Our Story
Le Domaine de Béquignol
Nestling in the heart of Périgord Noir, in Carlux, Domaine de Bequignol was founded in 1972 on family land.
Founded by Claude Ginèbre, its initial vocation was the creation of spirits, notably based on one of our region’s most emblematic ingredients: walnuts. In 1979, the company diversified by launching a range of chocolate sweets.
For more than 50 years, we’ve been perpetuating a unique traditional skill: the meticulous preparation of nuts and other dried fruits before coating. This key stage reveals all the subtlety of their flavours and is the signature of our chocolates.
Building on our success, we’ve applied this know-how to other equally delicious specialities: fruit jellies and sweet-salty roasted nuts for aperitifs.
Today, Domaine de Béquignol continues to combine tradition and innovation, devising original recipes with a constant focus on quality.
We work mainly with demanding professionals – delicatessens, roasters, patissiers, ice-cream makers – who share our passion for true taste.
Firmly rooted in our region and with an eye to the future, we cultivate the art of good food every day so that as many people as possible can enjoy an authentic taste experience.
1972
Company creation
by Claude Ginèbre
1979
Launch of the chocolate range
1984
Best Chocolate in France Award – Intersuc Paris
2016
Marion Ginèbre, Claude’s daughter,
takes over the management of the company.
2024
Special mention from the jury
at the Saveurs Nouvelle Aquitaine competition
in the ‘flavours to discover’ category
2024
Installation of 84 photovoltaic panels to increase electrical autonomy
Chocolatiers from father to daughter
Claude Ginèbre
The Founder
Originally from Carlux, he used his chemistry studies to prepare fruit powders in the south of France.
A lover of good things and very attached to his native region, he looked for ways to promote a product other than duck in Périgord. That’s how he came to create walnut-based aperitifs and fruit liqueurs in the early 1970s. A hyperactive jack-of-all-trades with an interest in chocolate-making, he trained to launch his own range in 1979.
In 1984, he won the prize for the best chocolate in France for nogaillou, followed by other awards in the years that followed. He also developed exports to every continent.
Marion Ginèbre
The Aromatic Manager
“Born into chocolate”, she was used to testing products at home. Following in her family’s footsteps, scientific studies led her to become a food flavourist, a profession combining science and creative taste. After her first professional experience in the Paris region, it was an obvious step for her to return to Périgord to work in the family business. Since 2005, the family synergy has led to the creation of many new products.
Since she took over in 2016, a number of awards have once again put the company in the spotlight: winner of the ‘elles aiment l’artisanat’ competition, special mention from the jury at the saveurs nouvelle aquitaine competition for its aperitif nuts.
Our difference
careful preparation
Our Petite Perigord Gold, an emblematic speciality, illustrate our vision of artisan chocolate: each kernel is toasted and lightly caramelised, to reveal all its aromatic richness.
This upstream work changes everything:
A texture that’s both crunchy and melt-in-the-mouth,
A unique taste signature,
Better preservation over time, because the nut is better protected from going rancid.
Where we might be tempted to simply use plain walnuts, we’ve opted for meticulous craftsmanship, which goes against the grain of industrial production.
Our Pâtes de Fruits (Traditional French Fruit Jellies), with their simple compositions reveal the true flavours of cooked fruit.
We don’t give in to the easy option of using apples, which are inexpensive but neutral, as this requires the use of flavourings and colourings, which we refuse to do.
The fruit alone brings its full flavour to the finished product.
Our raw materials are rigorously selected for their taste profile.
Our priority is to find the raw material where it is best, but its local origin is systematically favoured whenever possible.
our philosophy
Made
in the Dordogne
Everything we sell is produced and processed on our premises in Carlux.
Naturally
Gluten-Free
All our ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
Palm
Oil-Free
Cocoa butter is always the preferred fat.
Vegan Friendly
from the Outset
No animal ingredients are used in our production, and we do not use milk or white chocolate.
Pure
Cocoa Butter
The chocolate we have carefully selected is pure cocoa butter.
Taste
Comes First
It all starts with finding and working with the best raw materials.
