A history and expertise

In 1909, Henri Androuët moved to Paris as a travelling cheese merchant. He soon established his own business, opening a dairy shop on Rue d’Amsterdam. Thus, Maison Androuët was born—along with a pioneering vision of cheese ageing.

After the upheaval of the First World War, he expanded his business, continuing to mature and refine the cheeses available on the market. Dissatisfied with the commonplace products of the time, Henri Androuët set out in search of exceptional cheeses, travelling to meet producers directly and source them at their origin. This journey across France, at a time when rural roads were still unpaved, gave him an unrivalled understanding of French cheeses, the regions where they are made, and the men and women who craft them.

Au milieu des années 20, la notoriété de la maison Androuët, qui propose alors plus de cent fromages, est telle que Henri Androuët ouvre une cave de dégustation qui devient le rendez-vous de tous les amateurs de fromage.

Soon afterwards, he took over Mr Barrière’s shop and began offering a carefully selected range of high-quality cheeses.

Wounded during the First World War, Henri Androuët returned home alive and, in the years that followed, travelled across France in search of exceptional cheeses. These journeys allowed him to discover outstanding regional producers and deepen his knowledge of France’s rich cheesemaking heritage.

Cheese does not travel well. Henri Androuët quickly realised a fundamental truth: to ensure exceptional quality, cheeses had to be purchased young and matured in-house, allowing every stage of the ageing process to be carefully controlled.

In 1934, the Androuët restaurant opened its doors, drawing all of Paris to its doorstep. It quickly became an icon of Parisian gastronomy.

In the early 1930s, his son Pierre faced a choice between pursuing a career in architecture and taking over the family business. His passion prevailed.

Success was immediate, and the Androuët gourmet restaurant became an institution. Carrying on the family legacy, Pierre Androuët took to the roads in search of the finest cheeses, continuing to source as directly as possible from cheesemakers. With the curiosity and determination of a gold prospector, he never stopped exploring. At the same time, the size of the ageing cellar was expanded, where the maturing techniques that would become, alongside the restaurant, the hallmark of the house were perfected.

By the early 1950s, Henri and Pierre Androuët were regarded as the most renowned master cheesemakers in France and around the world. Maintaining the highest standards of quality, Pierre Androuët, a true ambassador of French cheesemaking, travelled extensively across the globe to study, understand and document production methods and regional specialities, eventually becoming a living encyclopaedia of cheese.

The originality and expertise of Androuët soon attracted prestigious clientele, who came to discover and appreciate, alongside everyday customers, a new way of experiencing cheese. From Colette to the creators of Asterix, as well as Jean Gabin, Orson Welles, Toshiro Mifune and Ernest Hemingway, many of the leading figures of the arts and culture of the time honoured the house with their visits. Even Maria Callas, a devoted cheese enthusiast, was known to head into the kitchen on each visit to prepare her own scrambled eggs with the cheese of her choice.

In 1995, the house left the family fold.

Since 2005, Maison Androuët has been taken over and led by Stéphane Blohorn.

Originally from the South of France, along the historic “Transhumance” routes of sheep herds — the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region through his mother and the Camargue through his father — Stéphane Blohorn was shaped by Provençal culture and traditions. Passionate about open landscapes, animals and the produce of the land, he is a man driven by both passion and action.

On February 28, 2006, Stéphane Blohorn was inducted as “Garde et Juré” within the Confrérie de Saint-Uguzon of the Guild of Cheesemakers. On October 6, 2008, he was elevated to the rank of “Maître Fromager” at the summit of Mont d’Or in the Jura region. Since 2005, he has continued the work that established Maison Androuët’s reputation in the fascinating world of cheese, preserving and carrying forward a great French tradition of excellence. In June 2008, he was invited to appear before the French Senate, where he defended cheese as a “living heritage” as part of the application for the inclusion of the “gastronomic meal of the French” on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list (officially inscribed on November 19, 2010).

Stéphane Blohorn is committed to sharing his vision and passion, promoting the quality and diversity of cheeses so that the rich gastronomic heritage of France’s regions can be passed on to future generations. Above all, his approach seeks to celebrate the people and the terroirs behind these exceptional products.

Today, Maison Androuët continues to grow, with 12 stores, including 3 internationally.

In 2017, in order to strengthen its expertise and preserve its unique identity, Maison Androuët invested in a magnificent 250 m² facility in Levallois. Each of its five ageing cellars is dedicated to maturing a different family of cheeses, with conditions carefully adapted in terms of temperature, humidity and natural flora.

Ageing is the essential stage that brings a cheese to its optimal maturity, allowing it to fully express the richness of its aromas. A true exercise in patience, affinage requires constant attention and a perfectly controlled environment. The true nobility of this craft lies in nurturing and elevating the cheese.

Becoming a cheesemaker and affineur is an artistic pursuit that gives each cheese a deeply personal dimension. A genuine partnership develops between the product and the craftsman — the beginning of a lifelong passion.