Because we love to celebrate what makes us unique
100 years after its founding, our company remains firmly committed to creating products that are increasingly healthy and sustainable, and to building relationships that are increasingly genuine and responsive. And that’s because the men and women at Grands Moulins de Paris have made a conscious choice.
• Thedecision to adopt a simple and authentic approach, from growing the grain to the taste of the bread, from selecting the ingredients to the final tasting.
• Our commitmentto doing what’s right, driven by the joy of creating high-quality products rooted in tradition and craftsmanship that we share with the world.
• Our commitment tomaintaining the same passion for our craft as millers and our desire to share it, day after day, with pride.
• Our commitmentto looking toward the future in a positive and responsible way, promoting sustainable farming, production, and transportation practices, and sourcing our wheat as close to our mills as possible.
The origins of a grand, century-old house
1914–1918 – World WarI
As the war dragged on, the people were starving and unrest was brewing. In 1917, Ernest Vilgrain,a third-generation descendant of a line of Lorraine millers, was called upon to serve in Georges Clémenceau’s government, joining it as undersecretary of state for food supply. His primary mission: to put food back on the people’s tables. His success in this endeavor earned him the nickname “keeper of the keys to the national pantry.”
1919 – Founding of Grands Moulins de Paris
Building on this expertise, Ernest Vilgrain founded the company Grands Moulins de Paris with his brother Marcel in April 1919, shortly after the war. An extraordinary story began. Joined by a handful of men, all with expertise in milling, they decided to build the world’s largest industrial mill to ensure a sustainable supply of grain for the population.
The cornerstone of this iconic building on Quai de la Gare in Paris was laid in the summer of 1919, marking the beginning of the era of industrial milling. The goal was ambitious: 6,000 quintals of wheat were to be milled every 24 hours. This goal was quickly achieved and even surpassed.
In 1923, more than 7,900 quintals of wheat were ground each day—twenty times the output of the other 20,000 mills scattered across the country. By 1925, production had reached 9,500 quintals per day.
1929 – Founding of the first baking school in France
After the war, there were no longer enough bakers, and the craft was being lost. Grands Moulins de Paris therefore decided to establish the Paris School of Baking and Pastry Arts (EBP Paris) to address the labor shortage and preserve and pass on the art of baking.
100 Years of Milling Expertise and Innovation
Click on the different dates to discover the story behind them.
In 1965, eight major regional flour mills joined forces to create a flour brand with national reach. This is how Francine, a name derived from the combination of “France” and “Farine,” came into being. The brand began by marketing products that have since become staples: Wheat Flour (1965) and All-Purpose Flour (1968).
To offer consumers a wider variety of products and keep pace with growing competition, Grands Moulins de Paris launched the first miller’s blend for artisan bakers in 1968: country bread.
At that time, there were no longer enough experts in puff pastry in the baking industry. Bakers lacked the time to make their own puff pastry, even as demand was growing. In partnership with Délifrance, Grands Moulins de Paris introduced a selection of the best frozen bakery products. The launch of the frozen product line in 1979 marked a true renaissance for bakers, at a time when their trade was diversifying.
Over the years, we have innovated and expanded our product range to include a wide variety of baked goods, pastries, and prepared foods, all designed to best support artisans in their daily work while building on the strength of a brand established in 2002: Les Recettes de mon Moulin.
Our product line is designed to meet consumer needs while helping our clients grow their businesses. For every product we develop, we ensure that the ingredients are carefully selected and that traditional craftsmanship is upheld.
The bakery brand “Ronde des Pains ” was created by Grands Moulins de Paris in 1986. It was operated commercially until 2015.
Grands Moulins de Paris launches the first baguette under the Campaillette in 1989: the Campaillette Des Champs. Today, the brand’s lineup includes 9 flours.
Grands Moulins de Paris is the leading provider of business acquisition services, with dedicated teams. Our Financial Transaction Advisors (FTAs) assist artisan bakers in finding businesses to acquire and securing financing for their projects.
VIVESCIA was officially established in 2012 through the merger of the two major cooperatives in the Eastern region: Champagne Céréales and Nouricia. The strong ties that already existed between these cooperatives and Grands Moulins de Paris have been further strengthened by the full integration of our company into VIVESCIA, a French grain cooperative group specializing in the cultivation and food processing of grains. We are proud to be part of the 10,000 farmers in eastern France.
To support artisan bakers in their growth, Grands Moulins de Paris has created a new bakery network concept under the Campaillette brand. This concept replaces the Ronde des Pains concept, building on the success of the Campaillette brand for its baguette flours. Artisan bakers who join this network remain independent while benefiting from tools and services for their shops.
2019: An anniversary year for GMP, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary!
In a world where 80% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 don’t yet exist, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019 is, for a company, both a celebration of extraordinary achievement and a demonstration of confidence in the future.
To give this centennial celebration a unique character, we drew inspiration from the rich tradition of French folk sayings about grain, mills, and bread.
Check out the photo retrospective
To mark its centennial, Grands Moulins de Paris has launched several groundbreaking innovations based on key food industry trends:
• Discover a new taste experience with the Campaillette Epoca baguette made with heirloom grains and seeds
• A commitment to natural ingredients: from Francine, a new organic multigrain bread flour and a new organic yeast; and from Campaillette, the Grand Siècle Organic.
• Customized solutions: GMP is the first flour miller to offer bakers an online product catalog, allowing them to place orders in just a few clicks and simplify their daily operations 24/7!
2021–2022 – Product innovations continue
• Blockchain for Francine Bio T55 flour: Traceability from farm to fork, highlighting our expertise in partnership with Connecting Food.
• The creation of Berrouga, rich in legumes, a double award winner at the Pépites de la Boulangerie 2021 and SIRHA Europain Awards 2022: an innovative miller’s blend rich in plant-based protein, made from wheat flour and 100% French legumes.
• Toward increasingly sustainable flours with Cœur d’Epi, a flour made from wheat grown using soil conservation farming practices.
Grands Moulins de Paris is strengthening its commitment to greater sustainability by jointly developing a 100% VIVESCIA Group supply chain dedicated toconservation agriculture. This practice combines high-quality production with high yields, respect for the soil and its biodiversity, and greater recognition for farmers’ practices. “Cœur d’Epi” flour is produced at the Brienne-le-Château mill and sold exclusively to artisan bakers in the East, Île-de-France, and Rhône-Alpes regions.
2023 – Continuing to lead the way in digital innovation
Following the launch of its e-commerce site in 2019, Grands Moulins de Paris is proud to offer the first marketplace dedicated to bakers at www.grandsmoulinsdeparis.com.
This online marketplace specifically features essential baking products and equipment designed to help bakers across France save time. It’s a powerful tool for streamlining daily operations and growing their businesses.
At www.grandsmoulinsdeparis.com, artisan bakers can find the complete Grands Moulins de Paris product catalog, as well as products from suppliers specifically selected for them. The site offers everything needed for daily bakery operations: flours, ingredients, equipment and tools, hot and cold beverages, packaging, products for resale, and more.
