How did you start your career ?

I started my career as a cook. I inherited my vocation and interest in good food from my grandfather, who was a farm labourer. I may also have inherited some genes from my father, who was of Russian origin. After my schooling and diplomas from the Lycée Hôtelier in Touquet, and a few part-time jobs at restaurants in the region, I really began my career at L’Auberge de la Truite, in Saint-Martin aux Chartrains, near Deauville, with Jean-Michel Lebon, the master chef who finally convinced me that this was my calling. From that moment on, I did every restaurant job and managed both kitchen and front room teams. I made a career change from restaurant work in 2000. At the time I was managing Le Bœuf sur le Toit, a big chain in the Flo group, specialized in seafood products. That was when I decided to cross over to the other side of the fence and concentrate on a new profession as a restaurant supplier.

How did Armara start ?

In 2000, I moved to Rungis Market as a sales rep for various companies in the seafood sector where I learned the wholesale business. After five years as a sales manager, I joined a young company called Armara in July 2006 because I wanted to put all my experience to good use to help develop a traditional family-sized business, close to its suppliers, employees, clients and products. Armara is the result of the determination of a few seafood professionals whom I finally welded into a business servicing Parisian restaurants, from the smallest to the most prestigious, with nobody left out. My colleagues work under very tough conditions but they’re happy because they are consulted on all decisions at all levels of the company. To optimise our development, we got the backing of a large group that was looking to diversify and its boss, Michel Charraire, became chairman of Armara.

What is the company’s commercial policy ?

We sell few foreign products, a bit of Canadian lobster, Scottish Label Rouge salmon, cod. We started with about twenty lead products and a hundred backlist products, and the business has grown rapidly. The majority of our clients have several stars - Gerges V, Savoy, Ritz, etc. – not to mention those with a good reputation and turnover -Hôtel Costes, Le Père Claude, La Gitane, La Casa Alcade, Barrio Latino, Chai 33, etc. – the Flo group brasseries and several famous independent restaurants. Our priority for the future is labelled products, much in demand, and traceability.

The goal is always quality at Armara! We are very attentive on this point and our quality engineer uses the various specifications we are given to ensure smooth supplies and proper traceability on the products we buy and distribute.

How do you see the future of the market for seafood products ?

The decrease in fishery resources should force the sector to reorganize, to respect the products’ seasonality as well as fishing, breeding and culling periods. We need to build awareness throughout the trade. This serious problem explains the development of aquaculture, which is still 20% for us. The latter has to be done carefully because it is becoming essential. The market for seafood products is still very healthy and I remain reasonably optimistic. We are clearly moving towards hyper-labelling for seafood products. The sea is man’s future, let’s learn to respect it.

What is your view on Rungis Market ?

As regards the fresh fish sector, Rungis has the advantage of real know-how on an inter-company level. However, it still needs to make this known by more aggressive communication, more oriented towards our markets. Rungis benefits from an exceptional geographic and strategic location, with all possible means to work and produce. You have to be wherever things happen and they happen at Rungis. Being there every day and never letting clients down once you’ve given your word. Being at Rungis means taking quality on board and staying the course for a consistently high performance.