Fête du Fromage de Neufchâtel-en-Bray

Neufchâtel: A Heart-Shaped AOP Cheese

Neufchâtel is one of the oldest cheeses in Normandy, with origins dating back to the 11th century. Recognizable by its characteristic heart shape, this raw cow's milk cheese has benefited from an Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP) since 1969. Produced exclusively in the Pays de Bray, this green region of Seine-Maritime with its rich and humid pastures, Neufchâtel is a soft-ripened cheese with a bloomy rind, offering a delicate and slightly salty taste, aged for at least ten days.

Birth of a Cheese Festival

The Fête du Fromage de Neufchâtel-en-Bray was born in 1995, initiated by the Syndicat du Fromage de Neufchâtel, with the aim of promoting this unique gastronomic heritage and boosting the town in the late season. Over the years, the festival has become a must-attend event on the Norman gourmet calendar, attracting visitors from all over the region and beyond. In 2025, the festival celebrates its 30th edition, demonstrating the vitality of this event and the attachment of the Brayons to their emblematic cheese.

A Large Market of Producers and Artisans

The heart of the festival is a large market set up in the streets of downtown Neufchâtel-en-Bray. Neufchâtel AOP producers present their heart-shaped, bonde, carré, briquette, and double-bonde cheeses, inviting visitors to taste and discover the different varieties and aging processes. Around them, producers from the Bray and Norman regions offer cider, calvados, cream, butter, cured meats, and other local specialties.

The Companions of Neufchâtel Cheese

A highlight of the festival is the parade of brotherhoods, featuring the Confrérie des Compagnons du Fromage de Neufchâtel parading through the streets in traditional costume, accompanied by invited brotherhoods from all over France. These guardians of cheese tradition conduct inductions of new members and celebrate the cheese with solemnity and good humor, in a unique blend of tradition and conviviality.

Concerts, Activities, and Conviviality

The festival program is full of activities: concerts on Saturday evening and Sunday, street performances, cheese-making workshops for children and adults, games, and activities for the whole family. Culinary demonstrations showcase Neufchâtel in creative recipes, highlighting the versatility of this cheese in cooking. Dancing evenings extend the festivities into the night.

An Exceptional Terroir to Discover

The festival is also an opportunity to discover the Pays de Bray, a unique geological "buttonhole" in Normandy, with its green bocages, humid valleys, and traditional farms. Visitors can extend their stay by visiting Neufchâtel producing farms, local markets, and the heritage treasures of this authentic region of Seine-Maritime.