20/10/2022

INTERVIEW: Olivier Voarick, CEO, Lenôtre

news-main-interview-olivier-voarick-pdg-directeur-generale-lenotre.1645100130.jpg

They are one of the leading brands that amaze us by promoting excellence in French gastronomy. This year, La Maison Lenôtre celebrates the 50th anniversary of its creation by Chef Gaston Lenôtre. On this occasion, General Manager, Olivier Voarick, allowed us an exclusive interview to talk about his position, before and during the Pandemic, Lenôtre’s strength, sales strategies, training, catering, and consulting activities, as well as future development of this famous house, which is a pillar of gastronomic innovation in France and around the world.

Saint-Honoré ©Caroine Faccioli

Vendom.jobs - You started this position a few months before the beginning of the crisis. What were your first steps in response to the pandemic?

Olivier Voarick – We were first shocked. No one could realize the extent of what was happening. For us, team spirit was the key. We immediately focused on the safety of our employees, and then we had to determine our customers' expectations and how to ensure their safety. One of the particularities of the Lenôtre company, which makes our strength, is our multi-business activities. In compliance with prescribed regulations, we launched an audit which revealed that the only activity we could carry was Sales. Furthermore, we wanted to ensure the continuity of our customer care services to remain responsive to our customers.

V.J. – Therefore, your Sales Department offset the loss incurred by the inactivity of your Events Department. Did you notice other trends over this period which you believe could be sustained?

O. V. – Virtualization has become a key factor in this process. I would say that e-commerce is emerging as a new distribution and consumption channel. In fact, I was appointed six months before the pandemic, yet, among the recommendations for the coming years, I aimed to improve e-commerce. Within a year, it increased our market share from 2% to 10%. This was accomplished while maintaining our overall sales, which increased by 13%.

Le Pré catelan ©Richard Haughton

Another emerging concept is the ability to operate omnichannel, that is maintaining the online option to allow customers to order and discover us, either by click-and-collect or click-and-delivered but also, it is essential for us to have physical outlets. Our presence in residential areas allows our customers to shop at their local stores.

In terms of culinary trends, we notice Millennials' tendency towards qualitative - short circuit - and burgers. Our customers' consumption diversity gradually expanded, and we had to adapt accordingly, offering luxury products at affordable prices. For years, we have been selecting the finest ingredients, banning the use of stabilizers and colorants. We are committed to promoting local markets and are involved in anti-waste activities such as Too Good To Go, Le Chaînon manquant, and Les Restos du cœur.

V. J. - This year, La Maison Lenôtre is celebrating its 50th anniversary. What new chapter(s) would you like to launch for this legendary brand?

O. V. – Our values and mission have been redefined. First, we want to maintain our uniqueness, through the diversity of our activities, as well as our commitment to French excellence. This commitment is based on the transmission of knowledge. We intend to preserve this inspiration, which allows us to respond and anticipate fundamental gastronomic trends, regardless of the diet - flexitarian, vegetarian, or vegan - while maintaining the benevolence and family spirit embodied by our founder. For our 50th anniversary, it is important for our school to maintain its dedication to transmit, defend and promote the exceptional French expertise.

The upcoming challenge consists in pursuing this approach and, on a broader scale, promoting French expertise. We aim to expand our activities both in France and internationally. In December 2020 we launched our first store in China in the midst of a pandemic. We are expecting a new opening this summer. Moreover, we intend to boost existing markets, such as Japan and the Middle East, where we aim to further develop our business.

Pâté de porc et volaille en croûte ©Caroline Faccioli

V.J. - Can you please tell us more about the new Lenôtre School of Culinary Arts campus? How the location emphasizes your commitment to better consumer practices?

O. V. – The objective of our school is to be renowned for French gastronomy. We were pioneers of French excellency committed to preserve the richness of its heritage by training future world-class professionals. But above all, we consider the program to be friendly and outward-looking. We have students from all over the world with various backgrounds and each of them has their own history and aspirations. At Lenôtre, our approach to French gastronomy is based on the dedication of all our chefs. Our team consists of the most renowned chefs in Europe, including Michelin-starred chefs, MOF and champions.

In addition, we work with both professionals and amateurs looking to become professionals. The school stands out as it is integrated into the company's activities, which enables students to experience the profession from multiple perspectives. For example, as a pastry chef, students will work with both the public and the event industry, but also with culinary professionals at the Pré Catelan. Our aim is to provide high standard training in the creation of desserts that are renowned worldwide, and to transmit our knowledge to our students.

We also aim to innovate in the delivery of our training. It is important to implement CSR at the school, as we are looking towards improving the welfare of our students and raising awareness of responsible practices. Previously, I mentioned the importance of reducing waste, which is fundamental to our teaching, and the importance to respect everyone's opinion. Consequently, our decision to choose Rungis was quite deliberate. It's a strategic location, next to the largest fresh market. We created a 200 m2 biophonic rooftop that allows our students to experience a new approach to agriculture and to use their own agricultural products.

V. J. - Will there be any new training schemes?

O. V. – The core of this training aims at becoming a leading specialist in professional qualification, for both candidates and professionals looking to upgrade their skills. We launched new packages in B to B, catering, and sales, we also offered our students the opportunity to share their experiences and opinions with other students through modules such as shopping at Rungis, and cooking whatever they bought. They were able to enjoy aperitif and master class sessions with chefs in a convivial atmosphere.  Furthermore, we tailored our services for experienced amateurs who want to pursue a career in the industry, by providing them with complementary training. 

V. J. - Does Lenôtre support local communities in developing better practices?

O. V. - Absolutely, we do have a dedicated consulting unit called "Conseil Lenôtre" within our business. It intends to expand further. Since we do have a large chef community worldwide, our ability to respond to specific requirements enables us to provide customized support. Our primary customer is Sodexo, which has several segments: corporate, healthcare and education. Our services include consulting on culinary services and dealing with issues such as healthcare to improve not only the dining experience, but also to offer adapted meals.

V. J. - "Lenôtre" recalls excellence in French gastronomy, as well as innovation, as Gaston Lenôtre himself demonstrated. Nowadays, how does the company respond to this challenge?

O. V. - We are committed to two main strategies: one is to continuously improve our products. Based on Gaston Lenôtre's recipe for "La Feuille d'automne", which was already renowned for its low sugar content, we further lowered the fat and sugar content by 30%. We are now innovating by adapting traditional desserts with new flavors and tastes. We continue to produce traditional Lenôtre creations which our customers are familiar with, while introducing new products in line with current demand. For example, for Easter, we created a vegan egg, and a 100% vegan dessert as well. For Mother's Day, we baked a dessert made from vegetables. We are constantly evolving to accommodate the latest market demands and hope that some of our new creations will become Lenôtre must-haves.

Millefeuille vanille ©Caroline Faccioli

V.J. - The forthcoming "EXCELLENCE by Vendôm" will be launched soon*. What drew you to this event created by Vendôm?

O. V. – We work in an amazing industry which has been experiencing recruitment difficulties for several years. Frequently, we encounter what might be considered as a fatality. For several months, the Covid pandemic only confirmed that we must be innovative in our recruitment and in promoting our businesses process. This involves not only recruitment, but also ensuring a safe and pleasant working environment. We are in search of creative techniques to showcase our businesses and for recruitment purposes. I believe that Vendôm's approach is perfectly in line with this.

https://www.lenotre.com/

(Photo credit: Lenôtre)

*See you in November 2022

 

 

 

 

We are talking about this company

On the same subject

See all news