AI-generated illustration
Label Rouge — PGI — Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Volailles de Licques
“Volailles de Licques are Christmas in flesh and feathers...”
Free-range poultry from Nord-Pas-de-Calais, PGI (IGP) since 1996.
Discover
AI-generated illustration
Label Rouge — PGI — Nord-Pas-de-Calais
“Volailles de Licques are Christmas in flesh and feathers...”
Free-range poultry from Nord-Pas-de-Calais, PGI (IGP) since 1996.
AI-generated illustration
Licques, a small village in the pays de Licques and the Boulonnais, is the cradle of an ancient poultry tradition: turkey rearing here dates back to the 17th century, when the moines Prémontrés of the local abbey introduced the birds. The tradition has lived on ever since across this landscape of pastures and bocage, but it was not until the 1970s and 1980s — just under fifty years ago — that production truly organised into a structured industry. Today, the Licques Volailles cooperative brings together around eighty farmers, committed to the free-range rearing of chickens, guinea fowl, turkeys and capons.
Today, this reputation extends far beyond regional borders: Volailles de Licques are sought after by renowned chefs for their culinary quality, and the dinde de Licques regularly graces the festive réveillon table of the President of the Republic at the Élysée, delivered by a delegation of poultry farmers and members of the Confrérie de la dinde de Licques.
AI-generated illustration
Today, Volailles de Licques enjoy the dual protection of the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), obtained in 1996, and the Label Rouge, awarded as early as 1979 for turkey. Every year, on a weekend in early December, the village of Licques hosts the Fête de la Dinde de Licques, attracting thousands of visitors who come to celebrate this tradition of the gastronomic heritage of the Nord.
Appearance
plumage varies depending on the species and strain — chicken with white, yellow or black plumage according to lineage, guinea fowl with barred grey to black plumage, turkey with black, yellow or bronze plumage depending on the strain, and a generous white capon. When cooked, splendid golden skin and creamy-white flesh.
Aroma
rich and characteristic of farm-reared poultry, with herbaceous notes evocative of the outdoor runs.
Taste
powerful and characteristic, distinctly more flavourful than standard industrial poultry. The slow growth (min. 81 days for a chicken, 94 days for a guinea fowl, 140 days for a turkey, 150 days for a capon) develops a full flavour.
Texture
firm, creamy-white flesh that parts delightfully to the bite; muscle fibres developed by a life outdoors.
AI-generated illustration
A poulet de Licques, oven-roasted with pan juices and aromatic herbs, feeds a family while elevating simplicity. Generously sized capons embody the splendour of festive feasts. Turkeys, prepared the traditional way with a truffle or chestnut sauce, transform the family table into a banquet.
Their natural partners: light red Bourgognes, a Pinot Gris d'Alsace, a Chablis, a Champagne brut, or the bières de garde of the Nord.
The PGI covers several types of poultry: chicken (minimum 81 days), guinea fowl (94 days), poularde (120 days), turkey (140 days) and capon (150 days) — the guinea fowl capon completes this range, also at 150 days. Each type adheres to its own criteria for rearing period, carcass weight and presentation. The Christmas turkey remains the flagship product, celebrated every year during the Fête de la Dinde de Licques. The end-of-year capon represents the pinnacle of Boulonnais poultry farming — a bird castrated on the farm itself, then finished indoors to achieve beautifully marbled, tender meat.
Since: 1979
Area covered: Pays de Licques and Boulonnais (Pas-de-Calais)
Key requirements: Sensory checks on flavour and texture. Regular inspections of outdoor runs. Exhaustive traceability of the animal from hatchery to plate.
Awarded for turkey.
Since: 1996
Area covered: Pays de Licques and Boulonnais (Pas-de-Calais)
Key requirements: Types: chicken, guinea fowl, poularde, turkey, capon, guinea fowl capon. Entirely free-range rearing. Feed: at least 70–75% cereals and plant proteins, without animal meal (excluding invertebrates). Minimum rearing period: 81 days for chicken, 94 days for guinea fowl, 120 days for poularde, 140 days for turkey, 150 days for capon. Transport to the slaughterhouse limited to 3 hours.
Brotherhood
Cooperative
Get listed and reach more lovers of regional produce.
Request a listing
