In so doing, La Compagnie des Desserts takes another step towards federating renowned desert makers for the benefit of their restaurant-owner clients.
Lézignan-Corbières (France), 31 January 2022 – La Compagnie des Desserts, a desert specialist serving restaurants and food service companies, is to merge with Groupe Philippe Faur, whose eponymous chief executive holds the title of Maître Artisan Glacier, a French distinction granted to master desert makers. The transaction will enable the two companies to pool their resources and offer their restaurant customers new flavours, tastes and high-quality ingredients.
La Compagnie des Desserts is a creator, producer and distributor of deserts to more than 24,000 customers. The company has seven production facilities for traditional deserts and stands out through the very high quality of its products (artisanal ice cream and pastries), its innovation and the excellence of its services.
Acquired by Argos Wityu in 2016, La Compagnie des Desserts has annual sales of more than €95m (of which 45% outside France) and a staff of 600.
The objective of the merger is to combine the expertise of La Compagnie des Desserts and Philippe Faur so as to champion ice-cream-based products that prioritise a short supply chain and use natural ingredients to craft highly-specific recipes for diners who appreciate succulent deserts but also care about the quality of the food they consume.
La Compagnie des Desserts will take over Philippe Faur’s production activities and contribute his company’s expertise in logistics and distribution, thereby continuing its effort to federate artisans who produce high-quality deserts.
Philippe Faur has won several French and European awards as a desert creator and innovator as well as the French Ice Sculpture competition. He has also been ranked among France’s best ice-cream makers for the last ten years. He will become the exclusive partner of La Compagnie des Desserts, to which he will contribute all his expertise in transforming and elevating his profession.
Philippe Bonny, CEO of La Compagnie des Desserts, said, “We are proud and delighted to enter into this merger with Philippe Faur, as we share his passion for what is pleasing to both the eye and the taste buds. There are significant synergies between the two companies in terms of human values and the expertise and techniques specific to our profession.”
Philippe Faur added, “After 40 years of experience as an ice-cream and desert maker, including ranking as one of France’s best for the past ten years, and 25 years after creating my company based in the southern-France département of Ariège, I have decided to take off my company executive hat and put my chef’s hat back on to devote myself full-time to my art of making great deserts. I am joining La Compagnie des Desserts to contribute both my expertise and my passion for my work so as to add value to our profession, satisfy our customers and give ice cream and ice-cream-based deserts the recognition and prestige they deserve.”
Gilles Lorang, Argos Wityu Managing Partner, concluded by saying, “The merger between La Compagnie des Desserts and Philippe Faur is right in line with the group’s accelerated business development strategy, as employed by Philippe Bonny and his team. It will enable customers to benefit from the numerous complementary aspects of the products and skills the two companies offer.”
Argos Wityu team: Gilles Lorang, Pierre Cassignol
Argos Wityu
Coralie Cornet
Head of Communications
ccc@argos.fund
+33 6 14 38 33 37
La Compagnie des Desserts
Stéphany Fressard
stephany.fressard@compagniedesdesserts.com
About Argos Wityu / www.argos.wityu.fund
Argos Wityu is an independent European investment fund that supports companies in the transfer of business ownership. It has assisted more than 80 entrepreneurs, focusing its investment strategy on complex transactions with emphasis on transformation, growth, and close collaboration with management teams. Argos Wityu seeks to acquire majority interests and invest between €10m and €100m with each transaction. With more than €1bn under management and 30 years of experience, Argos Wityu operates from offices in Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, Luxembourg, Milan and Paris.
