GUARANTEED SUPPLY

GUARANTEED SUPPLY

This includes :

Managing unforeseeable climate risks

Espelette peppers are grown in open fields and are extremely vulnerable to unforeseeable climate risks.
In order to minimise those risks we have opted to vary the location of the plots planted. They are situated in different parts of the Piment d’Espelette protected zone, thus limiting the effects of possible spring hail, in valleys sheltered from summer heat waves and on hillsides free from early frosts.


Selecting producers

Each producer must :
  • Comply with in-company specifications which lay out our requirements (in addition to those in the PDO specifications)
  • Agree to technical visits aimed at verifying compliance with the production process and the plot records (traceability of cultivation methods)
  • Accept annual evaluations (both quantitative and qualitative) to ascertain if the objectives set down at the beginning of the season have been met.

Total product control
At present GP Pays Basque controls 85% of its supply and buys around 15% from the sector. The latter is subjected to systematic quality checks (sensory and microbiological tests, packaging and labelling conformity, quantities, weight, etc).
Even if the powder has been PDO approved, it may be refused if certain internal criteria we have demanded have not been met.
Example: PDO powder + NC microbiological test = powder refused for purchase

Sustainable farming

Sustainable farming

For the last 10 years GP Pays Basque has been moving closer to organic methods of cultivation.
At present one producer in the group has organic certification, which allows the group to offer a range of certified organic products.
The rest of the production is classified as conventional agriculture, but uses the same methods as organic farming :

  • Sustainable cultivation density : we grow a maximum of 2000 plants per hectare, with a minimum spacing of 60cm between lines and 40cm between plants. In this way we provide plants with conditions which give priority to quality rather than productivity. Maximum yield per plant is limited to 1kg of fresh peppers.
  • Use of agricultural-origin organic matter : we feed the plants by feeding the soil. Applications are not systematic. Defoliants are prohibited.
  • Plant protection thanks to natural pest predators
  • Seed selection carried out by the producers: each year we select “ideal” peppers from which we extract the seeds to be sown the following season.
  • GMOs are strictly prohibited
  • Most weeding is done mechanically or by hand, around each plant
  • Irrigation is forbidden except during the month following planting to ensure successful striking
  • Crop rotation is used whenever possible

Waste management :
First waste management is on-plot: non-compliant peppers (after sorting or stalking) are used for compost and therefore add organic matter to soils in the following seasons
The producers’ group favours recyclable packaging (jars).
GP Pays Basque participates in the FAU campaign (disposal of used agricultural plastic film). Film is sent to a sorting centre for recycling and re-use.
The group and all the producers belong to Eco Emballage, thus reducing the impact of packaging on the environment. By contributing to Point Vert, we finance the collection, sorting and recycling of household waste.
GP Pays Basque also raises awareness among its collaborators regarding waste management in public buildings (sorting recyclable waste and household waste)

Piment d’Espelette PDO

Piment d’Espelette PDO

FUNDAMENTALS
10 villages make up the Piment d’Espelette/Ezpelako Biperra PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) zone.
A single variety: the GORRIA pepper, farm-selected: each year the producers selected the best peppers from which they take the seeds: these seeds will be sown the next year.
3 products are covered by the label: whole fresh peppers (for intra-branch commercialisation), strings and the powder.

OUR KNOW-HOW

  • Production :
    • Hand picking
    • Harvesting at maturity (80% red)
    • From the beginning of August to first frosts, at the latest 1st December
    • Systematic use of chemicals prohibited
    • Strictly controlled irrigation
  • Transformation to powder :
    • Open-air drying for a minimum of 15 days
    • Oven finishing for several hours
    • Vacuum packing before testing for certification
  • Stringing :
    • Hand-stringing on the production site
    • 2, 3 or 4 peppers on food string.
    • Minimum of 20 peppers per final string

CONTROLS
Plots and processing plants: every plot and production plant involved in growing and processing Piment d’Espelette PDO must be previously validated by the INAO (National Institute for Origin and Quality, French Ministry of Agriculture). Espelette peppers must be grown in open fields.

Products

  • Strings and loose peppers: sampling
  • Pepper powder: systematic checks: each lot of Piment d’Espelette PDO powder sold is previously tested by a panel of producers, food professionals and knowledgeable consumers. They are the ones who decide on the authenticity of the powder and its right to claim Piment d’Espelette / Ezpeletako Biperra label.

TASTING
Using the senses to test the Piment d’Espelette

PACKAGING AND LABELLING REGULATIONS
Information leaflet on packaging and labelling Piment d’Espelette PDO

OUR VALUES

OUR VALUES

Our customers’ ever-increasing requirements mean that our quality management system must follow suit. We must strive to improve quality on a continuous basis. That is why we have set up an independent, fully-fledged quality department which not only monitors statutory compliance but also the smooth functioning of the overall quality system.
Our quality management system is based on international norms such as the IFS (International Food Standards).
In this context GP PAYS BASQUE is tackling improvement in different areas :

Becoming a reference as regards product quality

We offer a product which not only corresponds to Piment d’Espelette PDO specifications, but goes way beyond these requirements. We also have full control of the safety of our products, throughout the production process, from plot to end-consumer.
We use a controlled computerised tracking system from plot to distribution.
We undertake regular quality audits, both internal and external, which allow us to make sure the whole quality system is working smoothly.
As part of this approach, all the personnel are actively involved, ready to reinforce a quality-oriented culture within the company (HACCP training, hygiene training, etc.).

Protecting supplies of raw material

For the last ten years we have been offering each producer personal support and assistance in cultivation, administration and improved practices. This close relationship has helped us to control the quality of raw material at the plot, and to guarantee a quick reaction in the case of risks which would threaten the crop (diseases or pests for example)
GP Pays Basque producers are spread over the Piment d’Espelette protected area, on hillsides and in valleys. This strategic choice allows us to limit the risk of crop loss in the case of hail (usually on one production corridor), early ice (first frosts in valley bottoms), and heat waves (affecting hillside production).
Plots are regularly visited, from planting to harvesting, in order to check on the health of the crop.

Building a future by developing skills and sharing knowledge.

GP Pays Basque is committed to involving the workforce in the life of the company. We’re setting up a system of participative management so that each member can give their opinion on company plans.
With this in mind we are putting in place training sessions which allow each person to develop their personal and/or professional skills.

Piment d’Espelette must stay in tune with the times

Although it was granted the French protected origin label (AOC) in 2000, Piment d’Espelette is a product which must not rest on its laurels.
That’s why we pay great attention to the requirements of our customers, both professionals and consumers, who help us create new products and improve our services.
Listening to our customers is central to company policy, and we endeavour each day to meet their needs and answer their questions. We do our best to satisfy specific requests insofar as this is possible within the limits of our product specifications.

Our Know-how

Production

Processing

Distribution

OUR PRODUCTS

Piment d’Espelette powder

Strings of Piment d’Espelette

Other products

Customised products

OUR COMMITMENTS

OUR VALUES

GUARANTEED SUPPLY

Piment d’Espelette PDO

Sustainable farming