How did you get started in this business ?

was already in my thirties when I started at the Fresh Seafood sector, working my way up from assistant, to assistant-salesperson and finally to salesperson, for a company that closed down several years ago. In fact, I had two jobs at the same time. I worked days as a chiropodist, a profession I had already practised for twelve years, and nights at Rungis Market, starting at midnight. It was a difficult time that saw me regularly working up to twenty hours a day, but, nevertheless, it gave me the means to satisfy my passion and taste for seafood products.

When did you become managing director of Amouroux ?

Amouroux was created in the 1950s, by a Mr René Amouroux at the Halles de Paris, and had a good reputation even way back then. The company followed the transfer to Rungis where it offered a range of excellent products such as sea bass, sole, cod, red mullet, etc. together with some langoustine. At the time though, the company supplied retail fishmongers only. Things changed in 1991 when Mr René Amouroux decided to retire and, due to his appreciation of my expertise and professionalism, offered me the opportunity to buy his company. After some thought, I accepted, starting out with just one cashier and one salesperson, Pascal, who already worked there and has since become my trusted right-hand man. The company currently has a fifteen-strong workforce.

How has the company developed ?

While holding on to our pool of retail fishmongers, I also developed and diversified our customer base to include the catering sector in general, with a roll-call of a few famous names (Pavillon Ledoyen, Ritz, Bristol, Leduc, etc.), plus charcutiers-delicatessens and semi-wholesalers. I have loved the catering business ever since having worked in the family restaurant when I was very young; I find it easy to speak with chefs and restaurateurs because I understand their job and their requirements. I also created a broader and more comprehensive range, including fish, crustaceans, shellfish and cured meats to cater to the needs of all our customers. I often like to make the rather tongue-in-cheek remark that any customer leaving our shop should be perfectly "dressed". At the same time, our association with the company La Pêcherie des Lilas means we can also offer a certain number of services such as filleting. Run by Nadine Guéricher, La Pêcherie des Lilas has the Pavilion's largest approved food laboratory.
We prefer to trade in French fishing products from Brittany, Normandy and Vendée, which represent 75% of our product base. This mainly includes top-range products, sought after by our customers. You can't really go wrong when you choose to work only with quality products, but, this also means you have to be reliable and motivated, stay aware of what's going on, and be highly proficient at the job. We have a panel of some three hundred carefully selected suppliers that means we are always able to source the very best quality products. Our flagship products, all wild, are sea bass, turbot, large langoustines, lobster, and many others.

What does the future hold for the fresh seafood market ?

I remain fairly optimistic about the future of the fresh seafood market, despite the sharp and continuous fall-off in fishery resource levels. This is becoming ever more complicated to manage, and consequently, ensuring regular supplies is also becoming more difficult to control. To succeed, you have to base your work ethic on a thorough, reliable approach, coupled with solid professional expertise. When the resource goes down, prices go up along with customers' requirements. There are a number of other limiting factors such as unpredictable weather conditions, or even the multiplicity of often contradictory regulations that are making it increasingly difficult to work in our business.

What is your opinion of Rungis Market ?

Rungis Market is without a doubt the best food market in the whole of Europe. This market brings together all the very best quality products, and literally has something for everyone. It is a superb showcase, and it is absolutely essential to maintain its reputation for quality as we should always strive to choose quality over quantity. To maintain its reputation, Rungis has to maintain its focus on quality.