Gat Dus Honey, hazelnuts and baked goods
Business Hours
Closing Day
Holidays
My pride and joy is definitely the hazelnut cake, without flour and very soft, which along with all the varieties of cookies and products I make, repays me for the effort and work done, giving me enormous satisfaction!
This is how Alessia Bracco introduces herself, who together with her brother Gabriele, manages the artisanal confectionery laboratory Gat Dus in Farigliano.
The name, which in Piedmontese dialect means “sweet cat”, is a tribute to local tradition: the town is in fact known for its Gat Ross, the red cats, an affectionate nickname still given to all the inhabitants of the village today.
From their own hazelnut groves, which Alessia and Gabriele take care of with particular attention to the environment, come the Tonda Gentile hazelnuts, the dominant ingredient, transformed to create fragrant and aromatic cookies, cakes, and other sweets.
Their recipes are those handed down by their grandmothers and aunts, enhanced with a touch of creativity and innovation.
Love for Honey
Honey is the company’s second great love, but also the point from which everything began.
Alessia and Gabriele’s parents are beekeepers and have always dedicated themselves passionately to this activity, following every phase: from bee care to honey collection and processing.
Beekeeping, passed down from generation to generation, is an ancient knowledge that today allows the production of four different honeys, each with its unique nuances of aromas and flavors.
The Simulated Truffle Hunt with Three Young Truffle Hunters
The passion for truffles has prompted three friends Michele, Alessia’s partner, Cristiano and Giovanni to collaborate with Gat Dus to allow tourists and curious people to experience a simulated hunt.
Walking in the truffle ground, participants can closely observe the work of the tabui, the truffle dogs, including a friendly dachshund.
During the excursion, there’s a complete demonstration of the search and, with a bit of luck, you might even find a spontaneous truffle.
Through guided tastings, visits to the hazelnut grove, the beehives, and the workshop, they share their daily work and commitment to sustainable, authentic, and seasonal production
Soft, fragrant, and full of flavor — perfect on bread, in desserts, or simply enjoyed by the spoonful
Gat Dus sweets and cookies combine family tradition with high-quality ingredients, starting with the hazelnuts grown in the company’s own orchards
A story that
begins in 1996
in Farigliano
From a chance encounter to a family tradition
In 1996, during one of his daily bike rides through the hills of Langhe, Aldo Bracco, father of Alessia and Gabriele, had an unexpected encounter: he was attacked by a swarm of bees! What seemed like a minor inconvenience turned into the beginning of an extraordinary family adventure and the birth of a great passion for beekeeping.
The following year Aldo began raising four bee families, producing the first jars of honey. Soon his wife Liliana also got involved, becoming a true beekeeper.
Their dedication has been rewarded with important recognitions: they have twice received the prestigious Giulio Piana Award, winning a Golden Drop in 2003 and two Drops with second place in 2004.
In 2024 they reached a new milestone, winning first place at the Franco Marletto Typical Piedmontese Honeys competition with their wildflower honey.
Over the years, the passion for nature was naturally passed on to Alessia and Gabriele, who decided to expand the family business by dedicating themselves to transforming hazelnuts into authentic Langhe confectionery products.
Since 2023, Gat Dus has also dedicated itself to truffle hunting, to offer curious visitors and tourists a fascinating and typical Langhe experience.
Products
Artisanal and ethical processing that combines the simplicity of local products with the desire to do well
Hazelnut cultivation takes place in the most respectful way possible: without the use of pesticides or herbicides, with the goal of protecting the environment and biodiversity. An authentic attention, because the Bracco family are the first consumers of their own products.
After the harvest, which takes place in July and August, the hazelnuts are carefully selected and dried. Subsequently, during the rest of the year, the hazelnut grove is cared for with pruning interventions, essential for rejuvenating the plants and ensuring consistent, high-quality production.
Everything begins with the selection of raw materials: freshly harvested hazelnuts are brought directly to the laboratory, where they undergo careful quality control. This process is essential to ensure the excellence of the final product.
