Le Moulin du Trel Walnut oil production near Sarlat

History :

The Moulin du Trel dating from the 12th century belonged to the Château de Beynac and was a "BANAL" mill. This means that the inhabitants of the seigneury of Beynac were obliged to have their grains ground and their nuts crushed at the Mill. In return, the Lord of Beynac then took a percentage on the flour and oil.

Passionate about mills, Pascal Vidal was won over by this mill and wanted to combine his foie gras business with the production of walnut oil.

When he discovered this mill, Pascal Vidal immediately had the desire and determination to make it rise from its "ashes"... And it was in 2016 that Pascal and his son Benjamin Vidal undertook extensive renovation work and restoration of the production tool thanks to the intervention of specialized companies.

Everything has been rebuilt in the authentic spirit for the proper functioning of the whole, with hydraulic power: wheel, gear, millstone, press, heater. The bed of the old mill which supplied water to the wheel has been entirely rebuilt in stone.

As soon as the tool was in working order, it came back to life!

Presentation of the Moulin du Trel:

The Moulin du Trel is located in a magnificent environment in the commune of Vézac in the Périgord Noir near Sarlat-la-Canéda. Thanks to the Vidal family, this mill, part of our heritage, is once again in operation in the purest tradition.

The mill draws its energy for the production of extra virgin walnut oil from a water wheel powered by the water retained in the millrace. This was designed in connection with the Treuil stream, dug into the rock by human hands at a depth of 2.50 m, allowing a sufficient water reserve to be accumulated to operate the mill even in summer.

The Trel Mill's bucket wheel, with a diameter of 4.5m and a weight of 4 tonnes, is the engine of the Mill, driving the mechanism allowing the manufacturing. It uses clean and renewable energy : water from the Treuil stream.

At the mill, they offer free tasting of our oil.
In a green setting, you can stroll and discover your animals.

MANUFACTURE:

At Moulin du Trel, they produce: walnut oil, hazelnut oil, truffled olive oil and walnut flour.

In the Mill of the Moulin du Trel, weighing about 800kg, we grind 20 kilos of nuts and obtain a paste. This paste is then heated in a pan, then placed in the Press where the walnut oil is extracted.

The Press composed of a basket is equipped with a spout to recover the oil. It allows the extraction of walnut oil: with 20 kilos of kernels, it recovers 10 liters of pure walnut oil. This oil is decanted, and after 3 weeks is bottled, ready to taste!!

After extracting the oil, the miller collects the walnut cake from the press and places it in a mill to obtain the walnut flour.

This operation is identical for the production of hazelnut oil.

Visit to the manufacturing workshop:

Come and meet the miller, he will give you a free tour of the workshop, he will show you his manufacturing methods, a whole range of expertise!

Enjoy the setting: the scents of walnut oil, hear and see the water of the stream that drives the wheel, discover the millstone and the press with the authentic whole walnut kernels... To watch the production, he welcomes you on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Come and taste Périgord walnut oil at the Moulin du Trel located in a bucolic location in the Périgord Noir.

Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Our animals:

The Moulin du Trel has its companions : Marco, Fanny and Oscars, our donkeys, our thoroughbred chickens, as well as our magnificent peacock: perhaps he will show off his tail when you arrive!