Cyrille Royer, Production Manager at la Tonnellerie Bernard à Lignières-Sonneville (Charente)

Passion, full stop!

At 48 years old, Cyrille Royer has a resume as long as his arm—a resume of a cooper. A profession, or rather a passion, that is deeply ingrained in his skin and soul. It’s a passion that was passed down to him, and one that he, in turn, passes on. A man of taste, heart, and challenge. « Smell these spicy aromas ». The barrel has just come out of the toasting and bousinage process, a crucial step in its production.« All the steps are important, but this one above all. ». Post by post, he makes his way around the workshop, takes a look, corrects, gives instructions, lends a hand if needed, sometimes even a shout« it happens » jokes the interested party. Cyrille boasts some thirty years of experience in cooperage, both with small and larger ventures.

A physical and sensual craft

Like many people from Cognac, Cyrille played rugby, which is also a school of life « In Cognac, everyone knows each other, and when you’re young, you just want to have fun. That’s what I was doing—until the day my father grabbed me by the ear. School wasn’t really my thing ». From the age of 16, Cyrille worked every summer in a large cooperage in the Cognac region. « I stacked the still-green staves before they were sent to the wood yard to dry. Nothing too complicated. I’d take breaks with the coopers, tough guys. And then there was the wood—I’d watch them run their hands over the barrels, feeling for the slightest flaw. That’s where it all began » He went on to complete an apprenticeship as a cooper, earning a vocational diploma (CAP) and graduating as the top student in his class.

From Charente to Missouri

Cyrille has traveled far and wide, sometimes taking risks along the way. But he’s not the kind of man to let himself drift. He’s made a name for himself in the cooperage industry and built a solid reputation. The man holds strong values and convictions. « People can think what they want, but in our line of work, the most important thing is the person, the human element. A machine can always be replaced. ». Straightforward and direct, the man who is now the production manager at Tonnellerie Bernard never forgets where he comes from or those who helped shape him.« I had the privilege of learning the craft from three MOFs (Meilleurs Ouvriers de France), and that’s what stands out most to me about my journey,” he says. A prestigious competition he himself was preparing for before being called overseas to Missouri, USA. « An opportunity like that doesn’t come around twice, so I accepted. I spent two years there with the mission of setting up a cooperage. It was a very formative experience. ». That was in 2002. Upon returning to France, while staying close to the workshops and the scent of heated wood, Cyrille gradually climbed the ranks and took on more responsibilities over the years. In April 2019, he joined the Charlois Group, specifically Tonnellerie Bernard, where his role is to maintain and enhance the craftsmanship and quality of barrel production.