Savoir faire
Since 1920, the know-how of the Confiserie le Roy René has been passed down through the ages, without being lost, and it perpetually strives to improve. Making with passion sweets that pay tribute to Provencal traditions, its creations are based on ancestral recipes whose gestures are perpetuated from generation to generation. Artisans nougatiers and calissioniers repeat the same meticulous and precise movements allowing the realization of exceptional sweets
Provence as a legacy
Since 1920, Confiserie du Roy René has been guarding a treasure: Provence.
Under the sun that gilds the hills, the almond orchards are reborn; a revival led by our company, a pioneer in the almond revival plan in Provence. Working alongside farmers and artisans, we are bringing these iconic landscapes back to life.
From these orchards and fruits come our sweet treats: calissons, nougats, fruit jellies... Each creation extends the harvest season and captures the light of the day.
But behind each delicacy are patient hands and attentive eyes.
Those who, in the quiet of their workshops, knead, cut, coat, and take care of every detail. They are the ones who carry on the memory of the gestures and give our sweets their unique soul.
In our factories, respect for nature guides every step of the way: we choose responsible practices that are mindful of resources and faithful to the rhythms of the earth. This environmental commitment is at the heart of our expertise.
When you enter Roy René, you step through a door that opens onto Provence. You feel the warmth of the orchards, listen to the stories of the artisans, and taste the brilliance of fruit processed with passion and respect.
This Provence is our heritage.
And because it is precious, we defend it with the Protected Geographical Indication, which guarantees the origin and quality of our calissons. Thanks to our teams, who live and shape it day after day, we are committed to passing it on, intact and alive, to future generations.
The calisson of Aix, 13.3 grams of pleasure, a century of sweetness
A subtle blend of finely ground sweet almonds, candied melon, and orange peel, arranged on a wafer base and covered with royal icing: the recipe for Aix calissons has remained unchanged since its creation for the pleasure of a queen.
The art and technique of making these sweets have been passed down through the centuries. Since 1454, the same magic formula has remained unchanged: mix 1/3 almonds, 1/3 candied melon from Apt, and 1/3 hot sugar syrup.
A small masterpiece that draws on the great tradition of ancestral expertise, passed down from generation to generation in the workshops of Roy René, from calisson maker to calisson maker since 1920.
Our passionate artisans repeat the techniques they have learned, mixing almonds with candied Cavaillon melon and adding hot sugar syrup to form the calisson paste.
This is when the shaping begins. The calisson makers, who always work in pairs, place the wafer sheet under the calisson mold, then release the calisson paste to fill the small cups. They then spread a thin layer of royal icing made from powdered sugar and egg white. The calissons are then baked for about ten minutes so that the royal icing, matte and immaculate, reaches its degree of perfection.
The art of nougat
Roy René's signature product is nougat from Provence.
The dark variety contains only almonds and IGP Provence multifloral honey. It is the honey, brought to a boil, that gives it its color. This nougat is the kind that was once made at home to proudly take its place among the thirteen Christmas desserts.
The white nougat is made with almonds, pistachios, and IGP Provence lavender honey, to which the tenderness of beaten egg whites is added.
It is this nougat, as we know it today, that made the first small factory of Roy René famous, and which continues to be at the heart of its new workshops.
In addition to the original nougats, the collection has been enriched by a range of creative nougats. Organic nougats with lemon and orange zest, pistachios, blackcurrants and raspberries, and even calisson, offer new and delicious flavors that reinvent this gourmet treat.
You can't just improvise being a nougat maker; you inherit the know-how from your predecessor. Because more than just a job, being a nougat maker is practicing an art that can only be passed down from person to person. Depending on the humidity and ingredients, you have to adjust the cooking and tempo. You don't make nougat the same way in the fall as you do in the spring.
When the paste has turned bright white, the nougat makers add roasted almonds, pistachios, dried fruit, etc., depending on the recipe.
Once rolled out in large molds lined with sheets of unleavened bread, the nougat must be left to set for 24 hours before being cut into rectangles or small squares of pure delight.