two companies selected to represent their know-how at the Made in France Show

Around twenty companies from Poitou-Charentes are currently in Paris, since this Friday and throughout the weekend, to present local know-how. Two of them were selected by the Chamber of Trades of Nouvelle-Aquitaine to represent Vienne at the Salon du Made in France.

The gestures are precise, rhythmic, unchanged or almost, for more than fifty years. In a Poitevin workshop, up to 2000 cheesecakes are made daily, depending on orders: “We fill the cakes with cream by hand, but everything is done by eye, with a ladle, there is nothing measured, it's the usual way”, explains Isabelle Martin, manager of Jahan Gourmandises et Tourteaux.

The secret of this emblematic specialty of Poitou is, above all, know-how. Every day, the recipe based on butter, eggs, flour, sugar and of course fresh cheese, evolves, more or less, but what does not change is its flavor, itit that the six employees of the company wear, at the Parisian show, hoping to conquer France.

“The invitation to the made in France show is a great recognition of our work, it is a source of great pride, for the company, for the brand, for the team because it is something that allows us to highlight what we have known to do for a very long time. The company has existed since 1971, and this is the first time we have been selected, so we are very proud.” confides the manager.

The objective is to make the cheesecake, the brand known and then obviously if we can sell a few cakes, we will also benefit from it.

Isabelle Martin

Manager of Jahan Gourmandises et Tourteaux

The goal is therefore to sell, above all, to make a name for itself in the Made in France market thanks to its artisanal products. Eric Bonnin, a potter for thirteen years and invited to represent Vienne in Paris, hopes for enthusiasm around his brand. In his workshop, he kneads, shapes and fires stoneware, a living material, with which he creates tableware or decorative objects: “In my work, I like simple things, from a first draft. I don't rework what I do too much, I make the piece and it's finished. Even when glazing, I leave the drips, it There are marks inside, it's part of the charm of my pieces”.

The process of making a piece can last a week, between manufacturing, turning, drying, different firings and glazing: “The earth doesn't dry the same way depending on the season so when it's humid it can take a week to dry, when it's very hot it can be too fast so it can crack. It's something that we do not always control, we are very dependent on the environment”, says Eric Bonnin.

After around thirty years spent in New York, the ceramist, who creates around 10,000 pieces per year, returned to his family ties in Voulême. It’s a new inspiration for creations which are now 100% Poitevine, and exhibited for the first time in France: “It’s an experience, it’s an opportunity to meet Parisian and French customers that I don’t necessarily know”. In total, nineteen companies from Poitou-Charentes are participating in the Made in France Show this year to showcase local know-how.