Strawberry Fields

A delicious food speciality of the Dordogne Valley, find out where you can buy local and organic strawberries- directly from the producers.

Dordogne Berry Valley

60 percent of France’s strawberry production is grown right here in the Dordogne Valley and the heart of Valley production lies in and around the village of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. This delightful sweet juicy and succulent berry has been gobbled up by Europeans the continent over. It has been a prized fruit of the courts of Kings and Queens gone by and was cultivated by the Romans and eaten by our Neolithic ancestors thousands of years ago.

Strawberry Science

Major and sustained crop production of the strawberry in the Dordogne Valley began in the 19th century. After a devastating disease attacked the vineyards in and around Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne farmers turned to strawberry production and it took off as the climatic conditions were perfect for their production. Incredibly, there are 600 varieties of this fruit and each of the approximate 200 tiny yellow seeds on each individual strawberry is technically an individual fruit in itself!

Modern cultivation techniques have seen an increased emphasis on bio friendly and natural methods. Crop rotation, reduced pesticide use and natural pest control methods are the key to ensuring their excellent taste quality and these sustainable farming practises also ensure the minimization of environmental impact.

Punnet delight – Fruit to go

Strawberries can be bought and tasted throughout the Dordogne Valley in farmers markets and on village market days. You can also buy direct from the producer– look out for signs on the sides of the country roads here advertising fraises being sold direct.

The citadel of strawberry production is the village of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. Most strawberry producers are based in and around this village and every second Sunday in May you can go berry mad in the Guinness World Record famous strawberry festival of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. Recently awarded the national prestigious ‘site du goût pour la fraise’ accreditation, the strawberries from the Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne area have been recognised for their guaranteed taste sensation.