“It’s small, it’s round, it’s something very easy, very accessible. It’s still greedy, but it’s a very small sin because it’s 18 grams.. “The Ladurée macaroons described by David Holder, the CEO of the house, you know … At the origin of an international chain which today sells its pastries all over the world, there is a tearoom a little old-fashioned in the beautiful Parisian districts. It was his father, Francis Holder, who bought it in 1993. Starting from nothing, this baker founded a dynasty as discreet as it was powerful. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, she was 40th in French fortunes.
The tea room specializes in macarons. Father and son will turn it into an international channel. “This idea, which was dear to Francis Holder at the start, of highlighting a certain type of French art de vivre, worked, greets Charles Znaty, president of Medef Paris, who worked with the Holders at the start of the Ladurée adventure. Facts came to meet his vision. “The patriarch entrusted his eldest son with the orders of what was initially only a small subsidiary. David Holder was to make it a global success.
The simple recipe for a small cake sold for up to 3 euros each
It is because the small round cake is full of qualities … “There is no creative limit, enthuses the CEO with the dandy look, because the perfumes, I can create one for you per day, according to inspirations, trends, etc.“And then, the recipe is very stupid: egg white, sugar, almond powder, and that’s it. A very simple dessert … which sells at Ladurée for up to 3 euros each. .
Another significant advantage: it can be taken around the world easily. Because the great secret of the Ladurée macaroon is that it is systematically frozen after manufacture. Above all, do not leave it as it is when it comes out of the oven, it would lose all its softness … But it is still the boss of the house who talks about it best: “This little pastry product loves what I call hibernation. And the luck that we have through this hibernation, is that when the macaroon comes out of the negative cold, it quickly takes the humidity that there is in the air.“
This symbol of “made in France” is made … in Switzerland
The process has been emulated: “Today, all pastry chefs make macaroons and put them in negative cold for a simple reason: it is that in fact, the finished product, taken out of there, is better.“Not to mention that this frozen macaroon can be kept for long weeks … At Ladurée, in Paris, it is stored in a cold room, in boxes ready to be delivered.
Ten years ago, the boss had another idea: to have all his macaroons made on a single site. “Further investigation” of course asked to see it … but David Holder did “never visited, because[il] likes the idea that behind Ladurée, there is this mystery around a product which is the flagship product that we have created …“This mystery piqued the curiosity of journalists: they discovered that these millions of macaroons, symbols of” made in France “, are in fact made in our neighbors, in Switzerland.
Excerpt from “Paul and Ladurée: the secret story of billionaire bakers”, a document to see in “Complément d’études” on October 28, 2021.
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