More About Paysan Breton

The Paysan Breton collection at Epicerie Corner brings together 17 products from the Breton dairy brand — moulded butters (doux, demi-sel, Guérande salt, sea salt crystals), portion butters for catering and travel, Madame Loïk whipped fresh cheese (nature, garlic and herbs, reduced salt), whipped Emmental râpé, and Petits Beurres au Sel de Guérande.

About Paysan Breton

Paysan Breton is the consumer brand of Laïta, a Breton dairy cooperative based in Brittany — formed from the merger of several cooperatives including Even. The brand was developed in the 1980s to market Brittany's dairy production under a unified regional identity. All Paysan Breton products are made from milk collected from cows in Brittany and the Pays de la Loire, where animals graze outdoors on average 200 days per year. Brittany is France's largest dairy region, with a cool, humid Atlantic climate well suited to year-round grass production. The brand is particularly known for its salted butters — Brittany has a long tradition of salted butter, historically because salt (sel) was less heavily taxed in Brittany than in most of France under the Ancien Régime, making salted butter a Breton cultural habit.

Moulded Butters

• Paysan Breton Moulded Butter Demi-Sel 250g: the flagship Paysan Breton product — pasteurised cream from Breton cows, churned and moulded with 2% salt. Demi-sel (literally "half-salt") is the standard French lightly salted butter format, as distinct from beurre salé (above 3% salt, more strongly salted) and beurre doux (unsalted). Also available in a 500g format. Paysan Breton Moulded Butter Doux 250g: the unsalted version — a 82% fat content moulded butter in 250g and 500g formats.
• Paysan Breton Guérande Salt Moulded Butter 250g: a premium variant using sel de Guérande — grey sea salt hand-harvested from the saltpans of Guérande (Loire-Atlantique). Guérande salt is unrefined, retaining trace minerals (magnesium, calcium) that give it a slightly earthier, more complex taste than refined white sea salt. The grey colour comes from the clay floor of the salt pans. Paysan Breton Sea Salt Crystals Moulded Butter 250g: contains visually distinct white salt crystals dispersed through the butter — a different textural effect from the fine Guérande distribution. Paysan Breton La Pointe de Sel: a further variant with a lighter salting.

Portion Butters

Paysan Breton Guérande Semi-Salted Butter Portions 100×10g and Semi-Salted Butter Portions 100×10g: individual 10g foil-wrapped butter portions for catering, breakfast service and table service. Also available in sweet (doux) 20×10g. These individual portions are the standard format for restaurant bread service in France.

Madame Loïk Whipped Cheese

Paysan Breton Madame Loïk Nature 320g is Paysan Breton's whipped fresh cheese — a fromage fouetté (aerated cream cheese) with a light, mousse-like texture. "Loïk" is a Breton name. The Nature variant contains only pasteurised cream and milk with a natural salt seasoning. Madame Loïk Nature 180g: the smaller format with sel de Guérande. Paysan Breton Garlic and Herbs 150g: Madame Loïk whipped cheese with fresh garlic and herbs from French regions — an alternative to Boursin for toast, crackers or stuffed vegetables. Paysan Breton Plain 25% Less Salt 150g: a reduced-sodium Madame Loïk variant. The whipped format is noticeably lighter than a standard block cream cheese — the mechanical aeration produces a consistency similar to mascarpone or whipped Philadelphia.

Emmental Râpé and Petits Beurres

Paysan Breton Emmental Râpé 150g: grated Emmental from Breton milk, for gratin, quiche and pizza use. Paysan Breton Petits Beurres au Sel de Guérande 20×10g and Demi-Sel 20×10g: individual mini butter biscuits in the style of LU Petit Beurre, made with Breton butter. These are compact, crumbly tea biscuits.

For other French dairy products and butter brands, see Président. For spreadable cheeses, see Spreadable and Accompaniments. For sliced cheeses, see Sliced Cheese.

Paysan Breton FAQs

What is the difference between doux, demi-sel and beurre salé?

French butter is classified by its salt content. Beurre doux (sweet butter) is unsalted — it contains only cream, with no added salt. It is the standard for pastry and baking, where precise salt control matters and the butter flavour should not be altered. Beurre demi-sel (half-salt) contains between 0.5% and 3% salt — the term demi is historical, referring to lower duty rates that applied to butter with less than a certain salt content. In practice, most demi-sel butters contain approximately 1.5–2% salt. This light salting preserves the butter slightly longer and complements the flavour for table use (spreading on bread). Beurre salé (salted butter) contains above 3% salt — it is a distinctly salty, assertive product, used for Breton salted caramel preparations and for cooking where the salt note is a feature. Paysan Breton's main range covers doux (82% fat, unsalted) and demi-sel (2% salt). The Guérande and sea salt crystal variants are both demi-sel grade but use different salt types for different flavour and texture effects.