FRENCH FEAST: 27 YEARS OF EXPORTING THE TASTE OF FRANCE TO THE UNITED STATES

Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at French Feast?

Michel Bouvier (my husband) and I founded French Feast in 1999, a project born out of a genuine passion. At the time, we were living in New York. Michel was working as a computer programmer and I was in publishing. We thought it would be fun to set up a website where we could sell our favourite French pastries: for Michel, it was Cachou Lajaunie, and for me, coussins de Lyon.

Back then, there weren’t thousands of food-related websites, and it was possible to launch a new site from your garage (or, in our case, a fifth-floor flat without a lift on the Upper East Side). We launched the site with around thirty products, but we soon realised that wasn’t enough.

Then, after the site was featured in a great article in the New York Times —which led to a surge in orders and dozens of stock shortages—we realised we absolutely had to get our supply chain under control.

So, a year after the business was launched, we began importing pallets directly from France and shifted towards wholesale, supplying local shops (some of which we used to deliver to by tube!). Today, 27 years on, we offer over 2,000 French products sourced from 100 French suppliers. Our customer base includes over 1,000 independent gourmet shops across the United States. We employ 20 people and have a 2,300 m² warehouse in Oakland, New Jersey.

What role do you play in creating and developing the product range at French Feast?

Michel and I still play a key role in selecting products. I think our different backgrounds—Michel is French and I’m an American with a passion for France—are one of our strengths.

Michel knows the products from his childhood that he misses and simply cannot do without. As for me, I have more of a gourmet’s palate. But it works well, because this blend reflects the backgrounds of our customers—and our customers’ customers—many of whom are French expatriates, devoted Francophiles or keen travellers.

When it comes to product suggestions, we also rely on our talented team, who bring an extra perspective thanks to their diversity in age, tastes and backgrounds, and who are always attentive to our customers’ advice and requests.

What are your objectives in taking part in the Gourmet Selection trade show?

By taking part in the Gourmet Selection trade show, we hope to discover the latest trending products and strengthen our ties with our current suppliers. Phone calls and emails are all very well, but nothing beats face-to-face contact (and the chance to taste the products!).

Which categories or types of brands are you looking for in particular?

We’re looking for artisanal brands that want to enter the US market and that understand (or are willing to learn) the requirements of that market, whether it’s labelling compliant with FDA standards, use-by dates that take sea transport into account, or pricing that allows French products to compete with high-end American products.

We are looking for high-quality, authentic and innovative brands, bearing in mind that what is fashionable in France does not always go down so well in the United States. It’s a balancing act.

One example that springs to mind is our friends at Maison Marc, who have managed to make gherkins trendy, precisely because of their commitment to traditional farming and production methods.

How does Gourmet Selection help you anticipate your customers’ expectations?

Gourmet Selection is our favourite trade fair because it’s the most French.

Some of the companies exhibiting there already have an international presence, but this isn’t the case for many others; so it’s an opportunity to make new, unexpected and delightful discoveries. That’s precisely what we want to offer our American customers.

In your view, what are the key factors that set apart a successful gourmet food brand that manages to establish and maintain lasting visibility on the shelves?

For a fine food brand, the most important factors in establishing and maintaining lasting shelf visibility are authenticity and, of course, quality. Attractive and original packaging also plays a key role, and for us, it is important that the brand manages to convey its French essence without coming across as stuffy.

In your view, what trends are currently shaping the food sector?

Super-healthy ingredients. In the United States, partly thanks to the efforts of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy, there is a growing interest in “real” food and products free from additives, artificial colourings and excessive added sugars.

Consequently, there is a surge in popularity for traditional ingredients. This presents a real opportunity for French producers, who have never lost touch with “real” food and who enjoy a reputation for healthy, traditional and authentic products, even when it comes to new product launches.

Have you noticed any changes in the way brands position themselves (premiumisation, social responsibility, storytelling, product innovation, packaging formats, etc.)?

When it comes to exports, the answer may differ from that of the European market. If a brand places too much emphasis on its premium status, it risks putting itself out of the running in the export market, and we have numerous examples of this mistake.

What manufacturers need to understand is that, for Americans, “French” is already synonymous with premium, so there’s no need to overdo it.

Storytelling is always important, and we love it when that story is authentic and can be conveyed to Americans.

Product innovation is a tricky subject. We’ll probably not be able to sell a product that is “merely” innovative, as it will be in direct competition with innovative products from all other countries, including the United States.

Packaging formats are a key point. We appreciate companies like François Doucet who have realised that smaller formats will give them an advantage in the export market.

It’s also worth noting that, for better or worse, carbon neutrality is less of a marketing asset in the US than it is in France.

If you had to sum up the future of the food market in a single conviction, what would it be?

In the past, it was always easy to be optimistic about the market, as food is not only a necessity but also a luxury that people treat themselves to even in times of economic crisis. But we are going through a period of extraordinary uncertainty, and at the time of writing, it is somewhat difficult to be optimistic.

We fear widespread disruptions to supply chains and significant increases in fuel and freight costs.

Nevertheless, we are delighted with the strong relationships we have built with our French suppliers over the years. Although we have no idea what the future holds in these uncertain times, we know we are in good hands, and we will continue to do our utmost to bring authentically French gourmet products to the United States.

French Feast is one of the loyal international buyers that Gourmet Selection welcomes every year. With twenty-seven years’ experience and over 2,000 French products distributed to 1,000 American delicatessens, this visitor profile illustrates what the trade fair has been building since 2009: a premier meeting place for international producers and distributors.