Thanks for all the great posts. We learned enough French to place an order and then the wonderful woman behind the counter continued on in French and my hubby got confused. The French luxury goods industry is at a crossroads. In addition, Asia as a consumer center has created new challenges but provides a much-needed lifeline and an expansion strategy that will no doubt be replicated in other emerging luxury goods markets. Reply, Poliane Bread is my favorite. I was able to visit Paris again this past September, and every morning I went to Cuisine de Bar for a massive (!) So I would check the expiration date for sure, if I wasn’t certain. When I visited Paris last spring (it was my first time) and went to Poilâne twice during my week-long stay. Everything about the man and his memories radiated wamth and good humor. Thanks for the tips! In the face of this competition, Poilane's current strategy has been to remain focused on its traditional niche brand. Reply, what’s a ‘classic flan’? I am making my first trip to France in April. In French, a caramel-sauced unmolded custard is called crème renversée, or “reversed” cream, or crème caramel. Bar de la Croix Rouge: Great tartines! Serving Size : 1 tranche (62.5g) 138 Cal. He can’t get enough cream! The Poilane website has a wonderful recipe for apricot bread on their website — love the little drawings illustrating how to make the bread…. the writing, the photos, reading it was a wonderful experience. Reply, I’ve never been to Paris, always wanted to go, and now feel it’s imperative so that I can sample all those delicious looking treats! Find calories, carbs, and nutritional contents for miche paysanne-biologique and over 2,000,000 other foods at MyFitnessPal.com. Following these struggles in the 1990s, experts agreed that Fauchon needed a new wave of rejuvenation that would also preserve the company’s core competencies. Glad to see that Appolonia is moving things forward without losing the magic that is Poilane. They certainly help me get through the year! Relying on word of mouth in lieu of advertising, Poilâne has also succeeded in growing its customer base both within and outside of France. At the top of this export strategy was China, where in 2007 Fauchon opened its largest retail space in Beijing. Reply, You are such a lucky man to have rubbed shoulders with Monsieur Poilane! : Avec sa croûte de couleur brun roux, sa mie serrée aux parfums de miel, qui reste souple et légèrement humide, le pain de seigle est idéal avec les huitres, les fruits de mer, les poissons fumés. Just like that. Sigh…. Reply, David, your writing is so lyrical and transportive. So is okay to ask for a cafe au lait outside the home? I will be in Paris for Christmas and Paris-Brest is on my ‘to eat’ list :) Bistro Paul Bert makes them to order and they are almost as big as a bicycle wheel. Poilâne isn’t necessarily a sweet shop, but they do make a classic flan, a Breton-inspired custard tart which is a local favorite afternoon snack in Paris. Unlike other places that discourage guests from looking around, perhaps snapping a quick picture, or hiding what they do, at Poilâne it’s possible to go see the enormous wood-fired oven downstairs (although arrangements now need to be made in advance, since the bread bakers were having trouble getting all their daily loaves baked off with us bystanders poking around down there) and you’re welcome to buy one slice of bread, or a whole loaf, sans problème. To reinforce Fauchon’s preeminence in France and export it to growing markets in Japan, China, Korea and the Middle East, Ducros made a simple press statement: “We have to move fast.” The new, ultra-chic store concept was exported to all of Fauchon’s international locations, comprising 36 countries with 451 points of sale. And just like their Left Bank address, a lone woman is stationed behind the counter and forms a one-woman assembly line, a vision of efficient organization, feeding an entire restaurant of people without breaking a sweat. It has to be like that. Reply, We went to the Poilane in the 15th a couple of years ago (it was close to where we were staying), and the bread was great. to visit Poilane. It won’t be nearly like trying it in Paris, but a distant second that I’m happy to settle for, for now! Founded in 1886 by pushcart grocer Auguste Fauchon, the house of Fauchon has achieved a fine balance of innovation and tradition for over a century. Not all French luxury foods brands have undergone radical changes in order to remain competitive. ;-) Reply, have you ever seen the giada at home ep where she makes lunch for apollonia poilane? Except for its association with the Paris-Brest bike race, never quite understood what was so special about the Paris-Brest until now.What a visual delight with the coils of beautifully piped sumptuous Hazel-nut praline cream. The following week, he and his wife passed away in an accident, which collectively stunned to food world, but the bakery is now run by