History

Daily baking is the only way to guarantee the passing down of traditional practices, two ingredients which are essential to and justify the durability of the company with its team of highly qualified staff.

Customers were locals at first, then came from whole area, later becoming national and even international proving that demand for traditionally made products is as strong as ever.

In this way, Nivon's endeavours to preserve top quality standards and has been doing so with remarkable cohesion for 150 years.

All the members of our staff are conscious of our role in preserving these traditionally made products while promoting them in thoroughly modern ways.

The Drôme-made "Pogne", the Valence-made "Suisse", (shorbread man), and the "Saint-Genix" are all culinary specialities which belong to the heritage of tastes and flavours marking the page's of Drôme history.

THE POGNE :

Talking about the history of the Pogne is not an easy matter since this large bun (a kind of brioche) results from a number of traditional techniques which vary from area to area according to local tastes. However, we have evidence that it existed as far back as the Middle Ages when housewives bought a few "handfulls" (poignées) of flour on feast days to bake this special cake. Sixteenth century historical facts give us more precise details. At that time, a bill forbidding the making of "Pognes" was passed because of a famine. The 19th Century bears witness to the "Pogne" as being highly esteemed and a very easily preserved cake which was at the time sent all across France. In 1938, the word "Pogne" describing a "brioche*" in the shape of a large circle made its official entry into the French language as well as into the dictionary. * (a light bun).

The "Suisse" (Swiss shorbread man) :

The Civil Constitution which Louis XVIth reluctantly ratified on August 24th 1790, was to impose unacceptable constraints upon the Pope. Grave incidents were to follow and in the spring of 1796 the French sent troops into the Pô Plain following secret transactions between Pope Pius VIth and the Austrians. Bonaparte decided to march upon Rome and his general named Berthier occupied the city in February 1798. The course of events was to accelerate and Pius VIth was to be disarmed of his Swiss guards and deported to France, to the town named Valence. He later died there in very humble conditions on August 29th 1799. The little shorbread men were undoubtedly a symbol of the captive Pope, an unprecedented event in history, and undefended by his usual guards, especially his Swiss guards. The memory of these events lives on through the making of the shorbread "Suisse" cakes in Valence.

The Saint-GENIX :

The "Saint-Genix" is an original Rhône-Alps-made cake. Its history, which is not very ancient, goes back to the beginning of the century and is basically an adaptation of baker's know-how to customer’s desires. In Lyon, like the Savoy region and even more precisely the town of St Genix sur Giers, this pastry (a large brioche) contains whole, red sugared almonds or "pralines", the baking of which is made possible by a very fluid mixture. In Valence,as in Romans, the pralines are roughly ground for the Pogne, not left whole due to its thicker dough. The "pralines" cook to perfection and run prettily down the sides of these round or oblong-shaped cakes.

the "Suisse" maker's Gruild

	Daily baking is the only way to guarantee the passing down of traditional practices, two ingredients which are essential to and justify the durability of the company with its team of highly qualified staff. Customers were locals at first, then came from whole area, later becoming national and even international proving that demand for traditionally made products is as strong as ever. In this way, Nivon's endeavours to preserve top quality standards and has been doing so with remarkable cohesion for 150 years.
All the members of our staff are conscious of our role in preserving these traditionally made products while promoting them in thoroughly modern ways. The Drôme-made "Pogne", the Valence-made "Suisse", (shorbread man), and the "Saint-Genix" are all culinary specialities which belong to the heritage of tastes and flavours marking the page's of Drôme history.
	THE POGNE : Talking about the history of the Pogne is not an easy matter since this large bun (a kind of brioche) results from a number of traditional techniques which vary from area to area according to local tastes. However, we have evidence that it existed as far back as the Middle Ages when housewives bought a few "handfulls" (poignées) of flour on feast days to bake this special cake. Sixteenth century historical facts give us more precise details. At that time, a bill forbidding the making of "Pognes" was passed because of a famine. The 19th Century bears witness to the "Pogne" as being highly esteemed and a very easily preserved cake which was at the time sent all across France. In 1938, the word "Pogne" describing a "brioche" in the shape of a large circle made its official entry into the French language as well as into the dictionary. (a light bun).
The "Suisse" (Swiss shorbread man) : The Civil Constitution which Louis XVIth reluctantly ratified on August 24th 1790, was to impose unacceptable constraints upon the Pope. Grave incidents were to follow and in the spring of 1796 the French sent troops into the Pô Plain following secret transactions between Pope Pius VIth and the Austrians. Bonaparte decided to march upon Rome and his general named Berthier occupied the city in February 1798. The course of events was to accelerate and Pius VIth was to be disarmed of his Swiss guards and deported to France, to the town named Valence. He later died there in very humble conditions on August 29th 1799. The little shorbread men were undoubtedly a symbol of the captive Pope, an unprecedented event in history, and undefended by his usual guards, especially his Swiss guards. The memory of these events lives on through the making of the shorbread "Suisse" cakes in Valence.
The Saint-GENIX : The "Saint-Genix" is an original Rhône-Alps-made cake. Its history, which is not very ancient, goes back to the beginning of the century and is basically an adaptation of baker's know-how to customer’s desires. In Lyon, like the Savoy region and even more precisely the town of St Genix sur Giers, this pastry (a large brioche) contains whole, red sugared almonds or "pralines", the baking of which is made possible by a very fluid mixture. In Valence,as in Romans, the pralines are roughly ground for the Pogne, not left whole due to its thicker dough. The "pralines" cook to perfection and run prettily down the sides of these round or oblong-shaped cakes.

the "Suisse" maker's Gruild