Thanks to the distillery’s location, environment and architecture, it gracefully balances its agricultural and industrial heritage, making it a genuine link between country and city life. Located on a fertile plain where a few grazing horses provide a bucolic touch, it is bordered on one side by market garden fields, while, from the building’s upper floor, the view extends over farmland, which provides a shimmering spectacle at sunset.
On the other side of the building, protected majestic trees, filtering the morning light, create a warm and intimate atmosphere around the stone constructions. The barn, commonly called the “tithe barn”, was formerly part of the seigniorial farm known as the “Fromagerie” or “Dairy”, built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Adjacent to the main building, it is topped with an original flat tile gable roof, supported by inversed wooden rafters, while a massive wooden door opens onto a paved courtyard.
The property’s industrial past is also visible thanks to the distillery’s metallic structure and loading dock, vestiges of its former activity, which are located opposite the main building. The beetroot distillery, built out of burrstone in the 19th century, has four storeys and is cadenced by large, rectilinear windows, which bathe its interior in light. Partially renovated with a flat tile gable roof, a building permit was submitted and approved, allowing it to be developed into three individual residential lots in the land register. In addition, the property is accessible via two entrances: one from the pedestrian path traversing the “Fromagerie” farm’s grand courtyard, while the other is via a large metallic gate giving onto farmland and the adjacent dirt track.

The History of the Premises

L'histoire du village
Chailly-en-Bière is a rural and historical town in the Seine-et-Marne department, whose development is closely linked to its agricultural character and proximity to the village of Barbizon, famous for its school of painting.
From the very beginning, Chailly-en-Bière was primarily agriculturally based. Most of its inhabitants received subsidies from working in the fields and raising livestock, a rural tradition that lasted even after the beginning of industrialisation in the 19th century. Despite the changes caused by the latter and modernisation in its various forms, Chailly-en-Bière was able to conserve its agricultural and architectural heritage. In addition, the “Fromagerie” farm, distillery and the surrounding countryside, immortalised by the Barbizon painters, participate in the site’s rich history. Today, Chailly-en-Bière remains a living illustration of the delightful combination between an agricultural past and an artistic heritage, which contributes in creating its rural legacy and has made the village a place of interest for both history lovers as well as art enthusiasts.
L'histoire de la ferme de la Fromagerie
The “Fromagerie” farm, an emblematic edifice of Chailly-en-Bière, dates back to the 15th century. With a history intimately linked to that of the local lords and ecclesiastical institutions, its name indicates that a cheese-making activity once took place here, a probability corroborated by the presence of several large vaulted cellars. Over the centuries, the property was passed down through the hands of several noble families, who made significant transformations to it: in the 19th century, it housed a large ovine herd and made a name for itself thanks to its wide variety of crops, while the later addition of its distillery also significantly contributed to its development.
L'histoire de la distillerie
In the middle of the 19th century, a beetroot distillation factory was built on the western side of the “Fromagerie” farm. This building marked a shift in Chailly-en-Bière’s economic history and remained operational until 1939, employing many of the village’s residents. Equipped with a steam-powered machine, the distillery was self-sufficient in terms of energy and was also able to provide electricity for the farm, at a time when the rest of the village was still without. Its presence also probably encouraged the cultivation of beetroots in the region, thus diversifying local agriculture. The paintings that illustrate the latter depict an authentic rural way of life, with streets littered with manure, chickens, herds of sheep and farmworkers.

The Buildings

The buildings, located on a parcel of land of approximately 1,356 m², include a total of almost 850 m² and are split up into three distinct edifices: the barn (with about 300 m² of floor area and the possibility of creating an additional floor), the loading dock (with approximately 125 m²) and the distillery (with about 410 m²).

La distillerie
With a cadastral surface area of almost 728 m², the distillery has approximately 410 m² of built space split into three levels and includes a large wooden mezzanine under the eaves. In addition, it is bordered by a cobblestone and grassy courtyard, which extends over 700 m² all the way to the loading dock opposite.
The barn
With 303 m² of built space over its entire cadastral footprint, its floor is covered in either cobblestones or cement.
Le quai de chargement
A logistical space historically linked with the distillery, which its bare metallic structure, foundations, walls and small staircase, entirely in stone, all face, it has a cadastral surface area of 325 m², including 125 m² of built space.