Lesaffre believes in France’s artisan bakers and wants to support people who are looking to open their own bakery. To deliver on that belief, its French subsidiary, Lesaffre Panification France, has created the Lesaffre 1st Bakery Grant program. “We want to give a helping hand to people starting their own bakery, as many of them have had to retrain after working in other trades. The grant is designed to help them start a bakery in the best possible conditions and to give them the best chance of growing their business,” explains Stéphane Pucel, marketing communications manager at Lesaffre Panification France.
The Lesaffre 1st Bakery Grant: Helping bakers to succeed in business1
The Lesaffre Grant combines €10,000 in funding with personalized support, which includes mentoring for 1 year, a ‘bread-making and fermentation’ training course at a Lesaffre Baking Center™ or on a company’s premises, and a 3-month supply of baker’s yeast. “During the program, the bakers benefit from our expertise and the resources of our network. They can have advice and support on any issue involved in their business,” says Stéphane Pucel.
Out of the 30 or so applications received each year, about 15 candidates get the chance to put their case in-person to a jury, with 10 of them subsequently being chosen for the program. The National Bakery Confederation, which attends the award ceremony, has praised the initiative for “boosting” artisanship. And the figures speak for themselves. Of the 64 bakeries across France that have been supported, 62 are still in business. In addition, Lesaffre will host a first-of-its-kind event in June 2023 that brings all the grant recipients together, creating a community for meeting, discussion and helping each other.
A foot in the door, and long-term local support
Many recipients have expressed not only their gratitude to Lesaffre for this support, but have also shared their pride in their success. For Mr. and Mrs. Lefèbvre, who were selected in 2018, “the grant helped us a lot during a period of unexpected building work and significant investment, and our mentor was always there for us.” Emilien Deygas and Julien Fistre, members of the 2020 program, said: “Our success has exceeded our expectations. Thank you, Lesaffre, for your financial support and your trust in us”. In return, the program enables Lesaffre to gain a better understanding of the changes underway in its sector and, above all, to be part of a remarkable experience at a personal level.