Élise Denjean, edited by Gauthier Delomez 11:34 a.m., May 31, 2022

At a time when mustard is missing from our shelves, for lack of seeds, a French company is doing well: Martin-Pouret, an institution in the city of Orléans.

Vinegar expert since 1797, this group started producing mustard ten years ago, relaunching the French sector.

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In Martin-Pouret's mustard workshop, the seeds are 100% French, grown about fifty kilometers from Orléans, in Pithiviers in the Val-de-Loire.

A pride for the boss Paul-Olivier Claudepierre.

"The seed that grows in the Bosse will be naturally fattier than a classic mustard seed and will have a slightly weaker spiciness", he assures the microphone of Europe 1, which went to this production.

These seeds are then dipped in vinegar, which will differentiate Orleans mustard from that of Dijon based on verjuice, then they are crushed, mixed, seasoned.

Credits: Photos Élise Denjean/Europe 1

The Martin-Pouret company is an institution in Orléans.

Producer of vinegar since 1797, the group launched a decade ago in the production of mustard, relaunching in passing the French sector of production of mustard seeds.

A sector of activity that allows the company to do well, at a time when mustard is missing from our shelves for lack of seeds that normally come from Canada, and whose production has drastically dropped due to the drought. .

"The demand is growing"

To obtain these famous seeds, the Val-de-Loire company teamed up with a farmer.

Since then, it has continued to increase its cultivation areas.

"We had already doubled our production capacity and our sales a year ago. There, we will be forced to double again. So we will have multiplied by four in the space of barely two years" , explains the boss of this SME with 18 employees, six of whom work at

the manufacture of vinegar and mustard.

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The cause of this increase in production?

“Once again, because the demand is getting stronger and stronger”, replies Paul-Olivier Claudepierre.

"And that demand is exacerbated today amid an absolute shortage of mustard seed."

A 30% increase in turnover

On its own, the company will not be able to fully meet this demand.

She is therefore counting on her future harvests and hopes that the new customers who have discovered her thanks to the shortage will remain loyal, despite her higher prices.

The group knows that it will achieve around four million euros in turnover this year, which represents an increase of around 30% compared to the previous year (knowing that it has already made +30% last year).

Mustard accounted for about 25% of its sales last year.

This year, it will be around 40% of total sales.

You should also know that 99% of the mustards found on the market are made from mustard seeds grown in Canada.