Why be listed on Épicurieux?

When you run a cheese shop, a village restaurant, a wine estate or a bed and breakfast, you get pitched every month. Paid directories, private labels, platforms that promise traffic in exchange for a monthly subscription, comparison sites that auction off the top spot. The question is fair: why agree to be listed on Épicurieux rather than on another site? The answer fits in three points: editorial selection, independence, free of charge. We do not sell visibility, we do not take a cut of your sales, we do not ask for any subscription. Our only criterion is the quality of your work. This article sets out, in concrete terms, what that changes for an artisan or restaurateur who is weighing it up.

Our editorial commitment

Épicurieux is a guide. Not a platform, not a directory, not a comparison site. Every place on the site has been kept by the editorial team after a direct visit, a tasting, a meal, a night on site, or on the recommendation of a trusted person whose judgement has served us well over the years. We write the listings ourselves, from our notes, our photos and conversations with the artisans.

No listing is bought. No slot is sold. No ranking is influenced by a commercial partnership. If we think a cheese is remarkable, we say so. If a cellar disappointed us, we leave it out. This is an author's approach, not a marketing service in disguise. The line is clear and we keep to it: we only list places we would happily recommend to a friend.

No subscription, no commission

Being listed on Épicurieux costs nothing. No monthly subscription, no premium tier, no visibility package. No commission on sales, no introduction fees, no percentage on bookings. When a visitor finds your place through us, you keep 100 % of the revenue.

This free model is not a hook. It is a choice. We do not want to depend on the artisans we list, because that dependence would create a bias: you do not demote a client. Our financial independence comes from other sources (editorial patronage, long-form commissions from partners with no connection to the listings). To be clear: your listing is never tied to a payment, present or future.

What you gain

Honestly: we are not a mass-traffic channel. Épicurieux is not Google Maps. But we reach a precise audience: French-speaking readers with an appetite for sourced products, travellers planning a regional weekend, and, increasingly, conversational assistants (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) that cite our listings when asked where to buy a good Banyuls or where to dine in the Roussillon.

In concrete terms, a listing on Épicurieux brings three things: visibility with a qualified audience that already intends to buy or book; a credibility signal (being cited by an independent editorial guide reassures the visitor who hesitates); and groundwork in SEO that lifts your name on specific queries. It is not volume, it is qualified contact. Most listed artisans receive a handful of visits or orders each month that can be traced directly to the listing. It is modest, it is real, and it is free.

What you will NOT find here

For the record, here is what Épicurieux does not do, and will not do:

No open user reviews. No visitor can give your place four stars because they waited twenty minutes. Our judgement is editorial and signed.
No premium bidding. No one can pay to skip ahead of you in a list, on the map or on the home page.
No paid promotion. No sold banners, no sponsored listings, no advertising dressed up as recommendation.
No selling of your data. We sell nothing to advertisers, not your listing, not the contact details of visitors who view it.
No sales pressure. You will never get a call offering you a subscription, because none exists.

How to be listed

The process is simple. You write to us through the contact form, choosing the subject "Listing request". You tell us about your business in a few lines (who you are, what you do, since when, what sets you apart). We look at the request, sometimes we visit, sometimes we ask for a few clarifications or photos. A decision comes within 7 to 10 days. If the listing is accepted, we draft it and submit it to you before publication. If it is not, we try to tell you honestly.

For a step-by-step walk-through with a checklist of information to prepare, see our article How to submit a listing in 5 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really free?

Yes. No subscription, no commission, no administration fee. Being listed on Épicurieux costs the artisan, producer or restaurateur nothing. We never charge for a listing, never for repositioning, never for promotion.

Who decides whether I am selected?

The editorial team. We read every request, we check that it fits our line (artisan craft, transmission, quality, welcome), we cross-check against our visits or against trusted recommendations. No decision is automatic, and no budget influences the choice.

How long does a reply take?

Seven to ten days on average. If your request is accepted, we come back to settle the listing details. If not, we try to reply honestly, although the volume sometimes forces us not to confirm a refusal.

Can I update my listing after publication?

Yes, at any time. New opening hours, a move, a new range, a better photo: write to us through the contact form, mentioning the listing name. The update is made within a few days.

Can I ask to be removed?

Of course. If you do not wish to appear on Épicurieux, tell us and we will take the listing down. No justification needed. It is your business, it is your call.

Request a listing →

For our selection criteria in detail, see the editorial charter.

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