Bœuf Charolais du Bourbonnais

Bœuf charolais du Bourbonnais designates carcases of adult Charolais cattle reared in the Department of Allier and adjacent cantons in the Departments of Cher, Nièvre, Creuse, and Saône-et-Loire. The minimum rearing duration is 30 months. Each carcase is accompanied by a numbered identification sheet drawn up at the slaughterhouse, providing traceability from farm to point of sale.

About this designation

Registered as a PGI on 21 June 1996 under file number PGI-FR-0181 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013197), Bœuf charolais du Bourbonnais covers carcases of adult bovine animals of the Charolais breed raised within a defined geographical area comprising the Department of Allier and adjacent cantons in the Departments of Cher, Nièvre, Creuse, and Saône-et-Loire. The applicant group at registration was the Association pour la Défense de l'élevage traditionnel en Bourbonnais des animaux de Boucherie (A.D.E.T.), based in Bourbon l'Archambault. The minimum rearing duration is 30 months. Calves are reared solely at foot; after weaning, a meadow and housing cycle is followed. Feed is based on grass, coarse fodder, dried feed, cereals, cake, concentrated feeds, roots, and tubers. The link to the geographical area rests on a method of rearing founded on the exploitation of natural meadows, including grazing and the use of hay in winter, and on the established reputation of Charolais cattle in the Bourbonnais region, where the breed was introduced in the early 19th century. Evidence of origin is secured by identification of animals during rearing and by a numbered identification sheet accompanying each carcase from the slaughterhouse. The control body named in the specification is AUCERT Auvergne Certification, based in Clermont-Ferrand. Labelling must carry the protected name and the name and address of the certifying body.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 21 June 1996 under file number PGI-FR-0181, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013197.
• The specification requires a minimum rearing duration of 30 months for all animals.
• Each carcase must be accompanied by a numbered identification sheet drawn up at the slaughterhouse.
• The geographical area covers the Department of Allier and adjacent cantons in the Departments of Cher, Nièvre, Creuse, and Saône-et-Loire.

Tasting notes

Bourbonnais (Allier) Charolais beef IGP. Similar quality profile to Charolles AOP, slightly less restricted appellation, premium beef from the Charolais breed cradle.

HoReCa use

Premium restaurant beef applications; pairs with Saint-Pourçain and Loire reds.

Packaging

• Same as Bœuf de Charolles