Marie Blachère bakeries and pastries are new generation bakeries where the consumer sees the bread being made before their eyes, just behind the display. It is, with an offer of artisanal quality and attractive prices, a key point of the concept of “market spirit” at the origin of the brand’s tremendous success in mainland France and in Europe. Master franchisee Marie Blachère for Reunion Island, Mayotte, Mauritius and Madagascar, the Iriben Group opened its first two stores in December in Rivière-des-Pluies and La Possession and plans to open two or three others this year.
Bernard Blachère started by selling fruit and vegetables. By opening, with her daughter Marie, its first bakery in 2004 in Salon de Provence, he was inspired by this experience of direct contact with the customer which characterizes the fairground markets. In a Marie Blachère bakery and pastry shop, the physical separation between commerce and production is abolished. The breads are kneaded, shaped and cooked on site. Bakery workers place their batches on the display under the gaze of customers. This way of returning to the roots of baking was an innovation and, 22 years later, Marie Blachère is the leading network of bakeries in France and Europe. “A concept perfectly in tune with Reunion, where shopping is part of daily life”, relieves Franck Plagnol, general director of the Iriben Group. Worn by Philippe Lariche, founder of the Iriben group and franchise specialist, the project to establish the brand in Reunion dates back several years. In a Reunion bakery market still far from meeting all needs, offer a range of artisanal quality accessible to as many people as possible, with attractive prices, joined the DNA of Marie Blachère in mainland France : Also, “this common vision, which places humans at the heart of the system, convinced Bernard Blachère to entrust us with the master franchise of the brand for the Indian Ocean. We are in a process of innovation by duplicating this concept based on hospitality, generosity, complicity, transparency and quality”, explains Franck Plagnol.
Same offer, same store as in mainland France
The Marie Blachère bread recipes are based on French flours made for the company. Especially, the featured recipe : the Marie Blachère baguette. For this baguette and all the special breads, the customer has the choice between the three white firings, golden and well cooked. Marie Blachère also stands out with its 3 +1 offer (the fourth free wand), another borrowing from the spirit of the markets. La partie snacking (pizzas, salads, sandwiches) is consistent. Here again, homemade. Sandwiches can be composed on request. In a city, the Marie Blachère concept is available in a coffee shop, Marie’s Cafés, where the same offer is offered, but without on-site manufacturing. Because such a device requires surface area. “The ideal surface area of a Marie Blachère store is 400 m2. The stores are exactly the same as in mainland France, where our Reunion teams went to immerse themselves in the concept to apply it locally”, explains Franck Plagnol.
Franchise development
By announcing last year the arrival of Marie Blachère, Philippe Lariche had mentioned around thirty openings. “Our goal is to operate an intelligent network of the territory by reasoning by district and by movement. For example, there are a lot of pendulum movements in Reunion. Find good bread at a good price in a Marie Blachère boutique near you or on your daily journey, this is our approach. We plan to open two or three points of sale this year, in Bras-Panon in the East, and in the South. But we will develop in a measured way. As a master franchisee, we will mainly appeal to people wishing to set up their own business in the form of a franchise or rental management. Meet a need and control the location, these will be the two determining elements for opening a Marie Blachère boutique. »
