As part of the “Routes des Blés” event held in June 2021, Grands Moulins de Paris took some of its clients—artisan bakers, major accounts, industrial clients, and supermarket bakery chains—to meet with farmers.
From fork to fork
“A special moment when people come to learn new things and leave with plans in mind, all in a very friendly, idyllic setting in the countryside”
Christophe Duchez, Sales Director, BA.
This year, Grands Moulins de Paris organized sixteen "Routes des Blés" events, five of which took place in Vivescia, the cooperative group to which the brand belongs.
The goal of these events was to help customers (re)discover the journey of wheat from field to flour and then to bread by taking them behind the scenes on the farms.
“These events are a way to help people understand how farmers work, and also to learn what customers need, ”emphasizes Jérôme Massard, a farmer and member of the VIVESCIA cooperative. They also allow us to “give customers a more complete picture of our expertise and what we can offer them,”adds Marcel Gibert, Director of the Nancy mill.
Discussions among the various stakeholders in the sector highlightedthe diversity of agricultural practices and addressed the agronomic challenges of the future.
"The future lies in diverse forms of agriculture:
"conventional, organic, or soil conservation."
Closeness at the heart of these encounters
Through these "Routes des Blés," the goal was also to highlight the close relationship between customers, producers, and mills. It is this close relationship, in particular, that enables Grands Moulins de Paris to adapt to the specific needs of each customer and to promote a local approach in line with the A TABLE commitments.
A look back in pictures
Reims Mill
Three "Routes des Nlés" events were held near the Reims mill.
The first day was spent with representatives from the MENISSEZ Group, one of France’s leading bakery chains and owner of the Louise franchise, which has 130 stores.
The second day was dedicated to welcoming artisan bakers and featuredappearances by Christoph Büren, President of the cooperative, and Jean-Luc Jonet, Director of VIVESCIA Agriculture.
The event, held at the farm of a NOVAGRAIN cooperative member, provided an opportunity to welcome artisan bakers from the Northeast and introduce them to different wheat varieties, the production cycle, the technical aspects of the grain farming profession, and agricultural equipment.
Brienne Mill
Near the Brienne mill, special meetings were organized between the AGROMOUSQUETAIRES group and Maison LANDEMAINE and the farmers of VIVESCIA.
Nancy Mill
Near the Nancy mill, two "Routes des Blés" events were organized in collaboration with the EMC2 cooperative, which is part of the TERIALIS cooperative union. One day was dedicated to the POULAILLON Bakery, creator of the Moricette®, and another brought together about fifteen artisan bakers from the region.
A third event was organized in partnership with VIVESCIA to showcase the flour product line to PURATOS, a manufacturer specializing in ingredients for artisan bakers, pastry chefs, and chocolatiers.
MouliMunicipality of Paris-Gennevilliers
Near our mill in Gennevilliers, three "Routes des Blés" events took place during the month of June.
Over the course of two days, we introduced about fifteen artisan bakers to various farming methods, with a focus on organic farming and on specific products such as the Platine Label Rouge and CRC, Grand Siècle Bio and sourdoughs, among others.
Another event organized in collaboration with the Terres Bocage Gâtinais (TBG) cooperative provided an opportunity to showcase new products such as Berrouga at the CORA supermarket chain.
Verneuil Mill
Organized in partnership with the PUISEAUX Cooperative, this event was dedicated to supporting DOMINO’S PIZZA in its efforts to establish a wheat supply chain. To this end, an overview of supply chain initiatives was presented to the company.
Surgères Mill
During the event, organized in collaboration with cooperative farmers, specific topics were discussed, such as the selection of wheat varieties, nitrogen application, disease control, and cultivation techniques.
Bordeaux Mill
Near the Bordeaux mill, Grands Moulins de Paris organized a "Wheat Trail" event with the farmer-cooperatives of the TERRE ATLANTIQUE group. The day was dedicated to hosting the major bakery client OPERA and the pastry manufacturer EUROPASTRY.
Moulin de Marseille
The wheat-growing regions are geographically farther from the Marseille mill. That is why the “Route des Blés” event was held in Isère, in partnership with the OXYANE cooperative. This allowed our artisan bakers to visit a farm firsthand and learn about the farmers’ practices and the challenges associated with the CRC label, among other things.
Committed stakeholders
We owe the success of these events—which wererich in discussion and learning—to everyone who helped organize them.
A special thank you to the wheat buyers who connected us with the storage facilities, to the technical advisors who baked the bread each day, to the sales teams at the mills, and to the marketing teams for ensuring everything ran smoothly.
We would also like to thank our partner cooperatives and the farmer-members who took the time to welcome our customers and prospective clients and give them a glimpse into the heart of their farms and the challenges of agriculture.
