meats.

Some spectacular figures: 106 million francs turnover.

20 million andouillettes manufactured annually (=2,800 tonnes), or the offal of 15,000 pigs per day. Alongside the andouillette is the andouille, representing 250 tonnes each year.

For several years the G.Lemelle company has developed new products maintaining the same respect for tradition: pigs’ trotters, and the hock (a production of 150 tonnes per annum.

THE« A.A.A.A.A. » (= the 5 A’s)

The Association Amicale des Amateurs d’Andouillette Authentic (the Friendly Association of Authentic Andouillette Lovers), or AAAAA, includes among its members manufacturers, restaurateurs and gourmet critics such as Michel Piot, Anne Hudson, Jacques-Lois Delpal, Vincent Ferniot, Pierre Bonte, all great lovers of this famous speciality.

The objective of the club is to work to maintain the prestige of the authentic andouillette and protect by all means the qualities of manufacture and presentation of this speciality.

In October 1994, the AAAAA was officially received in Troyes at the invitation of Gilbert Lemelle, who was presented with his official diploma on this occasion.

Body and soul of a prestigious land

It is not well known that the Aube is the 2nd largest producing département of five of Champagne, after the Marne. The actual Champagne appellation vineyards planted and in production cover 6,500 hectares and supply a fifth of the production, with a potential of 50 million bottles, of which 6,3000,000 are produced by winegrowers and winemakers of the Aube.

The 59 communes of the appellation are for the most part concentrated in the south of the département the length of the “Cotes des Bar” (from the Celtic “Bar”, meaning peak), between Bar-sur-Seine and Bar-sur-Aube, with a prolongation onto the slopes of Montgueux that overlook Troyes and, and to the northwest near Villenaxe-la-Grande.

For the best view of them, take the Champagne Tourist Route from Bar-sur-Aube to Bar-sur-Seine to the region of Riceys (that also produces the famous rosé des Riceys). The route passes through charming towns and villages where you can stop and taste in the cellars. There are also many visits such as the Abbey of Clairvaux, Bayel Crystal, the wine centre at Essoyes and the Nigoland leisure park at Dolancourt.

The Champagne Tourist Route has its own signposting system and the winegrowers there are ready with their welcome.

Some of them display the sign “point d’accueil” (reception point), attributed by a jury of professionals in the tourism and wine industries. For the visitor it is a guarantee of quality: for the welcome, the equipment and the explanations given.

The Champagne Festival in the Aube is organised each year, usually around the end of July.

It takes place successively over a weekend in the major areas and villages in the Champagne sector. 

Its special feature: the “passport” tasting glass that can be bought that allows you to visit and taste for free throughout the weekend.

Champagne and its containers

There are eleven kinds of container for this very special wine.

The first 5 are the best-known: eighth, quarter, half-bottle, bottle (75cl) and the magnum (equalling 2 bottles).

But it is often difficult to remember the names or the contents of the other bottles that only tend to appear on special occasions.

Jéroboam = 4 bottles
Founder and 1st sovereign of Israel (931-910 BC)

Réhoboam = 6 bottles
Proper name given to the expertise of the Champagne monasteries

Mathusalem=8 bottles
Biblical patriarch known for his longevity (969 years…)

Salmanazar =12 bottles
King of Syria (859-924 BC) son of AssourNasirpal

Balthazar = 16 bottles
Regent of Babylon, son of Nabonide (…539 BC)

Nabuchodonosor = 20 bottles
King of Babylon (605-562 BC)