MIÉRAL
For 100 years, it has been selecting the best AOP poultry from Bresse in France—the famous pure breed known as “La Gauloise Blanche”—and supplying it to the world's most refined restaurants. This is the mission of Miéral, a family-run business that has taken four generations to build up its network of sixty local breeders of excellence. A certified network that follows the rules imposed by the Appellation d'Origine Protégée regulations down to the smallest detail, respecting traditions, the land, and the animals, which are raised exclusively in the open air with 100% natural nutrition.
The Gauloise Blanche: The most iconic of French chickens
Blue legs, white feathers, and a red comb: these are the distinctive features of the Gauloise Blanche, a pure breed of poultry raised in Bresse, France, and the only one in the world to have received the AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) designation.
Three colors that immediately bring to mind the French flag and make these chickens a gastronomic excellence recognized and appreciated on every continent. The main characteristic of the Gauloise Blanche is the texture of its meat. It is white meat with a fine, tasty, and tender texture and perfect marbling. Its thighs are longer than those of traditional chickens because they have been able to scratch around and therefore develop more tapered muscles.
These chickens are raised outdoors for at least 4.5 months and have ample space to move around freely.
Their diet is 100% natural and consists mainly of vegetables, natural minerals, mollusks, insects, Bresse corn, wheat, buckwheat, and milk. There are no GMOs and no antibiotics are used.
Only the best specimens of this breed are selected and sold by Miéral since 1919. Four generations of a family have always been dedicated to the excellence of the Gauloise Blanche and its genetic uniqueness. A true mission, which was first crowned with the establishment of protected designation of origin certification in 1957 and then, in the 1960s and 1970s, when Michelin-starred chef Paul Bocuse—patron of Nouvelle Cuisine—chose Miéral as his sole supplier of Bresse poultry.
Miéral-branded poultry: an absolute guarantee of quality
Only the best chickens, capons, and turkeys certified by the AOP regulations can receive the Miéral quality label. Valery himself, who has been at the helm of the family business since 2009 when he took over from his father, Jean-Claude, ensures this. He personally visits the farmers and manually selects the birds one by one, based on their level of maturity. Only those that are perfect, without any defects, can become Miéral. This ability to identify excellence is based on over 100 years of valuable experience that has been gradually perfected in the field, or rather, in the farmyard. Their frequent visits to the farmyards and farms of Bresse have enhanced the reputation of the Miéral family as poultry experts, even in international gourmet cuisine circles.
Their expertise is unconditional and unrivalled, starting with the choice of breeder and ending with the processing of the animal at the slaughterhouse. From start to finish, the entire process is carried out by hand and focuses on ‘real’ relationships between people.
What makes the difference in Miéral's undisputed quality are the details, even the smallest ones. It is the care with which each farm in the network is maintained; it is the talent of those who look after the welfare of the poultry; it is the careful and constant supervision at all times; it is the natural feed with which chickens and capons are raised; it is respect for the timing of the work but above all for that of the animal.
Excellence and “Label Rouge” Prince de Dombes: why Miéral is not just AOP from Bresse
According to the Appellation d'Origine Protégée, the Bresse designation can only be applied to chickens, turkeys, and capons (the typical Christmas bird) that are raised in this province and comply with the requirements. But what about all the other poultry that is raised here but does not fall under the regulations simply because it does not belong to these three breeds? How can the quality of poulette and poulard be certified? What about geese, ducks, hens, turkeys, and pigeons?
For them, Miéral has registered the Excellence trademark, which is based on precise and very strict specifications that follow the requirements of the AOP. All animals must be fed for a minimum of five months with grass, natural minerals, mollusks, insects, as well as cereals and cow's milk. They must also have access to the open air and plenty of space to roam freely.
More recently, Miéral established Prince De Dombes—which received the “Label Rouge” certification from the French Ministry of Agriculture—for the excellent poultry raised in the Dombes region, south of Bresse, which reflects five fundamental principles:
Rustic breed (slow growth, high meat quality)
Raised outdoors in grassy, shaded areas
Feed based on cereals (70%) and vegetable proteins (30%)
Slaughtered at twice the age of traditional farms
Hygiene conditions regularly checked at each stage of production
And then there are the selection criteria, overseen by Valery Miéral himself, who personally chooses each individual bird.
