The La Petite Bretonne brand of madeleines and other sweets reaches the venerable age of 60 this year. The founder, now in his seventies, Serge Bohec, still holds the helm of this flagship of Quebec pastry. The duty went to meet the colorful businessman to understand the recipe for his success and longevity.
Serge Bohec almost never wears a tie. It is with the jovial demeanor of someone who has nothing more to prove that he opens the doors of his factory, the second of his company. The machines are running at full capacity and thus come out of the oven “more than a million croissants every day, as many chocolatines and as many danishes”. The tireless Breton, a Quebecois for a long time, is visibly never satisfied; today he is talking about building a third factory.
Sixty years earlier, however, its beginnings were modest… and illegal.
The son of a sailor, he arrived in Montreal in the 1960s in an idealized America where “you just have to bend over to collect the money,” according to his father. This is not far from the truth, because a bakery hires him the day he arrives. Donuts and other “things that[il] had never seen” surprised him somewhat. “I laughed a little at my boss because he made flat madeleines,” Serge Bohec recalls today. Bold, he proposed his own recipe, which immediately became a hit. When he asked for a salary increase ($50 per week, rather than $35), the refusal was categorical. “At 16, I said this sentence: “I’m going away and I’m going to make madeleines for myself!” »
It is therefore because of the intransigence of this first boss that he goes into business. He begins distributing his own cupcakes using his mother’s oven and his father’s stolen car – the latter leaves for work without leaving him the keys. This illegality landed him in prison twice, fortunately each time for short stays. “When I went before the judge, they told me that what I was doing was wrong. I told them: “No, no, I won’t do it again.” But I was like, “Hurry up, I have a delivery to make!” » he admits.
This isn’t the only little shenanigan he entrusts to the Duty : “As I was 16 and couldn’t have a business registration, I put La Petite Bretonne Limitée on the box. It felt “big”. That way, no one asked me any questions. »
It took almost five years for the business to become legal, without young Serge ever stopping selling madeleines. These little egg-based cakes are “a product that was not selling,” admits the entrepreneur. This year, La Petite Bretonne should start selling madeleines, he jokes. “We installed a production line that cost $5 million. We’re going to make madeleines. We’re going to put them everywhere! »
Thus was born the Canadian crescent
The madeleine, as delicate as it is, is not necessarily the bread and butter of La Petite Bretonne. Faced with lukewarm enthusiasm for this French pastry, Serge Bohec launched the adventure of industrial croissants in 1970.
The appetite for this pastry was already known. However, butter and puff pastry made it impossible to guarantee distribution throughout the territory. America has distances that Europe does not have, he points out, and delivery is a big challenge here. It was therefore under these constraints that the “Canadian crescent” was born. This variant, unlike its classic version, does not produce crumbs and can be kept for several weeks. The secret is in the “half croissant – half brioche” dough.
Serge Bohec will make a custom machine to roll his croissants, as he will do at almost every stage of his growth. Necessity is the mother of invention, reminds this baker. “It’s not because I was smart [que j’ai inventé ces machines]. It’s because I didn’t have a penny! »
Despite everything, his greatest pride is being able to let go and delegate his duties. A bereavement turned his life upside down and opened his eyes, he says. “At the beginning, I did everything. I opened the door and closed it. When my wife died at the age of 35, I was 40, I understood that we could die. That, I didn’t know. […] I said to myself: “If I continue at this pace, I’m definitely not going to go far”. »
The international Breton
Today, the company of which Serge Bohec is still the sole shareholder supplies Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and soon Chile. The height of success, he managed to sell his madeleines in France. “The first French Costco, in Paris, we put madeleines with maple syrup there,” says the chef, not a little proud of his achievement. “I was criticized by the French…”
Latest out of the oven and the imagination of La Petite Bretonne: the croissant without butter. Some might cry sacrilege. Truth be told, we couldn’t find this “light” version of the Canadian croissant on this side of the border. It’s New York’s mouths that love it and demand it, one must believe.
Adapting its production according to the demands of international customers is one of the advantages provided by robotization on which Serge Bohec’s team has focused. “If we hadn’t robotized all these years, we would have 1000 employees. We probably would have disappeared. There are 250 of us today. »
Another tip: refuse to multiply flavors. “I’m not one for variety. Variety ends up cannibalizing itself sooner or later, he says. The success of La Bretonne is as few products as possible, in as many countries as possible. »
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.