Dephine and Laurent Cambon, a united couple of authentic artisans of good taste from southern Aveyron

Dephine et Laurent Cambon, charcutiers et traiteurs installés à Montlaur, unis par la passion du bon. MIDI LIBRE – J.M MOULS

Charcutiers and caterers in Montlaur, the couple is all about gourmet excellence and a sense of sharing.

A true institution in the Rougier de Camarès area, the Sarabelle charcuterie, named after a nearby emblematic forest, is known to all lovers of good food who frequent the region. Let's go back a little. It was then 2004 and Laurent Cambon decided to take the step of a professional reconversion.

He left the tranquility of his civil service position as a cook at the agricultural high school of La Cazotte to take his destiny into his own hands and launch his own project where he could count only on himself, within the framework provided by free enterprise. He did not make this decision at random. It coincided with the cessation of the charcuterie activity of the tandem formed by his father and uncle, who had a loyal clientele. The idea was to take over the workshop and the shop in Belmont with, in the background, the objective of increasing the company's production capacity.

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A team of seven people

A year later, his wife Delphine joined the project to become an essential cog. Well aware that the charcuterie side was not enough, they created the catering service and moved in 2009 to the town of Montlaur, two hundred meters from the Millau Albi axis, in a brand new, functional premises that was more in line with their ambitions. There, a team of seven people worked to run this business where Laurent gave his all in a necessary versatility while taking priority over the catering service.

Delphine, for her part, watches over the sales truck and crisscrosses the roads to frequent the local markets: Saint-Affrique every Saturday, Camarès during the summer period and Belmont at the point of sale every Thursday morning. Sarabelle has also been present at the Millau market since 2005 and has a point of sale in Camarès.

Sceptical about current vegan trends

The couple, now in their fifties, with a solid reputation, work hard to perpetuate an authentic tradition of a job well done. Skeptical of current vegan trends, Laurent Cambon prefers to focus on promoting artisan work, the only answer to the steamroller of food standardization. And it's true that listening to him, we understand that his job is essentially a time-consuming vocation that leads him to perpetuate the immutable recipes of his charcuterie products but also to demonstrate innovation in the catering field.

Gold medal-winning semi-cooked foie gras

As for Delphine, she also has to take care of the administrative and accounting side. This burst of energy makes him appreciate the four weeks of annual leave even if, when he leaves, the real break only lasts for a few days during this period. The whole team is now entering the hard part of the busy holiday period where succulent dishes will come out of the workshops.

And in particular the semi-cooked foie gras, gold medal and jury favorite at the departmental competition, cured meats and foie gras. “It's always rewarding to be recognized by your peers,” said Laurent Cambon modestly. Moreover, he is careful not to display the diplomas obtained, the most important thing is the enthusiastic feedback from his customers. Word of mouth is the best ambassador for the taste quality of his products.