Brioches Fonteneau, a family business that preserves traditions in Vendée

The story of Brioches Fonteneau began in 1977, when Gilles and Marie-Jo moved to the small village of Chavagnes-en-Paillers to take over the bakery, quickly putting waste and Vendée brioche at the center of their production. Joined by their children, it is today the ^2nd generation of Fonteneau who continues the traditions and takes over the reins of a brioche and gourmet company, where 300 employees evolve on 3 production sites between Nantes and La Roche-sur- yon. What a pleasure to savor the brioches of the Vendée.

Photos from the report © Brioches Fonteneau

Les Brioches Fonteneau, a know-how mastered for years

The recipes of the Fonteneau family are well worked and evolve over the years to always improve, and offer you a quality tasting. Nevertheless, the technique has proven itself and is passed on to preserve a softness and creaminess of brioche, obtained by various well-controlled processes:

• The sourdough is made on site from the previous sourdough, guaranteeing regular quality and the development of the aromas of the brioche.
• The kneading is adapted according to the product worked, to obtain a light and airy crumb.
• The resting time (pointing) is long and respected, allowing the dough to rise well during cooking.
• The braiding is done by hand, a delicate traditional know-how passed down from generation to generation.
• Egg browning and gentle cooking give a golden color and a melting texture to the brioche just out of the oven.

We have water in the mouth with only one desire, to taste.

Brioches Fonteneau, a gourmet store for epicureans

If you are looking for the specialties of the Vendée, you will find them in Boufféré, the headquarters of Brioches Fonteneau. Push the door of the store and breathe in the buttery scents, admire the golden colors and taste the perfect softness of the brioche products offered in a warm and welcoming shop. Fresh cream strikers, pure butter brioches, milk rolls and brioche cakes, you will fall in love with all these delicacies. Open every day except Sunday and Saturday mornings only, let yourself be tempted by this store with its red and yellow frontage. Can't come to the store? Order your favorite buns online, they will be just as fresh and well preserved. You are not from Vendée? Don't worry, Fonteneau brioches are sold throughout France in the BVP department (Bakery, Viennese pastries, Pastry), under the terroir distributor brand, and even in organic stores. You no longer have any excuses not to succumb.

Les Brioches Fonteneau, a range of traditional Vendée brioche

All the products produced have a brioche texture, soft and gourmet with a good buttery flavor. This is the case of the traditional range of the Fonteneau family, which offers different products according to your desires:

• All-butter braided brioches, sliced and of different sizes stamped Label Rouge,

• Île de France brioches, with Nanterre brioche and Parisian brioche with a golden, puffy cap in its center,
• Gourmet brioches, with chocolate chips or pearl sugar,
• The Vendée waste, a recipe from the Middle Ages eaten as an Easter cake made of butter and creamy fresh cream.

For afternoon tea , breakfast or just for fun, Fonteneau brioches are ideal at any time of the day.

Les Brioches Fonteneau, brioche derivatives for all situations

Creative and generous, the Fonteneau were keen to offer you brioches adapted to all your desires. They then developed by-products, still just as delicious and tasty:

• The brioche cake, offered with fruit or chocolate chips.
• Organic brioches, a responsible approach launched ten years ago, which concerns brioches, milk breads and sliced strikes.
• Small products such as plain or chocolate rolls, and brioche buns, perfect to take away in a satchel or in a bag for the little snacks of the day.
• Festive brioches, a real tradition in Vendée during wedding celebrations. Round or in bars, they weigh from 1 to 12 kg to delight each of your guests. Don't forget the end-of-year brioches, with the crown of kings and the brioche tree.

The choice will be complicated among all these offers of delicacies.

Brioches Fonteneau, a committed and environmentally friendly company

The Fonteneau family's priority is “ eating well” and “ eating better ”. This requires respect for the environment and a commitment to a responsible and local approach. With this in mind, they fight against food waste, use 100% of the organic waste from their production for animal feed and donate unsold items to associations. The 3 manufacturing sites, located within a perimeter of 20km, guarantee the protection and development of the terroir, allowing local employment and the use of French ingredients. Butter, sugar and eggs come from France to make brioches without palm oil and without additives, while the company's carbon footprint is reduced by FSC cardboard packaging and recyclable bags. BRC certified for food safety and actors of the GIE (Economic Interest Grouping) of Controlled Reasoned Culture, they select a Grand-Ouest IGP flour, local and without treatment, cultivated according to good agricultural practices. You can't go wrong, Fonteneau brioches are quality.

Les Brioches Fonteneau, a friendly family business that loves the Vendée

Since 1977, the company has continued to evolve, led by the unfailing energy and passion of Gilles and Marie-Jo, the founders of Brioches Fonteneau. Their first store, a small bakery in the center of the village of Chavagnes-en-Paillers, was the cradle of their story around brioche. In love with the region and very attached to their terroir, they quickly turned to Vendée waste and brioche to make their flagship products, which would quickly become an exclusive. In 1995 , they participated in the creation of the ABV (Association des Brioches Vendéennes) and obtained IGP and Label Rouge certification for these specialties. Very quickly, the market develops and the family finds itself delivering the signs of the large distribution to satisfy the taste buds of the inhabitants, fond of their gourmet brioches. With patience and perseverance, they continue their ascent and are today at the head of 3 manufacturing sites in Boufféré, Copechagnière and Herbergement, a family heritage today taken over by Mathieu and Christine, the ^2nd generation.

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