BORN IN BRITTANY, MAISON GEORGES LARNICOL REMAINS TRUE TO ITS ORIGINS. ALL PRODUCTION TAKES PLACE AT MELGVEN IN FINISTÈRE.
Text by Séverine Engels -Photographs by © Hélène Le Bloas (Featured in the May 2025 issue of Pastry1 Magazine)
Georges Larnicol was immersed in sweetness from birth. His father was a pastry chef and his mother ran a stall in the Halles de Quimper, selling the sweets prepared in the pastry kitchen. This is where Georges learned his trade, helping his father before and after school. His father enrolls him in the C.A.P. Pâtissier as an independent candidate while Georges was still in high school. The young man obtained his diploma and thought he'd never use it... "I swore I'd never be a pastry chef. I used to do the markets with my father in the back of the car and I didn't think it a worthy profession!" He was wrong! He studied mathematics and architecture, but soon gave up his studies to set up his own business with his wife, Yolande. After a series of unusual experiences and a spell in hospital, Georges Larnicol finally turned, somewhat reluctantly, to pastry making.
However, his passion quickly won him over, and his taste for a challenge soon caught up with him... "You don't fall in love with pastry, you simply love it. Beyond the job itself, it's a real philosophy.” So when he opened his first patisserie, Georges already had his sights set on gaining the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France. The year is 1985, in Quimper, Georges is 30 years old and the patisserie-tea room is aptly named Boule de Neige. Georges was finally awarded the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France Pâtissier in 1993. The Maison really took off in 1999, when he came up with the innovative idea of a self-service chocolate and sponge cake factory. Since then, the sweet Larnicol craze has spread across Brittany, then the Grand Ouest, before reaching the heart of Paris. Georges Larnicol and his daughter Leslie look back on the success of such a concept.
How did the concept of a selfservice boutique come about?
GL: "One day it occurred to me that some doors said 'open' but they were closed. We had a traditional patisserie-tea room and it was constantly full, which tended to annoy me. For every ten customers, you needed a saleswoman, and inevitably she couldn't serve everyone... I told myself that customers would have to start serving themselves. A salesperson could supervise 20 customers, advising them, reassuring them, being available to them in a sincere and direct way. I'm an anti-conformist. For example, if we put up a "temporary closure" sign, it has to be positioned in a way that it’ll be seen! I hate very sleek, metallic concept stores. For me, there has to be a sense of discovery and curiosity when customers walk through our doors.
When the concept was launched, I was much criticized. Chocolate was seen as a luxury product, with a “jewel-like” quality. Some were quick to accept it, while others were a little reluctant at first. We have chosen to offer simple but good and reliable products. I deliberately don't make ganache due to its storage temperature. To do this, you need to know the alchemy of taste and the interaction of ingredients. Self-service requires its own rules of hygiene, rigorous rotation and product storage.”
Did you have a clear idea of how you wanted your boutique to look? What materials do you prefer? Are they all based on the same principle, or are there some with specific themes?
GL: "I've always imagined the concept of the boutiques according to how I felt. I put my ideas on paper and then we create the layout. Each site is unique, each location has its own unique factor. Nothing is agreed in advance, we work with the location of our stores. We respect the soul of the building, depending on the type of environment - town center or seaside, country or urban. We try to enhance it. Of course, there's a common thread running through all our outlets, such as the burgundy and brown colors and the warmth of the wood. All our furniture is made by us or by a craftsman we've worked with for years, according to our designs. We play around with the height of the ceilings, lowering the paint onto the walls if they're low, adding gilded chandeliers, highlighting features like a staircase or painting murals. Our products are stored in racks with defined dimensions, and doubled up when it comes to best-sellers to give you more choice. This layout opens up a new dynamic for sales staff. They are no longer behind a counter, but in the midst of customers. This means products are more accessible and there's less pressure to buy, so customers can take their time. From the first boutique to the last one opened in Brest, we can see the evolution, like a culmination of the present day. Maybe in five years' time, this will seem old fashioned."
You began by studying mathematics and architecture before turning to pastry-making. Did you make use of these subjects on your career path?
GL: "My knowledge of architecture enabled me to implement the layout of the boutiques. I studied infrastructure in civil engineering, so I understood that you need a solid base to be able to climb to the top. So you need strong materials at the bottom, then light materials at the top. The same goes for designing a cake or assembling a chocolate piece. We're responsible from start to finish, whether we're structuring our boutiques or making our products. If a jam isn't good, it's not because of the fruit but because of the way we’re making it. With this method of conceiving things, we keep 100% of the control."
The first boutique was set up in Brittany, your homeland, and then little by little you expanded into other regions? Why did you decide to duplicate the concept elsewhere? How many boutiques do you have today?
GL: "At the start, I had no money to invest, so I created my own equipment, welded my stainless steel tables, sharpened my knives with saw blades. I needed to be resourceful, which developed my creativity. When you have everything you need, you stop trying to create... The banks wouldn't lend me money because I had a heart problem and had to borrow at very high rates. Like the Meilleur Ouvrier de France competition, it's a constant battle of innovative ideas and originality, which is stimulating. You have to fall to get back up again. I needed to be extravagant, and that's what I did by proposing this selfservice system. To generate cash, I sold dry goods and chocolate at the markets. I realized that selling many products at accessible prices would be just as worthwhile as selling few at high prices.
Today, we have around thirty boutiques. Initially, I opened boutiques in Brittany, the first in Quimper, then further afield as our logistical capacity allowed. The furthest is in Aix-les-bains. We also sell our products abroad (Japan, Spain, Italy, etc.) with partners. Our company employs 200 people, and is highly structured with a well-defined hierarchy. People are the trickiest thing to manage these days.
What are your flagship products? How do you promote them in stores?
"There are, of course, "Kouignettes®", a derivative of the traditional Kouign Amann, as well as "Torchettes®" and "Boules à Jojo®". Our trademark remains chocolate moldings and montages (we make over 30,000 for Easter). One kitchen produces only these products with two teams, one of molders and the other of assemblers. Anyone can submit their own designs, which we then approve."
How do you increase the average basket?
GL: "We put our flagship products, those with colors, and our new products, of which there can be many, at eye level. This is not a sign of arrogance, but a way of appealing to as many people as possible, so that everyone can find their way around. We place small versions of best-selling products at checkout counters. The server's role will be to recommend individual products. Each store is organized according to its clientele. They then pass on these ideas to other employees.”
Who is your typical client?
GL: "It varies according to the type of town where the boutique is located. Our customers range between 1 and 101 years old! We sell chocolates individually, which means that children can buy one or two after school, rather than mass-produced candies, without any pressure. It makes them happy and they are introduced to new, more sophisticated flavors. Our clientele is very broad, and everyone is free to buy what they want, whether it's small bars or more elaborate boxes, there's no hard sell. This allows customers to try different products in our range. Everyone is welcome in our boutiques. For me, each customer is as important as the next. Sometimes this will be a very short transaction, but people are coming and going all the time. In other cases, the sale will require more support. And sometimes in two boutiques just a few kilometers apart! It's also the on-site teams that make up the soul of a boutique, and we try to recruit according to the boutique's philosophy."
You've also developed a savory line - is it important to diversify?
GL: "It's like a secret weapon, a way of varying the experience. It's boring to do the same thing over and over again. I like to make my own foie gras or smoked salmon. It's amazing what we can do with this range of products, both hot and cold."
What are your plans for the future?
GL: "Living and sharing my passion with my daughter as we journey through life. What is extraordinary today, will become ordinary tomorrow. As long as I live I'll continue seeking out knowledge!”