When did the company start ?

My grandfather Henri started the company at Les Halles de Paris in 1947. He used to go and buy the products himself from the different French ports in his van. My father Guy worked with him and took over the company upon my grandfather’s death in 1954, while my mother Gerda did the accounts. At the time, my father fought really hard to keep the business going as it was having some problems. In 1969, he set up at Rungis, which had about a hundred operators at the time, and he was a member of the steering committee for the move to Rungis.

How did the company develop ?

The company gradually specialized in fine fish and imports, particularly flat fish, which became the company’s specialty. My father got his supplies from North Sea countries like England, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway and, of course, France. You need to really understand flat fish. They are migratory fish, like the sole, which starts in the south-west of France, travels up the French coast, then Belgium, Holland and Denmark. To buy well, you have to be positioned at the fishing sites where the fish is most abundant and the price attractive, depending on the bidding. This activity requires tenacity, determination, experience, product knowledge and commercial flair, as my father used to remind me…

How did you start in this business ?

I joined the family business in 1984 when I was 21. I started working after doing my baccalaureat and a preparatory course to get into a business school. I had come to like this profession from working with my father during my school holidays. It’s a hard profession but it’s exciting, with a certain freedom and independence in it.
I started with farmed fish, notably salmon from Norway. The Norwegians started farming salmon over twenty years ago. Today, farmed fish represents about 75% of our volume and 50% of our turnover. Farming offers all the guarantees required by the new food hygiene and safety regulations. Norwegian salmon is fished as naturally as possible because they are very careful about the environment.

What is your product line ?

We are focusing more on the catering business and salmon is one of our company’s flagship products, like cod, sole, wild turbot, bass and Saint-Jacques scallops. Our line currently has about 150 listed products from French and North European ports, as well as from the northern USA with skate and dried, dry-shelled scallops shipped by air. The Norwegian products represent about 30% of our volume. Both wild and farmed, these products are perfectly prepared, taste wonderful and are affordable to consumers.

What is your view of the fish market ?

The market for wild fish is declining. Nevertheless, although it is still profitable, we need to be vigilant because the resource is drying up and we also have to adapt to the new distribution system. The market is experiencing a drop in volumes, while costs are rising at the same time, which weakens companies. French wild fish is becoming scarcer, so it is more expensive, leading to the increase in farmed products. In this context, our growth strategy focuses more on providing services and information to our clients to save them time, by setting up our filleting and cutting workshop. We are also developing direct delivery to Paris restaurants.

What do you think about Rungis Market ?

Rungis is a market with the colours and flavours of the world. It’s an extraordinary market with an enormous range of fresh produce. However, is a wonderful showcase enough to make companies thrive? The market has a great image with consumers, but companies do not draw the benefits from this. This very beautiful showcase generates financial constraints for companies, like the European regulations on food hygiene and safety. While these draconian regulations are strictly applied in France, they are a lot less followed in other EU countries, resulting in unfair competition and a distortion of the market. If France wants to be a frontrunner in terms of food safety, with Rungis its flagship, it deserves some real support…