Native to Paris, this pharmaceutical assistant's daughter got a taste for fruit and vegetables on her many strolls down the colourful market stalls along the rue Mouffetard. Following childcare studies, she decided on a change of direction when starting work. At the age of twenty she started out as a cashier as Crastres et Cie, a well-known operator in the fruit and vegetable sector at Rungis where she rapidly developed an all-embracing enthusiasm for this lively, colourful world. "I stayed with Crastres for seven years, it's where I met Thierry Martin, later to become my husband, in 1987. Next, I worked with Carré where I developed a much wider view of the business. Following his vocational baccalaureate (technology-based), my husband started out in the fruit and vegetable sector at Rungis alongside his uncle, vendor at the former Halles de Paris. Having worked for several companies, he joined Crastres et Cie, initially as an assistant before becoming a vendor. We bought the company Maillard-Rouellé in January 1997. This business was created in 1935 by Mssrs Maillard and Rouellé, trade commissioners at the Halles de Paris, at that time specialising in the famous Créances vegetables (Manche) including carrots, leeks and chicory. Established at Rungis from the start, they had an excellent reputation. With our experience, the change was made smoothly and we continued to serve the same customer base and develop the product range. I deal with management during the afternoon and sales in the morning. We do have long working days, but loving your job means you don't count the hours you put in! With his in-depth knowledge of the market, Thierry handles marketing, sales and purchasing. He is the spearhead of the company.

Our team comprises around ten employees, working together in a comfortable atmosphere that allows each person to fully express their skills. Our flagship products are carrots from Créances (75%) and the Landes, leeks from Créances (75%) and the Nantes region, and French asparagus. Créances vegetables are high-quality traditional products that have been supplied to the company by small producers for three generations. The fruit side of our business covers Maltese oranges, peaches, cherries and apricots from the Drôme, plums (mirabelle and quetsche from Lorraine or the Rhône Valley, greengages from the Moissac region), AOC (certified origin) table grapes from Moissac, etc. We get our produce from small producers with whom we are on excellent terms. We serve the retail sector (80%) and school canteens, but not supermarkets. Rungis is the only market of its kind in the world, and we must make every effort to maintain it. Rungis is the ambassador for fresh and quality produce. Due to the time restrictions placed on me as an administrator of the CSCGFL (French Association of Fruit and Vegetable Wholesalers) I had to step down from my mandate as a town councillor in Fresnes. As for my husband Thierry, an avid rugby fan, he is vice-president of the Fresnes Rugby Club and manages the rugby training school there…".