China Special Report
When China discovers Foie Gras...
It’s a grand adventure that we’re happy to bring you in this edition. As with any good suspense story, this one’s got various episodes with others in the making. It all started about 15 years ago with one family’s passion. It’s off to China!
The tribulations of a Perigordian in China
“Propose foie gras wherever gastronomy exists.” This was the self-prescribed MO of Jean Rougié, the brand’s indefatigable ambassador for the world at large. In the 1980s, he saw the growing interest for foie gras in Japan. In order to develop this gem of French gastronomy in the land of the rising sun, he decides to produce in Asia. He entrusts the mission to one of his sons, Jacques Rougié. In 1992, he arrives in China and creates a farm for breeding and fattening in the south. As this was created for the Japanese market, the production lasted 3 years, until the establishment of health sanctions between Japan and China. Rougié’s Asian adventure comes to an abrupt end. The farm is handed over to the Chinese who, in turn, decide to pursue the activity on their own for the Chinese market. End of Episode One.
China opens up to the West
“The Chinese took over the farm and managed to introduce their products in traditional Chinese restauration,” explains Guy de Saint-Laurent, Rougié’s Export Manager. “It’s important to remember that, at that time, relations between Europe and China were still rocky. Back then, no Western restaurant owner would have thought to open a business in China.” As the year 2000 approached, change occurred as markets went global and there were massive developments in exchanges with the western world. “With the Peking Olympics on the horizon, we witnessed the simultaneous surge of Chinese interest in western foods and the desire of western restaurant chains and independent restaurateurs to set up shop in China. The idea of the local breeding farm thus reemerged since importing raw food products into China is strictly forbidden. This time, it was Gabriel Bonnin who left to study the project in 2006. His objective was precise: develop foie gras and duck production exclusively for the Chinese market. Because it’s clear that not even a crumb of Chinese foie gras would ever leave China,”remarks Guy de Saint-Laurent.
At the Rougié farm…at the foot of the Great Wall
Since 2007, Jean-Marie Vallier has overseen the development of the Rougié farm in China. Originally from Brittany, and with a diploma from a top business school, he has an aff ini ty for China and entrepreneurial tendencies. A few years earlier, he had secured an internship in a 5-star hotel in Peking. While there, he made several auspicious acquaintances that led to his participating in the creation of a supermarket in China as well as the development of a quality control company. Once back in France, he began work for Euralis Gastronomie in Lignol, Brittany, which turned out to be a decisive choice for Jean-Marie. “That’s where I met Gabriel Bonnin. He told me about his own experience in China and then proposed that I manage the Rougié farm. So I went back. For more than a year, Jean-Yves Fournier and Gabriel Bonnin coached me in an intensive course in the basics of managing, the art of breeding and of fattening.”
The advantages of high quality production
The Rougié farm is situated in the heart of a mountainous area, safe from urban pollution, near the Great Wall, and 1 ½ hours by car from Peking. It’s the ideal set-up for supplying the larger Chinese cities. “The farm consists of breeding buildings, a fattening center, and a slaughterhouse where we prepare and package the various products: lobes, slices, nuggets, deveined slabs of foie gras, and also magret, as well as other meats from the cut. As in France, the ducks are fattened with corn. The farm employs 40 people. It’s a high-end production, since anything mediocre would instantly put us out of business,” explains Jean-Marie.
The tip of the iceberg
Sold under the Rougié brand, the farm’s products are mainly targeted for gastronomic restaurants and luxury hotels in the big cities: Peking, Shanghai, Canton, Shenzen. “These businesses contribute to the development of our image in China and attest to our level of quality. And yet, this is only the tip of the iceberg. The Chinese have a true gustatory infatuation with foie gras, as we can see by the sales fi gures from local restaurants. However, the true penetration into this vast market will take some time. For that, we need to continue adapting the presentation, the portions, and the marketing of foie gras to the Chinese culture. In this country with the largest population in the world and 4,000 years of culture, French cuisine is captivating because of its luxuriousness, its noble origins, and its romanticism!” concludes Jean-Marie.
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