Conservatoire de la Confiserie, a candy museum in Amboise
Are you a candy and confectionery lover, or simply curious?
At the Conservatoire de la Confiserie (Candy Museum), you have the opportunity to learn more about candy making and enjoy a live tasting of the candies made on the day of your visit.
How was born the Conservatoire de la Confiserie?
A confectioner passed down from father to son since 1949, the Conservatoire de la Confiserie was born from Nicolas Viollet’s desire to preserve his expertise and the traditions of artisan confectioners.
Open since 2019, the Conservatoire de la Confiserie was established in a former commercial building that Nicolas Viollet purchased to fully pursue his passion.
Today, it consists of a boutique and a space dedicated to confectionery production. Furthermore, with 20 years of experience in the confectionery world and thanks to his many encounters, he has amassed a vast collection of machines, boxes, and utensils, which can be found in the conservatory.
Thus, the Conservatoire de la Confiserie aims to preserve and highlight the tangible and intangible heritage of confectionery.
Our experience at the Conservatoire de la Confiserie
Our gourmet escapade began when we were directed to the candy-making area, revealing a large collection of objects and equipment related to the world of confectionery.
We were then greeted by Teddy, a confectioner who has been working at the confectionery for a year.
He began the tour by explaining what he would be making: poppy lozenges.
We were able to observe him making them, accompanied by his explanations, allowing us to understand each step of the process.
The first was to cook the sugar. To do this, he simply mixes sugar and glucose with water, which he then cooks sous vide in a large copper container.
Next, Teddy adds the flavoring and red coloring to evoke the color of the poppy. The colorings used in the confectionery are actually derived from plant materials. For example, red food coloring is a coloring made from beet juice.
A unique, fun, and tasty experience
After that, the sugar is placed on a cold table, facilitating its cooling. This also allows the dough to have a consistent consistency, allowing it to be subsequently rolled. The rolling machine keeps the sugar in a cylindrical shape at a temperature of 70°C.
The next and final step is shaping and creating the candy. For the poppy lozenges, they use a cylinder frame. This machine imprints the shape and design of the candy. Once the shape and design are achieved, the candies slide onto a ventilated table to cool and separate from each other.
Once the candies are separated and cooled, Teddy invited us to taste them. And while some may have been skeptical about the taste at first, everyone was pleasantly surprised.
The next candies to be made were strawberry lollipops. Teddy repeated the same manufacturing process, with the exception of the shaping and candy creation stage. Lollipops don’t require any mechanical work since the sugar is worked directly by hand once it’s placed on the rolling machine.
We were able to watch him make the first lollipop, and then it was our turn. While we thought it was a simple task while watching him, it turned out to be more complex than we had imagined. But that’s also what made the experience even more fun!
Why joining a tour at the Conservatoire de la Confiserie?
If you’re looking for a fun and educational experience, surrounded by passionate professionals, the Conservatoire de la Confiserie is the ideal place.
You’ll enjoy a captivating tour immersed in the world of confectionery. And of course, you can take home your own lollipop!
Useful information
- Guided tours year-round (in French and English)
- Book your tickets here
- School holidays (all areas): Tuesday to Sunday at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Outside school holidays: Wednesday and Saturday at 3 p.m. - Group reservations by phone at 02 47 30 08 53
- Shop opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. - Address: 22 Rue Germain Chauveau, 37400 Amboise
