The hunters of France dreamed of it, L'Atelier du Loup did it. And the Sologne start-up is thinking big. Just out of the ground, the factory is running at full speed, with one objective in mind: to bring game up to date. It was in Sologne, a historic hunting region, that the project was born around fifteen years ago, before coming to fruition on September 30 during the inauguration of this workshop in Salbris (41). The concept couldn't be simpler: all hunters in the region are invited, for a fee, to deliver the killed game directly to the factory. It will then be tested, cut and then cooked, before being delivered to all the restaurants that want it.
To carry out this crazy project, L'Atelier du Loup was able to convince major entrepreneurs. Olivier Bertrand first, CEO of the Bertrand group, which includes the Hippopotamus, Au Bureau and Burger King France restaurant chains in its portfolio. But also Yves Forestier, boss of Petit Forestier Group, European leader in refrigerated transport: an essential asset for the delivery of game, meat which is very sensitive to respecting the cold chain. Investor Jean-Philippe Rey is on board. In total, four million euros, including regional subsidies, were invested in L'Atelier du Loup and its 1,800 square meter factory. “I might as well tell you that our ambition is great! » marvels Hervé Blandin, at the origin of the concept. The idea came to this hunting enthusiast fifteen years ago. “There are a million hunters in France, but game meat is not exploited! L'Atelier du Loup is a return to the original idea of hunting: hunting to eat. »
The challenge is significant. Long limited to rural cuisine, game meat has a bad press. Too hard, too strong, tedious to prepare, the French have little taste for venison. “I have seen demand collapse over the last twenty years, I even had to remove it from my card”confirms a wholesaler who works in Rungis. But for this professional in the sector, there is hope: “We have been waiting for a project of this scale for a long time. If they manage to offer dishes that are different from what our grandparents cooked for us, then maybe consumers will come back! »
An ecological and nutritional issue
He doesn't think he's saying that well. “We are going to offer dishes with sauces, sausages and well-prepared meats, in order to conform to what the French appreciate, that is to say gentle cuisine! » swears Hervé Blandin, convinced of the commercial opportunities promised to game meat. Because the latter has other advantages than the simple question of taste. Wild, natural, not farmed, game meat could be an ecological and nutritious revolution at a time when consumers are ever more attentive to these subjects. Nutritious first. “There is not a gram of antibiotic in the deer or wild boars that are taken by hunters. On the other hand, we find fiber and protein in very large quantities”continues Hervé Blandin, who is already imagining the multiple possibilities of exploitation.
“We could produce nutritional bars based on dried meat, which are very popular in the United States”again suggests the enthusiastic entrepreneur. Ecological then. With a game population, particularly wild boars, growing every year, species regulation has become a necessity to protect ecosystems. The exploitation of game is also a response to the criticism that regularly affects Sologne, known for hosting large hunts where it is not uncommon for the killed animals to end up buried or cremated, a waste which L'Atelier du Loup wants to put an end to. .
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At the helm of the company is Humbert de Seroux, president. He doesn't hide his ambitions either. “We already have ten employees, we want to double their number within five years”he announces, also convinced of the “strong potential for development of game meat”. For him, L'Atelier du Loup is also the triumph of “made in Sologne”a still very rural region where French companies invest little. Aware of the seasonal limit induced by the hunting period which generally runs from September to March, the manager also wants to expand his offer to “Sologne farmed meat, in a short circuit, raised in the best possible conditions” .
The regulation of certain species has become a necessity to protect ecosystems
Still young, the company has everything to prove, particularly in terms of profitability and financial sustainability. But for Alexandre Avril, mayor of Salbris, the mere existence of the project already resonates as a victory. “When I was young, there was a sign at the entrance to the town that said: “Salbris, capital of hunting.” It stuck in the back of my mind. Today, I have the opportunity to put my city back at the heart of this hunting empire that is Sologne, it seemed obvious to me”relates the councilor who has been working, since his election in 2020, to make his small town a major center of Sologne's attractiveness. L'Atelier du Loup is a daring bet: the project has everything to succeed, provided that supply meets demand. See you in the coming months to find out the answer.
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