2025 was the ninth year of relaunch of the French pickle by the SME Reitzel. It’s time to take stock and plan for the future. Between transparency and agility, the sector currently being stabilized is preparing to enter its second decade.
The 2025 French pickle campaign got off to a flying start with a warm May-June period, ideal for plant development. These favorable conditions allowed the harvest to begin on June 23., ahead of the 2024 season, launched late at the beginning of July due to a cool and rainy spring. The successful 2025 start-up generated very significant volumes, concentrated over a short period, so much so that by July 20 a large part of the quotas set up with farmers had been reached. The seasonal peak concentrated over a short period of time required particular agility from the sector. In a short time, farmers in the fields, and the 135 employees spread across the two canneries (Centre-Val de Loire and Sarthe), raced against time to jar the fresh pickles just harvested. A precise organization which shows the resilience of the sector and the devotion of its actors. Ensemble, they have united to allow consumers to find French pickles available on the shelves from October.
Transparency, guarantee of differentiation
Awarded since the beginning of the year to Hugo brand sites (GMS), Bravo Hugo (GSS Bio) a Hugo Reitzel (Food Service), the Origin’Info label has been affixed to the packs since the start of the 2025 harvest. A necessary step to answer the pickle paradox (see box) and differentiate yourself from the major players in the department, who offer Indian pickles without displaying their origin, on jars with very French marketing codes. This lack of awareness among consumers and the vagueness maintained by major brands are obstacles to the development of the French sector.. Faced with this competition, the SME Reitzel is stepping up its efforts to make its French specificity known. But good news, Hugo is the national brand seeing the most significant growth in volume and value in 2025 (+27,5% in value, +28,9% by volume).
The future of the sector is at stake now
The French pickle has been resisting for almost 10 years, and Reitzel is already looking towards the next 10 years. “We collaborate all year round with our farmers and our technical partners, before and during the season, in order to implement our varietal selection projects. Our goal is to learn more about the different varieties : their agricultural assets, their resistance to drought and even their benefits on the quality of the fruit, its crunchy, in conservation. All these experiments are at the heart of the development of the sector, to continue to develop the French pickle and ensure the sustainability of the sector of which we are so proud ! », explains Léopoldine Mathieu, sector and sustainable development manager.
The pickle paradox
While it is a symbol of French gastronomy, 80% of pickles consumed in France come from India. However, the French ignore it : 52% are convinced that the pickles they eat are French, and 75% that the major brands in the sector offer pickles produced in France (source : CSA study for Jardin d’Orante, 2020).
