The Farm Panchaud
Since 1980, the cities of Montreux and Monthey were interested in the project of the creation of the future Musée du blé et du pain. But when in 1981 the Panchaud family decides to sell its rural building dating 1790, situated right in the heart of the village of Echallens, on the square of Hôtel-de-Ville, it became obvious that the future Maison du Blé et du Pain would find its place in Gros-de-Vaud, one of Switzerland’s most cereal rural regions, and collectively called the «Cellar of Switzerland»…
The acquisition of farm Panchaud, as well as the necessary works of renovation so that the building would not collapse, represented a expense that couldn’t be assured without a mortgage loan contracted with the banks of Echallens on the April 1st 1985, completed by donations and sales of breads. A new skeleton was built, all the old walls in good condition were preserved, the former kitchen with its big fireplace and the old baker’s oven would be restored.
The origins
The first Fête du Blé et du Pain in1978 was beautiful and left bright memories for everyone. So much enthusiasm could not stop there and a band of enthusiast had the idea to extend it…
Why not to use the profits of the Fête du Blé et du Pain to create the Musée du pain et du blé where we would pay tribute in the ancestral gestures of the farmer, the miller and the baker, where we would collect the testimonies of the past and would preserve the old objects?
This is how these soft dreamers launched themselves wholeheartedly into the adventure, without having neither a place, nor a collection! But the enthusiasm, faith and passion raises mountains, and soon was bought the farm Panchaud (dating 1790), on the square of the Hôtel de Ville. The Association pour la Maison du Blé et du Pain was created in 1982. An appeal on the radio, some articles in the press, and soon objects arrived from everywhere in the canton…
After important renovation work of the building and the museography, the Maison du Blé et du Pain was opened in May, 1988, and inaugurated officially on April 16th, 1989. On that particular day, the peasant delegations of 26 cantons delivered symbolically their grain to the Maison du Blé et du Pain.