Au Bout du Champ was born when two friends, Julien and Joseph, decided in 2013 to meet the challenge of offering, in the heart of Paris, fresh, seasonal and 100% local products in order to meet a growing demand. Today, the company has about 60 associates and 40 producers working together to offer more than 150 references of fresh fruits and vegetables at 8 selling locations in Paris.
Selling point in Belleville
Local and zero-waste
The Ile-de-France producers are selected within a 93-mile radius maximum, at an average of 30 miles from the selling location. “We do not necessarily work with organic producers, but they must have some ecological awareness. We pay particular attention to the cultivation practices implemented, such as crop rotation, reduction of phytosanitary treatments or the use of traditional methods. We developed a charter over time, but we work mostly on the basis of verbal agreements. This works really well,” explains Alexia Marais, head of communication at Au Bout du Champ.
An ecological awareness which is found all the way to the selling locations since the fruits and vegetables are sold in bulk. “People come with their own bags, and we work just-in-time so that there is no loss. We do our best not to create any waste.”
The Belleville team
An initiative that seduces not only the producers
“At the very beginning, we had to go door-to-door in order to find and convince producers to work with us. It was not easy, because we were not always taken very seriously. We started with 10 producers. Word of mouth then gradually took over and now, more and more producers want to work with us and contact us, without having previously been approached by us,” explains Alexia.
The initiative is indeed rather appealing because, here, the producer is king. “It is a very advantageous approach for the producers, because they get to set their prices. We also do not impose any volumes to them, we have our own logistics and we go pick up the products ourselves every morning.
The shelves adapt to the seasons and to what the Ile de France region can produce. The consumer had to be educated. “Of course, we are still sometimes asked for tomatoes in the middle of the winter, but it happens less and less. This type of education takes time, but awareness is growing and people are gradually realizing how logical it is to consume according to the seasons. The question that often comes up is if our products are organic. Because in the mind of the consumer, in order to be tasty, they must be organic.
But through communication and awareness, people are slowly realizing that fresh, local and seasonal products are not only a guarantee of quality but also better for the environment than non-local organic products. The customers like the idea and more and more come to see us.”
As for the selling prices, they are more and less similar to the ones in supermarkets. “50% of the final price goes back to the producer who fixed the price himself, and the other half allows us to keep the company running.”
A successful bet, since the values and products of Au Bout du Champ are spreading through the capital. Au Bout du Champ now offers companies the possibility to receive baskets of local fruits and vegetables, and it will set up a delivery service to caterers as early as next month. This is guaranteed to flatter the taste buds of the Parisians, while being eco-responsible.
Visit of the Cressonnière du Moulin Vaux with Sylvie Pouradier
For more information:
Alexia Marais
Au bout du Champ
communication@auboutduchamp.com
www.auboutduchamp.com