La Coop - Beaufort cheese store and bar

La Coop - Beaufort cheese store and bar

This summer, after taking a stroll through one of our favorite spots, the Luxembourg gardens, a cheese store (La Coop) caught our attention.  Well, we finally went to check it out today. Coopa Behind La Coop (short for cooperative in french) is authentic producers from the dairy cooperative of Beaufortain. Their star product is the Alpine cheese called Beaufort. Apparently, the production of Beaufort dates back over 2,000 years. In 1976, the Government granted the Beaufort AOC (name protected) status. What is the Beaufort cheese?  More subtle than gruyere or comté, the Beaufort is a refined cheese produced from unpasteurized cow's milk in the French Alps of the Haute-Savoie.  The pasturing is done high up in the mountains, meaning that those cows are eating prime grass, flowers, and whatever else they fancy.  This translates into unique grassy, flowery, and buttery aromas to the cheeses. Cylindrical in form, a wheel can weight up to 130 pounds. Wheels of Beaufort are matured for at least six months.  At La Coop you will find the summer Beaufort (25euros per kilo) or the winter Beaufort with more subtle flavors (22euros) amongst other cheeses. Coop1 Enough about the cheese, but more about the store itself. On the Ground floor, you have the store where you can buy all sorts of Savoie specialities such as the Beaufort of course, but also cured meats, sausage, soups, and jams. Coop2 Coop3 In the cellar, you will find their "cheese bar". A couple of tables are available to taste some of their cheeses with a glass of wine. The plates of cheese go from 8 to 12 euros. Coop4 Of course, we couldn't resist and we bought a slice of Beaufort d'été and some of their raspberry jam. There goes our resolution not to eat cheese this week (the sacrifices we need to do for our readers)! The store is located about 10 minutes walking distance from our boutique hotels, right next to the Luxembourg garden. La Coop 9, rue Corneille 75006 Paris Tél : 01.43.29.91.07 Open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 9pm