La Ferme de La Ruchotte

What La Ferme de La Ruchotte does

La Ferme de La Ruchotte is a privately held farm-auberge (farm-inn) located in Bligny-sur-Ouche, Burgundy, France, founded in 2002 by chef Frédéric Ménager. The business operates a closed-loop farm-to-table model on approximately five hectares, raising heritage poultry breeds (Barbezieux, Rouge des Ardennes turkeys), Black Iberian pigs, and cultivating organic vegetables, salads, and orchards (pear, apple, peach, cherry). The restaurant is certified Agriculture Biologique and is a member of the Collège Culinaire de France. The core product is a single lunch seating Wednesday through Sunday, capped at 20-35 covers, featuring three tasting menus: La Grande Ruchotte (5 courses, €69), Ragoût de Homard de l'Île de Sein (5 services, €100), and the signature Vol-au-Vent (9 courses, €160-€180). A VIP private dining format, La Table Secrète du Chef, is sold at €1,000 total for four guests. The wine cellar (La Cave de La Ruchotte) holds more than 350 references and approximately 2,000 bottles, with curated pairings across Burgundy grand crus and confidential producers.

The business extends beyond on-site dining through gift cards sold via bonkdo.com (€130-€180 tiers), direct farm product sales (organic guinea fowl), branded merchandise including the proprietary Couteau La Ruchotte carving knife, and a €39 cookbook ('150 Recettes') created with journalist Jacky Durand. Distribution is supplemented by pop-up collaborations such as the February 2025 five-day residency at Grand Cœur in Paris (24 covers per service, €69) and a four-hands lunch with chef Marie Daujat at Monaka (Hotel voco Beaune). The customer base comprises affluent gastronomes, wine enthusiasts, Burgundy region tourists, and special-occasion celebrants, drawn by endorsements from Michelin-starred chefs (Éric Pras, William Frachot, Bruno Verjus) and a La Liste ranking of 78/100 in the 1000 Best Restaurants in the World for 2023 and 2024. The chef has declined Michelin star recognition to preserve his cooking philosophy, and the operation runs without a formal GTM or sales team, relying on earned media, celebrity endorsements, and word-of-mouth.

The business model is pure direct-to-consumer with no B2B channels, no external funding, and no parent or subsidiary structure. The team is small (approximately 10-15 staff including the chef, sous-chef and pastry chef Nicolas, chefs de partie, sommelier Soizic Moutel, livestock lead Wolfgang, and head gardener Flora, recruited from Château de Pommard). Revenue streams are diversified across dining, ancillary merchandise, gift cards, farm product retail, and pop-up events, but the entire business is anchored to the personal brand and culinary direction of Frédéric Ménager, whose dual chef-farmer pedigree (trained under Alain Chapel and Pierre Gagnaire) constitutes the principal source of differentiation.

Name

La Ferme de La Ruchotte

Legal name

La Ferme de la Ruchotte

Website

https://lafermedelaruchotte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Ferme de La Ruchotte is a privately held, organic farm-auberge in Burgundy, France, serving 20-35 covers per lunch Wednesday-Sunday. Founded in 2002 by chef Frédéric Ménager, it monetizes haute cuisine bourgeoise through tasting menus (€69-€180), gift cards, branded merchandise, and pop-up events for affluent gastronomes and wine enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farm-to-Table & Agritourism Dining Experiences (Farm Visits, Harvest Meals) (THAJAGAK)

Keywords

• Organic farm restaurant
• Haute cuisine bourgeoise
• Farm-to-table dining
• Burgundy tasting menus
• Ferme-auberge gastronomy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bligny-sur-Ouche