his daughter Apollonia, who has done a little modernizing, while keeping the esprit of the bakery perfectly intact. The pictures of the open-faced sandwiches and description make me sooooo hungry and miss Paris! They sounded like wonderful people. But there’s no choice of bread at their café, they just have the good stuff at the tartine bar just next to the bakery, which is open early for a morning bowl of café au lait with toast…through later in the day, shoppers and regulars who work nearby to mingle on the iron stools, eating the various tartines (open-faced sandwiches) that go in and out of the blazing-hot broilers all afternoon long. Visitors to Paris, make sure to buy Lionel’s bread, either at his bakeries, good cheese stores or Monoprix. However, the current economic crisis has brought sharply into focus the trade-off faced by luxury businesses: Falling consumer confidence, stagnant incomes in the West and ever-increasing competition have all added pressure to adapt and change, or succumb to failure. But nothing beats the smell of bread baking and, while not Poilâne, my bread is fresh and still delicious, sliced warm and spread with butter. Is it the water? In the face of these encroachments on market share, many French luxury foods companies have decided to pursue a two-pronged strategy already common among their cousins in luxury fashion: brand innovation and increased presence in new international markets to take advantage of increased buying power overseas. The Saint-Marcellin/Bayonne ham tartine looks delicious. (Which might seem odd considering that they were surrounded by some of the best baked goods on earth. Reply, Also thanks for explaining about the name Paris-Brest :-) Reply, In my French class we read an old article with interviews of French celebs recalling a memory of their school days. 0 %--Fat. The autumn 2008 collection features 34 individualized éclairs in an extravagant display of premium foods photographed in the style of the best high fashion catalogues. Reply, I’m ready for lunch after this post, make mine a Poilane tartine please; here in SoCal Bristol Farms flies in quarters of Poilane from Paris every Thursday and I keep it in the freezer to eat by the slice. Second, traditionally mass-market retailers such as Monoprix and Carrefour are diversifying into the luxury foods market, thereby reducing foot traffic in retail stores owned by luxury foods companies. I am so enchanted by the bread at Poilane! Thanks for this lovely post. It’s one of the few places in Paris I’ve ever been offered such a gesture, and that’s completely indicative of the kind of care they give to guests. If there’s anything left after that, we just make some croutons or bread crumbs to store in our pantry. This article evaluates the approaches of two celebrated names in French luxury food: Fauchon, a luxury grocer, and Poilâne, a family-run bakery, with different historical approaches to the changing economic landscape. The apple tart is another must for me..a friend turned me on to them and they’re wonderful. After it had been under the hot broiler for a few minutes, she pointed to it – “When the sides of the ham curl up and get a little crispy, that’s when it’s ready. Made my knees get weak looking at it… Great shot. I laughed when I read about preferring the darker ones…I always choose a bag with the more well done cookies as I prefer the taste of those, and always pick a darker one out of the little basket at the caisse. Reply, Unlike you, I didn’t move to Paris for the Poilane, but now that I am back stateside it is certainly the thing I miss most about living there. I am planning a trip to Paris next year and can’t wait to visit Poilane :) Reply, I’m a really big fan of bread. I love Cuisine de Bar’s tartines. Within the context of companies that are considering internationalizing with a fresher brand image, Poilâne’s solid embrace of its traditional French food house identity and family roots is a different kind of innovation. First, “pure-player” firms focusing on one luxury foods product are becoming increasingly present, eroding the market share of companies such as Fauchon that provide a diverse product range. This style of bread is sometimes called a “Pullman Loaf,” or simply just “sandwich bread,” but they all have the same undeniable characteristics: a soft and minimal crust, a slightly sweet flavor, warmth and depth from just enough butter in the dough, and an ethereally light interior. How do you suppose they are able to shape the apple tart dough like that? I am also amazed that I see the same women behind the counters that I saw on my first visit to Paris in the 90’s. How serendipitous that you met the Poilanes just before they departed this earth. As for the “front national” suspicion, it concerns the half brother Max. The second part of the investment strategy focused on international expansion and differentiation. Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. According to Businessweek, sales have grown steadily in recent years from €11.6 million in 2001 to €15 million in 2007. He took out a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote down a list of places that he wanted to take me, which I thought was odd – yet rather generous – since the man had just met me. Bon appetit! Reply, I always thought they used some really fancy apples or something, but when I saw them making them, they used just regular apples (I don’t know the variety) – but they weren’t heirloom or anything like that. It’s true, everybody there was so courteous — what a contrast with the way we were treated in most places in Paris! (Maybe they don’t sell it in that shop or maybe they didn’t sell it then – that’s what I’m telling myself to make myself feel better anyway.) And though lunch is good here, it’s not going to satisfy me after seeing these pictures and reading about all the deliciousness. Although I’m from San Francisco where there are quite a number of excellent bread bakeries, there’s something special about the bread at Poilâne – it has a certain flavor, just the right tang of sourdough, dark and husky but with an agreeable légèreté that makes it the perfect bread for sandwiches, to accompany cheese, or as I prefer it, as morning toast with little puddles of salted butter collecting in the irregular holes and a thin layer of bitter chestnut honey drizzled all over it. His recollection is of being chosen by his peers as one of their favorites. Have a great weekend! Reply, Thanks so much David for mentioning this place. Reply. It is made for all, by all, and it is funded by all. (I’ve never met a bread baker who didn’t use Monsieur Poilâne’s pain au levain as a reference point for excellence.) (http://www.thegentlewoman.com/) Reply, Poilane was our first stop in Paris when my husband and I went 4 years ago. I can’t wait to get back to Paris so I can try it. Reply, I think one could time it such that you could have several meals there in one day… I’d sure like to try it. Whats-it-called the Belge bakery also has their version here but it’s simply not as good as Poilane. Reply. It’s one of the best deals in town (currently around €14), especially considering the top-notch quality of the food. Repas de fêtes/Holiday Meals : Vous vous occupez des huîtres, Poilâne® s’occupe du pain ! Thank you! One of the best places for breads and pastries is Du Pain et Des Idées (4 Rue Yves Toudic). His love of life and his work shines through. Reply. A toasted slice with some butter and mirabelle jam was my favorite way to start the day. - See 130 traveler reviews, 12 candid photos, and great deals for Paris, France, at Tripadvisor. Named for a famed bicycle race between Paris and Brest, the ring of pâte à choux is meant to resemble a bike wheel and its interior gets filled with rich hazelnut-praline cream. My experience is the disappointed one that others may have had upon buying sliced, bagged ‘pain Poilane’ in the Carrefour or Shopi or whatever and finding it … stale, pretty much like … In London we are lucky enough to have had a Poilane bakery on Elizabeth Street SW1 (Belgravia) for several years where they bake the bread in wood-fired ovens. Reply, The only thing better than Poilane bread, is Poilane bread with Pascal Beillevaire’s butter applied with a trowel! Reply, Thank you for this mouthwatering post, yet one more reason to go back to Paris. By the time companies overhaul their[…]. They also bake small quantities of the best brioche in London, if not the world. Reply, Perfect timing. Sign up for the weekly Knowledge@Wharton e-mail newsletter, offering business leaders cutting-edge research and ideas from Wharton faculty and other experts. Mmm…..Oh, excusez-moi monsieur, I’m next! However, I read before I left for Paris that a Croque Monsieur which is my faveorite thing to eat in Paris is not good on Poliane, too crunchy or wrong flavor and I tried it and have to concur. Each year Fauchon, one of France’s most celebrated luxury grocers, dresses up its best-selling éclairs to be launched in their haute couture collection of the season. For years, it has enjoyed a market perception as a leader in quality, coupled with a growing consumer base both at home and abroad. I def think you should do a recipe on the rings of pâte à choix…they look so yummy! The future, while uncertain, looks relatively bright. I like mine dark, but a few shades lighter. Retaining its position of market leadership in a niche market has helped it successfully grow its presence and weather more than one economic downturn in the past. It’s late Friday night and my mouth has been watering just reading about the delicious breads and melted salted butter! I am celebrating my 50th (Oh God!) The majority of employees working from home during the pandemic are just as productive, but they aren’t collaborating as effectively as before, according to a new study overseen by Wharton management professor Michael Parke. Practical information Address. Reply.