Black Pork of Bigorre
Padouen Collective
The Padouen spirit is an irreproachable quality that has led to the creation of two Protected Designations of Origin: “Black Ham of Bigorre” and “Black Pork of Bigorre”.
Our Noir de Bigorre meats come from the Padouen collective.
The Padouen collective brings together 60 breeders from Gers, Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées who believe that excellence only exists through unique extensive breeding.
The Padouen spirit is an irreproachable quality that has led to the creation of two Protected Designations of Origin: “Black Ham of Bigorre” and “Black Pork of Bigorre”.
A PDO guarantees the authenticity of the products through the link to the terroir, the ancestral know-how of women and men, the cultural and heritage dimension.
Too fat, too slow, too unproductive, unsuited to intensive breeding conditions and industrial consumption standards, the Noir de Bigorre breed almost disappeared after the Second World War. In 1981, only 34 sows and 2 males remained!
Thanks to the hard work of a handful of enthusiasts, the Black Pig of Bigorre has risen to the challenge of its sustainability. To maintain the product's original qualities, breeders have made no concessions regarding breeding and feeding conditions.
Today it is enjoying growing notoriety, with the Jambon Noir de Bigorre being recognized as one of the greatest European hams.