Leading player in the hotel and catering industry in Mont-Saint-Michel, the La Mère Poulard group sold its biscuit factory to the company Aux Trois Cigognes to refocus on its tourist activity.
Finalized in early October 2025, this operation marks a milestone for both entities : on the one hand, an acceleration of external growth for Aux Trois Cigognes ; the other, a refocusing of the La Mère Poulard group on its core businesses of tourism and hospitality in Mont-Saint-Michel, with an investment program in the preservation and enhancement of its heritage. The two entities continue their development by retaining the La Mère Poulard brand in their respective businesses., symbol of French culinary tradition. The La Mère Poulard inn, founded in 1888, has gained a worldwide reputation thanks to its recipes, from its signature soufflé omelette to its traditional pure butter biscuits. With the acquisition of the inn in 1986, Éric Vannier gradually built up a group today made up of 25 establishments located in Mont-Saint-Michel, then created the biscuit factory located in Maen Roch in 1998, near the Wonder. Making pure butter biscuits (shortbread, pancakes, cookies and pucks) inspired by recipes from the famous inn, marketed under its brand in France and internationally, this biscuit factory achieves a turnover of nearly 30 million euros and employs 95 permanent employees. More, in a context of change in the tourism sector and after having gone through the tourism crises linked to the attacks of 2015-2016 and the health crisis of 2020-2021, the group has chosen to focus on its historical assets : the hotel industry, catering and the visitor experience at Mont-Saint-Michel.
Mother Poulard reigns over Wonder
On its tourist center, the La Mère Poulard group now has a turnover of nearly 25 million euros and employs 140 employees (on average 160 FTE * per year and up to 250 FTE in high season). Since its integration into the La Mère Poulard group in 2017, Léo Vannier, son of the founder and president Éric Vannier, took the reins of the group's tourism division in July 2021. Aged 30 at the time of his appointment as general manager, this young manager has infused the family business with a dynamic that preserves the heritage while adapting the group to the contemporary challenges of tourism and the hotel and catering industry.. Under his leadership, the group has embarked on a transformation phase marked by investments in renovation and operational performance, in order to consolidate its position as the emblematic leader of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Flight of the Three Storks
On his side, the Aux Trois Cigognes biscuit factory, created in 1925 by the Verquin family, continues its external growth strategy with the acquisition of the La Mère Poulard biscuit factory. This operation strengthens its portfolio of French biscuit making know-how and marks a new stage in its development. After having managed Verquin Confisseur for more than fifteen years (Tête Brûlée candy, Croibleu, Miner's Pastille...), sold in 2017, Luc-Pierre Verquin has embarked on a new entrepreneurial adventure in the agri-food industry. In February 2025, he has already taken over two historic biscuit factories in Hauts-de-France. Aux Trois Cigognes now brings together three complementary companies : the Tourniayre biscuit factory, created in 1897, leading French manufacturer of cones and wafer cups intended for ice cream professionals ; the Dutoit biscuit factory, created in 1951, specialist in quality homemade puff pastry and tart bases for professionals and the La Mère Poulard biscuit factory.
* ETP : full-time equivalent
