The Story of Maison Fossier

Founded in 1756, Maison Fossier, the oldest biscuit factory in France, is a 100% family-run company and is situated in Reims, in the Champagne region. It is the heir of a long line of makers of delicacies for which Reims has become well-known and has managed to conserve and develop the creative mastery of its biscuit recipes. It has become an inescapable stop-over point for gourmets. A traditional biscuit-maker, fashioned by 2 ½ centuries of history, Fossier blends the good tastes of past times with the flavours of today to delight all gourmets.

The birth of the Biscuit Rose de Reims (Pink biscuit of Reims)…

Around 1690, the bakers of the Champagne region of France created a recipe intended to make use of the heat of bread ovens after baking, to cook, and cook a second time, a sweet delicacy : the “BIS-cuit” (meaning cooked twice) was born.

The biscuit was originally white. The bakers wanted to flavour the dough with vanilla. To do this, they crushed vanilla pods with sugar in a pestle and mortar. The resulting small, almost black, vanilla particles, when mixed with the stunningly white dough, stained the finished biscuit. They decided to mask this pigmentation with a natural red colouring, carmin.

This is how the delightful Biscuit Rose de Reims came into existence! Its recipe remains unchanged since then, as well as the method of production, which conserves the double-cooking originally used.

The Story of Maison Fossier

The birth of Fossier and Royal recognition…

In 1756, under the reign of king Louis XV, in an era glorifying lifestyle and good taste, a small artisanal biscuit-maker appeared in Reims. In 1775, its biscuits were presented at the coronation of Louis XVI at Reims cathedral, and the biscuit-maker became supplier to the king.

The royal diploma with the seal of

Charles X

In 1845, a certain Mr Fossier, a baker in his own right, took over the succession of this biscuit factory created in 1756, the “Mother company of the Biscuits of Reims” and its delicacies.

In 1825, it received the royal diploma with the seal of Charles X recognising the quality of its biscuits. The gourmets of the kingdom rapidly heard of the exceptional quality of its specialities and had Biscuits Roses de Reims (Pink Biscuits of Reims) and Gingerbread of Reims delivered by courrier.

For more than 3 centuries, the biscuit factory was prosperous and well implanted in Reims. During the “Roaring Twenties”, the fashion of the Biscuits Roses de Reims (Pink Biscuits of Reims) grew, and elegant ladies adored tasting them with an excellent Champagne. The biscuit factory even managed to maintain its activities during the wars in 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, in adapting its production to the needs of the times. In the 1950’s, 15 biscuit factories specialised in making the Biscuits Roses de Reims, Gingerbreads and other specialities, still existed in Reims. Today, Fossier is the only one left to perpetuate this heritage.

A gingerbread label from the early 1900’s

On the back of a publicity photo

dating from the end of the 18th century,

Maison Fossier of Reims indicates the

list of its specialities.

Literary associations… The croquignole biscuit was already mentioned in the novel

« Pantagruel » of François Rabelais in 1532

The delicacy of cakes and biscuits doesn’t escape Victor Hugo. In 1825, from Reims, where he stayed on the occasion of the coronation of Charles X, he wrote a letter to his wife to recommend to her “the good biscuits of Reims which will make your milk sweeter”.

Marcel Proust wrote in Le Coté de Guermantes (1927) that “the spirit of Guermantes had a reputation like the rillettes of Tours or the Biscuits of Reims”.

Artistic associations … Paul CEZANNE (1839-1906)

Pommes et biscuits (1879-1882) (Still life with apples and biscuits) 100 franc bank note (1997-2001)

Art deco posters featuring Fossier:

Culinary associations…

Today, Fossiers products are associated with celebrations and are used in many elaborate recipes:

In 2016,

Fossier celebrates its

260th anniversary.

Tradition, quality and innovation will continue !

Thank you for your attention.

EPV (French living heritage)

label

www.fossier.fr Biscuits Fossier, 20 rue Maurice Prévoteau, CS 40033, 51721 REIMS CEDEX, France