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant dining: Lunch service with three tasting menus: La Grande Ruchotte (5 courses, 69€), Ragoût de Homard de l'Île de Sein (5 services, 100€), and Vol-au-Vent (9 courses, 160-180€). Wine pairing available from cave of 350+ references. La Table Secrète du Chef VIP experience for 4 guests at 1,000€ total.
2. Gift cards (Bons Cadeaux): Prepaid gift certificates for restaurant experiences sold via bonkdo.com platform. Menu de la Ruchotte for 2 at 130€, Vol au Vent for 1 at 150€, Grande Ruchotte + half bottle for 2 at 180€.
3. Direct farm product sales: Sale of farm-raised products including organic guinea fowl (ready to cook from March 1). Direct ordering via phone or email.
4. Branded merchandise: Sale of proprietary La Ruchotte carving knife (launched based on 20 years of culinary expertise) and cookbook 'La Ferme de la Ruchotte: 150 Recettes' at 39€.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Ferme de La Ruchotte operates a ferme-auberge (farm-inn) gastronomic restaurant that produces on its certified-organic 5-hectare farm the heritage poultry, pigs, vegetables, and fruit used in its haute cuisine bourgeoise tasting menus. It sells three tasting menus (La Grande Ruchotte, Ragoût de Homard, and the signature Vol-au-Vent), supplemented by a 350-reference wine cellar, gift cards, a proprietary carving knife, and a 150-recipe cookbook. The experience is limited to 20-35 covers per lunch service, Wednesday to Sunday, by reservation only.

Product overview

La Ferme de La Ruchotte is a gastronomic ferme-auberge (farm-inn) located near Beaune in Burgundy, operated by chef Frédéric Ménager since 2002. The restaurant specializes in haute cuisine bourgeoise using products from its certified organic farm, offering three tasting menus: La Grande Ruchotte (5 courses, €69), Vol-au-Vent (9 courses, €180), and Ragoût de Homard (5 courses, €100). The business extends beyond dining with gift cards, a cookbook of 150 recipes, and a proprietary cutting knife. Additional offerings include accommodations, a music festival, and wellness events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• La Grande Ruchotte Standard 5-course farm-to-table tasting menu at €69 per person, available on the regular lunch service for individual diners and small groups who reserve directly with the restaurant.
• Vol-au-Vent Flagship 9-course signature tasting menu at €160-€180 per person, served on only 12 dates per year with a maximum of 35 covers per service, targeting gastronomes seeking the once-in-a-lifetime 18th-century haute cuisine bourgeoise experience.
• Ragoût de Homard de l'Île de Sein Premium 5-course tasting menu at €100 per person, anchored by lobster from Île de Sein paired with the farm's garden vegetables, for diners seeking a premium seafood-led farm-to-table experience.
• La Table Secrète du Chef VIP private dining experience at €1,000 for 4 guests, offering exclusivity, gifts, and curated surprises, targeted at celebrities, musicians, and high-end private groups seeking discretion.
• Bons Cadeaux (Gift Cards) Prepaid gift certificates for the restaurant tasting experiences, sold online via bonkdo.com and valid for 365 days, allowing gift-givers to pre-purchase menus for friends, family, or clients.
• Le Livre La Ferme de La Ruchotte: 150 Recettes 150-recipe cookbook by Frédéric Ménager and journalist Jacky Durand, priced at €39, documenting the restaurant's signature dishes and farm-to-table cuisine for home cooks.
• Couteau à Découper La Ruchotte Custom-designed branded carving knife conceived by Frédéric Ménager over 20 years, offered for sale to professional and home cooks seeking precision cutting.
• Organic Guinea Fowl and Farm Products Direct retail sale of farm-raised organic guinea fowl and other farm products to individual buyers who order by phone or email, extending the farm-to-table value proposition beyond the restaurant.