Roasting represents a crucial phase: it allows obtaining the ideal raw material, an essential foundation for creating Gat Dus signature specialties.
Hazelnut cake
Hazelnut cake is a traditional dessert of Langhe. It comes from an ancient family recipe, simple and genuine.
It contains few ingredients: hazelnuts from our own production roasted and ground at the time of use, fresh eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt. It’s excellent with zabaione or vanilla ice cream.
Copeta
From the union of hazelnuts, honey, sugar comes this delicacy contained within two wafers.
Ancient sweet typical of Langhe, it was prepared by grandmothers for their grandchildren during the winter period.
Girandole
They appear to be classic meringues, but hide a delicious secret. Their unmistakable flavor comes from fresh hazelnut granules, finely ground at the time of preparation to preserve all their aroma and fragrance.
These sweets with a soft texture and delicate taste melt sweetly in your mouth, allowing the characteristic flavor of Langhe hazelnuts to emerge.
Gobbi
Crunchy cookies with a bold roasted hazelnut flavor whose shape recalls that of the sweet hills of Langhe.
Brik
Crunchy, lightly spiced cookies made with roasted hazelnuts, dark chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla bean and lemon zest.
They evoke a spiced and Christmas flavor, but are perfect all year round.
Paste di meliga
Paste di meliga are typical cookies from the Cuneo valleys. Prepared with corn flour, which in Piedmontese dialect is called melia or meliga and an addition of lemon zest, they pair with a good glass of Moscato d’Asti DOCG.
Hazelnut Petals
The name describes the delicacy of the cookie. Light and crumbly, created with the same batter as the cake: hazelnuts, fresh eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt.
Hazelnut Spread
Spreadable cream expertly blended in the right balance between honey and hazelnuts. It pairs with cheeses, but also with a simple slice of bread.
Cugnà or Grape Sauce
Cugnà is a typical preparation of Piedmontese tradition that Gat Dus prepares exclusively with dolcetto grape must, quinces, madernassa pears, hazelnuts and sugar.
It is often used as an accompaniment to aged cheeses offering a sweet contrast that enhances the flavors. It also pairs well with meat (especially boiled meat) and polenta.
Each honey tells a different season and carries with it the unique flavors of the Langhe territory
Perfect for special occasions and holidays, each package tells a story of family, local heritage, and passion
Traditionally served with Piedmontese boiled meats or aged cheeses, cugnà is an authentic local gastronomic delicacy
Crisp, fragrant, and irresistible — combining a crunchy dough with the rich flavor of hazelnuts
Experiences
Gat Dus: guided tastings of hazelnuts, honey and artisanal sweets
Three different types of experience are available, offering the discovery of artisanal products and insights into hazelnut grove work, beekeeping and truffle hunting.
Discovery Tasting → €15.00 per Person
A journey that allows you to taste products from savory to sweet: bread and local cheeses are paired with different types of honey and spreads before moving on to sweets and concluding with coffee strictly made in a moka pot.
From Hazelnut Grove to Hive → €25.00 per Person
The visit begins with a walk through the hazelnut grove, located a short distance away, where participants can admire the hazelnut cultivation and understand the importance of this fruit for local tradition.
It continues with a walk in the woods, an environment rich in biodiversity.
The most fascinating moment is the discovery of the hive, during which the wonderful life of bees and their fundamental role in the ecosystem is illustrated, with detailed but simple explanations of the honey production process.
The experience continues in the confectionery laboratory and concludes with the “discovery tasting”.
Black Truffle (February to September) → €75.00 per Person
An engaging experience of about one hour, designed to showcase the black truffle.
The simulated hunt concludes with a delicious break: ice cream enriched with a generous grating of truffle and the “discovery tasting”, to discover other flavors of the territory.
White Truffle (October to January) → €85.00 per Person
An experience of about one hour, designed to showcase the most prized of truffles: the white.
