In the life of a charcutier, one’s story usually begins with humble origins, a small family business in the countryside, the love of meat, and the passion to take it to the next level. These French businesses are now powerhouses in their industry, serving the finest products to customers worldwide.
AUBRET
Aubret’s story begins in 1946, when a pork butcher family specialising in pork bellies opened a small business in the La Montagne region of Loire-Atlantique. The business truly took flight when Pierre Aubret’s son, Guy, catalysed the development of the company, through legal legislation and the procurement of business-to-business trade. Now, Aubret is a leading manufacturer of raw and cooked meat products, predominantly using pork, located in Saint-Mars-la-Jaille.
Diving deeper into the company’s history, in 1993, Aubret began focusing on the retail sector, initiating the production of lardons for general sale, in order to meet the rising demands for practical, time-saving products for everyday household cooking. In the years that followed, Aubret expanded their offerings to include cooking aids such as meat toppings and Strasbourg sausages. Years later, Aubret would become the top manufacturer for bacon lardons in France.
Diving deeper into the company’s history, in 1993, Aubret began focusing on the retail sector, initiating the production of lardons for general sale, in order to meet the rising demands for practical, time-saving products for everyday household cooking. In the years that followed, Aubret expanded their offerings to include cooking aids such as meat toppings and Strasbourg sausages. Years later, Aubret would become the top manufacturer for bacon lardons in France.
accueil.standard@eureden.com | aubret.com/fr
BAHIER
In 1941, Odette and Maurice Bahier opened their butchery and charcuterie business in the quaint village of Sceaux-sur-Huisne, in Sarthe. By 1966, their son, Régis Bahier, took over the small family business and created The Society of Rillettes Bahier, and then went on to set up the first factory specialising in the production of rillettes, initially employing only 50 people in 1972.
Since then, Bahier has become a leading trader in the pork delicatessen market, renowned for their black and white puddings, rillettes, cooked and smoked meats. With a commitment to ensuring the highest quality and best taste for their consumers, Bahier is of the highest calibre when it comes to meat production, working with premium French suppliers within close range.
Delivering the best of the best requires a combination of mastered recipes and the selection of the finest raw and cooked ingredients. At Bahier, their recipes and meat expertise has been passed down from generation to generation, along with their passion. According to Bahier, “charcuterie is imbued with both tradition and modernity. Intergenerational, accessible to all, responding to the consumption challenges of tomorrow, it delights the good-living and for a long time.” As such, Bahier’s mission is to offer customers the assurance of the best taste and quality, and to do this, they strongly rely on the cohesion and work of their teams.
Bahier is not just conscious of their customers’ experience, but they are also conscious of their commitment to the planet, having adopted recycling methods, and reduced their water consumption over the last 10 years by 30%. Moreover, Bahier stands against waste, with the initiative to donate unsold products to food banks.
RD323 72160 Sceaux-sur-Huisne | (+33) 2 43 60 31 00
HENRI RAFFIN
Steeped in history, Henri Raffin is a fine foods company that produces Savoie dry cured hams, dry sausages, and diots sausages. Passing down their labour of love from generation to generation, Henri Raffin has perfected the art of sausage making. Raffin Sausage has roots that trace all the way back to 1897, making the expertise used to make it over 100 years old.
Awarded “the excellence of French know-how” by the French government, Henri Raffin is at the top of their game. Chasing down the highest quality product, Henri Raffin strives to select the best produce from approved sources, obtaining the highest level food certification from the International Food Standard.
Named after the legendary mountain pass in the Alps, Galibier is one of Henry Raffin’s main brands, which specialises in charcuterie from Savoy, to be served at the deli counter. In the meantime, prized for their authentic taste, Henri Raffin is the title brand specialising in charcuterie from Savoy to be served self-service.
Henri Raffin is also famous for their ‘Saucisson Sec’, French dried sausage, a traditional food of the country enjoyed by millions annually. To describe how it tastes, imagine salty, chewy and rich layers of flavoured meat that become all the more delicious the more you consume. They can be eaten without being cooked, and for a more delicate taste, you can remove the sausage’s casing. They are also best paired with a light meal or with an aperitif as a snack.
Beloved by so many, Henri Raffin has a worldwide presence, distributing to nations all over the world in supermarkets and catering catalogues all over the world. Keep an eye out for their famous products for your next dinner party.
Parc d'Activité du Héron, La Rochette, France | +33 4 79 25 50 44 | henriraffin@raffin.com
LECHEF BRETAGNE INTERNATIONAL (LBI)
Born out of a demand for charcuterie with a long enough shelf life to be shipped abroad, Lechef Bretagne International (LBI) is an import export company specialising in cold cuts and catering dating back to the 1980s. Since then, LBI has created a specific range designed to meet worldwide demands, and became an entity in their own right in 2016.
Located in the small town of Bannalec, within the western region of Brittany, LBI stands tall within this French agri-food centre. Here, they have mastered preservation techniques which, alongside their industrial tools, have allowed them to guarantee the freshest quality products, even after they have been delivered to the other side of the world.
LBI’s commitment to excellence is manifested by their dedication to procure the finest of ingredients, delivering premium products recognised for their exceptional taste.
At LBI, they strive to guarantee food safety, while preserving long-held traditional recipes, knowledge and authenticity of taste. LBI employs the strictest of controls, ensuring that each stage of production is closely monitored according to specifications.
59 Rue De Scaer 29380 Bannalec | lbi.lechef-premium.fr
LÉON CHAILLOT SALAISONS EN ARDÈCHE
After decades of working together as a family in the pig trading business, in 1947, the four Challiot brothers came together to build Léon Chaillot, which would soon become the most recognised cured meat factory in the province. Since then, they have strived to uphold the three pillars of their business: terroir, tradition and quality.
The three-generation family business resides in the mountainous region of Roiffieux, Ardèche. Here at their LC Salaisons factory, they have turned their back on an overly industrial approach to producing charcuterie, and have instead chosen to slowly mature their sausages in dryers that develop and preserve a unique forest mushroom flavour specific to the terroir. It is by the grace of the 100% natural flora that this occurs, and it is part of the long-standing heritage that the sausages are made in this way, as a part of every effort to guarantee the authenticity of taste. Their true secret, though, is their selection of only the very best cuts of French pork, and allowing for a long, uninterrupted maturing process.
What we do know about LC Salaison’s long-held recipes is that they use exclusively natural casings, 100% fresh meat, regular quality controls, a slow drying process and a long waiting period between processing and stuffing to allow the meat to rest for better salt intake of the mixture.
LC Salaisons’ first range of saucissons goes by the name of PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) Ardèche. These saucissons are lovingly produced in line with a traditional Ardèche recipe, using pigs that have been born, raised and slaughtered exclusively in France. In just one bite, you can taste the gastronomic heritage of Ardèche, as your taste buds tingle while devouring the slightly spicy sausage, seasoned with garlic and pepper.
The next line of saucissons is the ‘Montagne’ range, known for their milder taste, definitively not too salty, with a tender and complex meaty flavour from fresh, free-range pork meat. The pigs consumed in this range are born and raised on small family farms in the mountains, where the entire production process takes place.
Finally, as LC Salaisons employ an approach whereby their beliefs and values are consistent with organic farming, they have decided to launch an organic range of saucissons. Once again only made with French raw ingredients, and stuffed in natural casings, their organic saucissons are a top of the line product.
Savour the heritage of the French mountains in these delectable salty saucissons, and you will understand why they are at the top of their game.
55 Mnt des Aygas, 07100 Roiffieux, France | +33 4 75 33 03 22 | lc@lcsalaisons.fr