When Paris was transformed under Baron Haussmann, the first features of the future phenomenon of Parisian broths also emerged. Between the crashes of hammers, the clouds of dust and the bustle of construction sites, an idea will revolutionize Parisian cuisine.
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At the heart of the 19th century, the urban revolution orchestrated by Baron Haussmann, under the leadership of Napoleon III, saw thousands of workers arrive in the capital. Coming from all over France, these workers are engaged in colossal projects aimed at beautifying and modernizing Paris. The Dutch Company will then see in these thousands of working mouths to feed an opportunity: ” The precursors were the Compagnie Hollandaise, created in 1828, a restaurant chain which offered beef broth to take away or to eat on site. She went out of business in 1854. But she began to set up her broth establishments in the Parisian landscape. The word broth began, at that time, to describe certain establishments“, explains Loïc Bienassis, historian and food specialist.
Imagine a restaurant capable of feeding crowds on a scale never seen before, while maintaining simple and authentic cuisine. It was the audacious bet of Baptiste Adolphe Duva, a butcher by profession, who inaugurated an extraordinary establishment on June 3, 1855: 800 m2 on the floor, able to accommodate 600 customers simultaneously. A newspaper of the time echoed it not without enthusiasm: “It’s a real revolution in Parisian culinary art. Yesterday, at lunch and dinner, the establishment served nearly 1000 people “. Le Bouillon Duval was born and with it, a true entrepreneurial saga. Faced with such success, Duval quickly transformed his model into a flourishing business. In 1867, he created the Société Anonyme du Bouillon Duval with 9 establishments, then 15, endowed of their own cellars, laundries and all the necessary techniques to ensure rapid and continuous service. The broth is transformed into an institution, anchored in the Parisian landscape and demonstrates that large-scale catering can. also rhymes with conviviality and pleasure of the table.
All the episodes on the history of Parisian broths can be seen and rewatched on france.tv/idf
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