Quantifiable outcome

• Listed among 1000 best restaurants worldwide by La Liste with score of 78/100
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Monaka (Hotel voco Beaune)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 20254-hands lunch collaboration with chef Marie Daujat of Hotel voco Beaune's restaurant. Combined expertise around quality products and 'plaisir' cuisine for exclusive dining experience.
• Grand Cœur (Paris)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2025Pop-up residency at Grand Cœur restaurant (41 Rue du Temple, Paris 4th) February 3-7, 2025. 24 covers per service featuring La Ruchotte classics with 4 invited winemakers each evening.
• Maison Margain MaréecoreOthersPremium seafood supplier providing exceptional lobster from Île de Sein for the Ragoût de Homard menu. Frédéric Ménager was 'totally seduced by the excellence' of their product.
• Agrumes BachèsminorOthersCitrus supplier among the farm's extended 'family' of providers.
• Roland Feuillas (Les Maitres de mon Moulin)minorOthersFlour supplier producing artisanal flours for the restaurant.
• Ferme de GuyotteminorOthersCheese producer in the farm's network of local partners.
• Ferme des MarronniersminorOthersCheese producer supplying Époisses and other artisanal cheeses.
• Fromagerie de Val-montminorOthersArtisanal cheese producer in the partner network.
• Les Pigeons de MarieminorOthersSquab/pigeon supplier in the farm's provider network.
• Boucherie Jean DenauxminorOthersButcher supplying premium meats to the restaurant.
• Maison FlorianminorOthersSupplier of candied fruits for pastry and dessert preparations.
• Georges Collin (spices)minorOthersSpice supplier providing exotic and specialty seasonings.
• L'Or des Valois (truffles)minorOthersBurgundy truffle supplier providing seasonal truffles for signature dishes.
• Distilleries RocheltminorOthersAustrian Tyrol distillery providing eaux-de-vie (apricot, pear, quince, raspberry, cassis, Williams pear).
• Coq Licorne (Distilleries)minorOthersFrench distillery providing artisanal gins and rums including Hellfest Edition Limited Gin, 501 Gin, and Navy Gin.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Auberge du Pont de Collonges (Paul Bocuse): Iconic French auberge outside Lyon where Bocuse built the modern ferme-auberge / haute cuisine model. Broader and more institutional than La Ruchotte, but defines the same category.
• L'Arpège (Alain Passard): Alain Passard's Paris restaurant famously built around its own vegetable gardens—a 3-star reference point for chef-driven farm-to-table cuisine that establishes the category La Ruchotte competes within.
• Restaurant Bras (Michel Bras): Historic ferme-auberge in Laguiole combining family-run hospitality with haute cuisine and a famous herb garden. Established the ferme-auberge genre that La Ruchotte explicitly emulates.

Direct peers

• AM par Alexandre Mazzia: Marseille-based tasting menu restaurant emphasizing vegetable-forward, seasonal cuisine with a small brigade. Comparable operating model: small team, single location, multi-course menus at premium price points.
• La Grenouillère: Alexandre Gauthier's restaurant in La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil with a kitchen garden supplying the kitchen. Comparable farm-to-table model in northern France with a chef-owner-operator.
• Maison Troisgros: Three-generation, 3-Michelin-star French gastronomic restaurant with strong farm and terroir focus. Comparable to La Ruchotte as an elite, multi-generational French fine dining house rooted in regional produce and haute cuisine heritage.
• Septime: Bertrand Grébaut's Paris restaurant celebrated for natural, ingredient-driven haute cuisine without pretense—sharing La Ruchotte's philosophical stance against gastronomic spectacle.
• Mirazur: Mauro Colagreco's Menton restaurant with an onsite garden driving menu development—arguably the most direct farm-to-table haute cuisine peer. Shares La Ruchotte's insistence on seasonal, garden-driven tasting menus in a single rural location.
• Le Bois sans Feuilles: Pascal Barbot's Paris restaurant known for ingredient-led, seasonally driven haute cuisine without culinary spectacle. Comparable ethos to Ménager's anti-spectacle, ingredient-purity approach.

Regional players

• Domaine des Hauts de Loire: Gastronomic boutique hotel and restaurant in the Loire Valley emphasizing regional produce and terroir. Comparable as a French gastronomic country-house experience with a wine-forward proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdxuzd-C0gnP0OfDVRHGxCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/LAFERMEDELARUCHOTTE
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/locations/283253139/la-ferme-de-la-ruchotte
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-ferme-de-la-ruchotte

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Ferme de La Ruchotte