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PGI — Pays de la Loire
Pork charcuterie confit in its own fat, born on 18th-century farms in Sarthe and turned, in Connerré, into the flagship of a family industry over a century old.
Charcuterie speciality from Pays de la Loire.
AI-generated illustration
Rillettes emerged as part of farmhouse pig-processing traditions in Sarthe as early as the 18th century: a domestic preparation made at slaughter time from the remaining cuts once the prime pieces had been set aside. In his Mémoires d'un nonagénaire, written around 1840, the Sarthe native François-Yves Besnard recounted that during his youth — in the 1750s–1770s — rillettes, then known by the word “rillauds”, were already the customary dish at the meal held for the pig slaughter, and that a pot was traditionally sent “to certain relatives and friends”. As early as 1789, a letter from deputy François Ménard de la Groye to his wife attests to the practice of sending pots of “risle d'oye”; in Year IV (1797), another letter from Mme de Lucé confirms that she had a “petite boëte de rilles” sent to Paris from her Sarthe estates. These dispatches show that, by the late 18th century, Sarthe rilles were already travelling as far as certain Parisian tables.
With urbanisation, the domestic recipe entered commercial trade during the 19th century, before becoming industrialised from the end of the century around Connerré, the historic heart of the production area. Several founding houses established themselves there: Albert Lhuissier opened his first charcuterie business in 1900 before dedicating himself to shipping to Paris; Jules Bordeau set up in Yvré-l'Évêque in 1922 with his wife Anna Chesnel, and in 1956 their children founded the company Établissements Bordeau-Chesnel. In 1937, manufacturers formed an association to defend and promote the product, and a major collective promotional campaign in 1980 contributed to its nationwide renown. The Le Mans charcutier Louis-François Dronne, in his treatise on ancient and modern charcuterie published in 1869, was already writing: “as an article of food, la rillette du Mans has long enjoyed a certain reputation that it justly deserves”.
The geographical area of the PGI covers all the communes of the département of Sarthe. The densest production area of artisan rillettes makers forms a west-north-west/east-south-east ribbon across the département, coinciding with sandy Cenomanian and Tertiary soils — land that has historically supported potato cultivation and pig farming. This zone also runs alongside an ancient transport corridor, between the Sarthe valley (from Sablé-sur-Sarthe to Le Mans) and that of the Huisne (from Le Mans to Connerré and La Ferté-Bernard), which facilitated the shipping of the product from an early date.
From their origins, rillettes played as much a social role as a culinary one: the family dish of the pig slaughter was also an occasion to bring neighbours and relatives together, who were presented with a pot as a gift. This convivial dimension endures in modern customs: Rillettes du Mans are readily enjoyed for snacks, but also, more traditionally, for a Sarthe breakfast, spread on bread and dipped into coffee; as a starter, they are eaten with pink or black radishes, a pairing distinctive to the region. The Concours des meilleures rillettes de Mamers, where Rillettes du Mans have claimed the bulk of the medals since 1968, as well as the Grand concours départemental des meilleures rillettes du Mans, keep this tradition and the dedication of Sarthe artisans alive each year.
Appearance
Heterogeneous structure, rich in chunks and fibres of meat when sliced; uneven surface, sometimes topped with a rim of fat, or smooth when protected by a covering layer of fat. Natural colour of cooked meat, from grey or greyish-pink to golden-blond, right through to caramel — with no colourings.
Aroma
Aromatic note of cooked pork, ranging from cold roast pork to browned pork.
Taste
Flavour of cooked pork, seasoned solely with salt and pepper — the specification excludes any other spice or flavouring.
Texture
Supple and easily spreadable with a knife, without resembling either a pâté or a purée.
The meat, rendered fat and cooking juices are separated, then blended by beating.
Salt and pepper only; no other spice or flavouring is permitted by the specification.
Serve at room temperature (18–20°C) on toasted bread, with a sliver of cornichon or pickled onion. Rillettes du Mans pair ideally with a dry white wine from the Val de Loire (Savennières, Saumur blanc) or a light blonde beer.
Area covered: Entire département of Sarthe (72)
Key requirements: Prime cuts ≥ 60% (including ≥ 25% ham), cooked for a minimum of 5 hours (rissolage + confisage ≥ 4h15 at 75°C min.), seasoning limited to salt and pepper, no restrictions on the origin of the pigs
Approved specification (INAO).
Artisan — Traditional charcuterie
Industrial charcuterie — brand of Groupe Savencia
Artisan — Preserves and charcuterie
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Request a listingArtisan — Traditional charcuterie
Charcuterie Cosme was founded by Mr Cosme, a farmer's son and trained butcher, who started out in 1980 as a retail butcher in Le Mans before developing a charcuterie resale business from 1985. The company moved in 1990 to the southern zone of Le Mans and obtained veterinary approval; it expanded several times over the decades, growing from 5 employees in 1990 to 110 in 2008, with a third production site dedicated to rillettes. In 1999, the company became an S.A. and joined the Bleu-Blanc-Cœur association; in 2001, it created its own quality department for the traceability of its products.
In 2013, the creation of Boucherie Cosme expanded the range to beef, veal, lamb, and poultry. In 2017, Mr and Mrs Cosme handed over the business to their daughter Julie and her husband Frédéric. Charcuterie Cosme presents itself as a Sarthe family business committed to using exclusively regional or French meat, selected in collaboration with livestock farmers, for a range that changes with the seasons (pork, beef, veal, lamb, poultry, rabbit). It claims numerous awards at the Concours national des meilleures rillettes de Mamers and the Grand concours départemental des meilleures rillettes du Mans, won on multiple occasions between 1999 and 2023.
| Address | 88 Av. Pierre Piffault, 72100 Le Mans, France |
| +33 2 43 85 75 15 | |
| charcuterie-cosme.com | |
| Facebook page | |
| Visits | By appointment |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2018. |
Artisan — Preserves and charcuterie
Bahier presents itself as a family-run charcuterie company founded in 1941 by Odette and Maurice Bahier, based ever since in Sceaux-sur-Huisne, in Sarthe. For over 80 years, it has maintained a charcuterie savoir-faire handed down from generation to generation, becoming a benchmark of French charcuterie.
The company produces andouillette, bacon, boudin blanc and noir, smoked filet mignon, head meat products, tripe, and rillettes. Rillettes have been its flagship product for over 80 years, a Sarthe speciality that the company traces back to an 11th-century tradition known as "rillé" or "rihelle". It produces them by browning and then slowly cooking selected meats and fat, offering several varieties — pork, chicken, goose, duck — including Label Rouge Rillettes du Mans.
Bahier markets its production under two brands: Marmite de toi and Terroirs de Tradition.
| Address | RD323, 72160 Sceaux-sur-Huisne |
| +33 2 43 60 31 00 | |
| bahier.net | |
| Visits | By appointment |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2006. |