The simulated hunt concludes with the “discovery tasting”. And if the truffle’s aroma captivates you? You can purchase it directly on site.
Groups
Experience Duration
Booking
Experience Price
During the walk, you’ll witness all the stages of truffle hunting – and with a bit of luck, you might even discover a wild truffle
After the visit to the workshop, hazelnut grove, or beehives, it’s finally time to enjoy the products lovingly crafted according to the family tradition
These fragrant and buttery cookies are made with corn flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and lemon zest
Beekeeping
Enhancing artisanal knowledge through a production process supported by technology
The company practices nomadic beekeeping, a technique that involves moving hives according to seasonal blooms. In Farigliano, they produce dandelion and cherry, acacia, and wildflower honeys, carefully following the natural rhythms of the territory.
After these blooms, the hives are carefully closed and transferred to Viola St. Gré, where the precious chestnut honey is produced. With an intense, slightly bitter and aromatic taste, it’s a robust, dark honey highly appreciated by connoisseurs.
Several months pass from the positioning of the hives to the final packaging, marked by delicate and precise steps, essential for ensuring a genuine and high-quality product.
Honey Production is Influenced by Environmental and Human Factors
Global warming and the increase in sudden or out-of-season rains compromise acacia blooming and negatively affect bee activity, making them less active or unable to forage sufficiently.
These conditions make honey production more uncertain and inconsistent, often reducing harvests and jeopardizing the natural balance on which beekeeping has always been based.
Acacia honey, with its delicate and sweet taste, is among the most loved and prized, but also one of the most difficult to obtain: acacia is indeed very sensitive to climate changes.
When Climate Puts Bees (and Honey) in Crisis
Honey production is strongly influenced by environmental and climatic factors. Global warming and the increase in sudden or out-of-season rains compromise flowering and make bees less active or unable to forage sufficiently.
These conditions make production uncertain and inconsistent, often reducing harvests and jeopardizing the natural balance that has always regulated beekeeping.
Acacia honey, one of the most loved and prized for its delicate and sweet taste, is also one of the most difficult to obtain precisely because of its high sensitivity to climate changes.
An act of giving back to nature
For kids and teens, it’s a fun and engaging way to learn, spark curiosity, and develop respect for hard work and the land
Gat Dus produces artisanal honey by following the natural rhythms of the bees, with great care for the environment and biodiversity
Each type of Gat Dus honey is the result of careful nomadic beekeeping, with hives moved strategically to follow the flowering seasons
Prices & Services
Experiences and product prices
Types of tasting
Discovery tasting → €15.00 per person
From savory to sweet, including cheeses, honey, creams, cookies, and other delicacies.
From hazelnut grove to beehive → €25.00 per person
Walk in the hazelnut grove and forest + discovery tasting.
Black truffle (from February to September) → €75.00 per person
Simulated search + discovery tasting + ice cream with grated truffle.
White truffle (from October to January) → €85.00 per person
Simulated search + discovery tasting.
Products
- Brik 200 g → €5.50
- Copeta 4 pieces/100 g → €5.50
- Girandole 60 g → €3.50
- Gobbi 100 g → €5.00
- Petali 100 g → €4.50
- Paste di meliga 200 g → €5.00
- Hazelnut cake 300 g → €10.00
- Cugnà jar 160 g → €6.80
Honey (dandelion and cherry, wildflower, chestnut)
- 120 g → €4.00
- 500 g → €8.00
- 1000 g → €14.00
Acacia honey
- 120 g → €5.00
- 500 g → €9.00
- 1000 g → €16.00
All products can be purchased in-store or directly on the company's e-commerce site.
Services
Accepted Payments
Biking through castles between Castiglione and Serralunga
SP157, 19, 12060 Grinzane Cavour CN, Italia
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Gat Dus
Honey, hazelnuts and baked goods
Shop in Farigliano
Gat Dus
Honey, hazelnuts and baked goods
Shop in Farigliano
