A dream that came true last October, after 27 years working in the automobile industry.
“I grew up with the halls. My father was a baker in Villaret, my grandmother cooked at Entr’Aide in Richelieu, and they came to do their shopping here. I have always been immersed in this atmosphere”recalls Vincent Fanutza, the new manager since October of Labo de Jules, formerly Labo de la blonde, located at the entrance to the Nîmes halls, rue Guizot. As far back as he can remember, working in the halls was a big dream for him. But before it came to fruition, he needed a lot of patience.
No taste or smell for ten years
Firstly, because, following an accident, Vincent Fanutza had to have surgery on his esophagus and stomach. A major operation which caused him to lose his taste and smell for almost ten years. “Everything I ate had the same taste, which was to say none. And then one fine day, it all came back.”he explains. A great lover of food, the first dishes he wants to (re)discover are those of his grandmother. “Taste, smell, all sensations were multiplied by ten”, he remembers. A victory over life, which will lead to another, a few years later, at the dawn of his 45th birthday.
A radical shift at 45
“At that moment, after nearly 27 years in the automobile industry as a workshop manager in a dealership, I asked myself what I should do. Because I no longer enjoyed my work. And I am someone one who works emotionally”he explains. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to leave his business and try something else entirely. And this is where Vincent Fanutza will touch his dream. And this, thanks to his wife. “Like when I was little, today I bring my son (Jules, hence the name of the business, Editor’s note) at the halls to taste the products. And every time I go, I tend to drag on. And one day, my wife said to me: “Since you love them so much, why don’t you stay there? Find a job there!” And then I said to myself, why not!”remembers the young dad.
“Since I started, I haven’t felt like I’m working”
An adventure which will come to fruition thanks to his meeting with Natacha, from Labo de la blonde. “Last April, at the time of the Feria, I heard that she wanted to sell. I was the first to position myself and we agreed on the handover. We worked together until September After which, I took over the stall.he rejoices. The concept? It remains mostly the same. “I just refined the products I sell a little”he specifies. But only quality! Spices from around the world, which perfume the stall with each order. As for customers, they have already adopted the new arrival from the halls, renowned for “his perfect nose”. “It’s a joy to work here, the interaction with the customers, their smile. It’s very pleasant, so much so that since I started, I don’t feel like I’m working”declares the forty-year-old, all smiles.
And regarding the future of his stall with the future work on the halls planned for 2028, Vincent Fanutza does not say he is worried. “If by then, I have managed to make myself well known, why not open a restaurant focused on world cuisine, where I could highlight my products and my spices”he projects. As for the location, unsurprisingly, it will be not far from the halls, where it all began.
