The Riviere Group is a family-owned company specialized in the production of prepared dishes and authentic recipes. The headquarters is located in Castelnaudary, and we have four production sites. We are known for our traditional local dishes, culinary expertise, and commitment to quality.
We offer a wide range of prepared dishes, including regional specialties such as cassoulet, slow-cooked meat dishes, pasta recipes, ravioli, cooked vegetables, and many other authentic delights.
We prioritize high-quality ingredients, sourcing predominantly from France. Hence, in our recipes, all our meats (excluding exceptional cases like avian influenza) and vegetables are of French origin.
Our products are available in supermarkets and in our stores in Castelnaudary and Bollène. You can also find them on our online fine grocery store at www.comptoirgastronomique.com.
We offer a variety of dishes, including vegetarian options. Please check the information on our products or contact us for specific requests.
You can contact us through the contact form on the website. We are always happy to answer your questions, gather feedback, or assist you with claims.
On our websites, you can find recipes, cooking tips, and tricks to prepare delicious dishes with our culinary aids, sauces, and vegetables. For our ready-to-eat complete dishes, we provide preparation advice for each product to ensure the best tasting experience.
We participate in various exhibitions (SIAL, SIRHA…) where you can discover our products.
Yes, you can discover and order all our products on our online fine grocery store at www.comptoirgastronomique.com, with home delivery available for dry or fresh products via a specialized carrier. Details regarding delivery areas and conditions are available on our website during the ordering process.
Riviere Group is a family-owned SME with traditional know-how. To learn more about our company, values, and history, visit the "Our Story" section on our website, where you will discover what makes Riviere Group in Castelnaudary unique and strong.
For any other questions or additional information, feel free to contact us directly.
Several production sites of the Riviere Group have received the PME+ label. PME+ is the label for independent French companies of human scale, having ethical and responsible practices. The PME+ label is granted after an annual audit conducted by Ecocert Environment, following a standard inspired by ISO 26000 and renewed every year. It certifies our good practices and relationships with our customers and suppliers, our responsiveness to consumers, and our consideration in terms of governance and employee well-being.
Our recipes are "clean label"; we do not use preservatives, additives, or artificial flavors in our recipes. To make our iconic cassoulet recipe, the beans are even soaked in a traditional broth made from fresh vegetables.
Except for fresh products, our dishes are sterilized, giving them an average shelf life of three years. We advise you to refer to the storage and reheating instructions on the packaging of each product.
Our recipes are inspired by both family traditions passed down over time and French regional specificities. As passionate food enthusiasts, we also enjoy creating recipes from diverse and exotic origins.
We strive to use environmentally responsible and recyclable packaging materials as much as possible to reduce our environmental footprint.
Yes, we offer a selection of vegetarian dishes (vegetable ravioli, Thai curry, etc.) to cater to individual preferences.
We have special ranges for foodservice professionals. For more details about our services dedicated to restaurateurs and professionals, please contact us directly through the Professional Area on our website.
Defining the exact birth of Cassoulet is not an easy task. Its origins date back to the medieval period. Legend places the birth of cassoulet during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), referring to it as a "ragoût," a meat dish in sauce that simmers for a long time over the fire. The legend tells of the siege of Castelnaudary by the English when the inhabitants, faced with famine, pooled all the food they had to feed the city's soldiers. Bacon, pork, beans, sausages, and meats were simmered together in a large bowl. Reinvigorated by this meal, the soldiers from Castelnaudary drove the English out of Lauragais and all the way to the English Channel! The recipe for cassoulet was born. This stew, then called Estouffet, was cooked at the end of the 14th century in a distinctive-shaped dish known as the cassole. Over time, this dish gave its name to the legendary meal. This hearty and familial dish is left simmering on a corner of the stove early in the morning, continuing to cook throughout the day, and is consumed during the evening meal.
A cassole is a terracotta container, shaped like a truncated cone, used for preparing the Castelnaudary Cassoulet.
It dates back to the 14th century. This quintessential local object, created by potters from Issel, a small village located 8 kilometers from Castelnaudary, was made from Issel's clay.
Unlike metal, which conducts heat very well, the terracotta of the cassole has insulating properties (thermal barrier) that promote slow cooking and even distribution of heat within the dish, avoiding local overheating, particularly against the walls.
As a true crucible designed for use in fire, the cassole has the essential property of being able to withstand the heat of the oven or fireplace without risk of cracking. It is glazed inside to make it non-porous.
Although ceramic activity dates back more than 2000 years in Lauragais, it took all the know-how and genius of the master potters of the time to master the properties of different clays, suitable firing techniques, and the production of cassoles suitable for ovens.
The 'haricot lingot' (lingot bean): a regional ingredient from America.
The cassoulet, as we know it today, emerged in the early 16th century, as it was no longer fava beans or dolichos (small white beans) that were cooked, but rather lingot beans.
The lingot bean is a particular variety, the Phaseolus arborigineus, which originated in an area stretching from Mexico to Peru and Colombia. It is a highly vigorous climbing vine that produces small black seeds. Brought by Christopher Columbus, this bean was imported to France in 1530.
Convinced of their nutritional value and aphrodisiac virtues, Alexandre de Médicis offered a bag of these beans to his sister Catherine as a gift during her marriage to the Dauphin of France, future King Henri II. Becoming the Countess of Lauragais in 1553, Catherine de Médicis encouraged the cultivation of this legume in the South of France. The white seed, gradually sown and cultivated, spread throughout the entire Southwest.
It obtained its PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) 'Haricot de Castelnaudary' in December 2020."
There are as many recipes as there are regions. The essential ingredients for Cassoulet include lingot beans, meats (pork shank and shoulder and/or sausages, confit, rind, and bacon), garlic, salt, pepper...
Are there differences between the cassoulets of Castelnaudary, Toulouse, and Carcassonne? Indeed, there is not just one cassoulet but rather DIFFERENT cassoulets according to the origins and traditions of each region. In 1929, Prosper Montagné, a famous chef from Carcassonne, used a metaphor: "The cassoulet is the God of Occitan cuisine.
A God in three persons: God the Father is the cassoulet of Castelnaudary, God the Son is that of Carcassonne, and the Holy Spirit is that of Toulouse." The cassoulet from Castelnaudary is made from white beans from Lauragais, goose or duck confit, pork shank or shoulder, sausage, and pork rind. The vegetables are cooked in a broth with spices and a bouquet garni. For the cassoulet from Carcassonne, one simply needs to add red partridge.
As for the one from Toulouse, it may contain lamb or mutton and tomato paste. Sometimes it is topped with breadcrumbs before being baked in the oven