The fresh and modern brand La Belle-Iloise belies the age of this French canned fish firm. Established in 1932 by Georges Hilliet, La Belle-Iloise is still a family-owned firm: today the founder’s grand-daughter Caroline Hilliet Le Branchu is at the helm.
SeafoodSource caught up with CEO Caroline Hilliet Le Branchu at the opening of the firm’s first shop in Paris. The Parisian outlet is the latest addition to the cannery’s 60 outlets dotted all over the French coast, and two in Belgium.
Partos: Can you explain your business model?
Le Branchu: Our real difference is that we sell directly to the consumer. Since the company was founded in 1932 it has been our strategy to open shops by the seaside, and to sell our range of products in our own outlets. We do not use the classic distribution network. In this way we have managed to preserve our savoir-faire and the quality of our products. At the same time, the direct sales ensure we have a permanent, immediate contact with our customers. In 1982 we launched mail order sales for our products, and now consumers can also buy our products online. In 2012 we had a turnover of EUR 33 million (USD 44.5 million). Today, our shops account for 65 percent of our sales, 30 percent of sales by mail order, and 5 percent through BtoB. Under 1 percent of our products are exported.
What does quality mean for you?
For three generations our family has aimed to offer the consumer the best quality available for canned fish. We only use top quality fish, prepared according to our own recipes, and we work by hand. This is really important for us. Take sardines for example, at our cannery, the tail and head of each fish is snipped off by hand. Our staff verify that every single sardine in the tin meets our stringent standards. Those that don’t hit the mark are removed. We respect the traditional way to work by hand, not because we love the past particularly but because we believe it’s the best way to treat the fish and preserve its taste and texture. We have always believed that quality is the minimum respect we owe our customers.
La Belle-Illoise is a private, family-owned company. Are there real benefits to being private?
Yes! One of the biggest advantages is that we don't have shareholders, which means we’re absolutely independent. I think we would constantly be looking at short-term objectives. By comparison, as a private firm the short-term does not have to be a priority. We can control and roll-out our strategy as we wish. And while like all other companies we position ourselves in response to facts, surveys, and the economic context, as a private firm we can also bring something visceral, something that comes directly from the heart. This means our clear vision for the company is still very much attached to the values — such as simplicity and conviviality — on which the firm was founded 1932.
Where are your sardines fished?
We are based in the port of Quiberon, in Brittany. My great, great, great grandfather was a fisherman. On the Brittany coast, and since the Roman times, sardines have played an important role in the region. On their way north, shoals of sardines appear on our coast, in the Bay of Biscay. From May until November our fishermen catch the sardines. At La Belle-Iloise we produce about 800 tons of sardines. We also produce about 400 tons of tuna products, and 300 tons of mackerel. La Belle-Iloise is one of only a handful of canneries left in the area. In 1957 there were 14 canneries in Quiberon. By 1968 there was only four left.
How do you deal with volatility in supplies?
It’s not unusual for us to have to stop production of a range because we don’t have the fish supplies! When this happens we work on other products. In addition to our canned sardine, tuna and mackerel fish, our product range includes preparations for aperitifs, sandwich spreads, salads, and soups. We launch about two to three new products each year.
Who is your typical client?
Someone from 30 years old upwards, who likes to eat well! A real ‘gourmand’! We have different generations from the same family coming to our shops.
