The factory, owned by Carambar&Co, is located in Villebarou, near Blois. It was threatened with closure, 170 years after its creation.
Poulain chocolate owes its survival to a French breakfast giant. The Andros group, also owner of Bonne Maman and Mamie Nova, is about to buy the historic Poulain factory, located near Blois (Loir-et-Cher). More than 170 years after its creation, in Villebarou, it was targeted by a closure plan. This would have cost the factory’s 110 or so employees their jobs, and would have sounded the death knell for the brand.
Carambar & Co, owner of Poulain since 2017, has found « the basics of a takeover agreement » with Andros. The project includes « the takeover of all the site’s employees, the maintenance over several years of all Poulain production at the Blois site and projects to expand the activity with the buyer ».
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Owned by the investment company Eurazeo, Carambar & Co is a victim of rising energy, sugar and especially cocoa costs, the price of which has more than quadrupled during the year, with a record of 12,000 euros per tonne in April. It has not been able to compete with the food giants (Nestlé, Lindt, etc.), which are better able to absorb this increase in costs.
Thanks to Andros, one of the oldest French chocolate brands will survive. And, for its part, the king of jams, which has already diversified into compotes, biscuits and yogurts, will now be able to produce chocolate under one of its brands.
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