Groupe Holder

• Presentation
• Family
  • Chairman's message
  • HOLDER family's
• Background
• HOLDER in some figures
• Group’s Brands
  • Château Blanc
  • PAUL
  • Saint Preux
  • Manufacture du Pain
  • IFH
  • Ladurée
  • Panétude
• Activity report
• Highlights
• Contact us

18th century - 19th century, from 1720 to 1830, the Mayot family was made up of agricultural workers in northern France.

In 1889, it was Francis Holder's greatgrandfather, Charlemagne Mayot, who set the family on the road to success in the baking industry. Along with his wife, he ran a small bakery in Rue de la Mackellerie in Croix, near Lille. His son Edmond Mayot took over the family business in 1908.

In 1935 :Suzanne Mayot, the daughter of Edmond Mayot and the granddaughter of Charlemagne Mayot, married Julien Holder. They set up home in a bakery in rue des Sarrazins in Lille. In 1953, their son Francis Holder began working with his parents, who took over a wellknown bakery/pastry shop belonging to the PAUL family in Place de Strasbourg in Lille. They decided to keep the PAUL name.

In 1958, following the death of his father, Francis Holder took over the running of the family's bakery in Lille along with his mother, and set about expanding it.

In 1965, Les Nouvelles Galeries opened their Lille store. This marked the rise of the mass retail sector in France. Operating from a bakehouse in Lambersart, Francis Holder began supplying them with bread. His customer list soon included Auchan, Nouvelles Galeries and later Monoprix. This was the first key stage in the life of the production company, operating under the “Moulin Bleu” brand.

In 1970, he took over a plot of industrial wasteland in the suburbs of Lille (at La Madeleine) where he created his first Moulin Bleu bakery plant aimed firmly at the mass retail sector.

In 1972, at the same time as he was developing the Moulin Bleu business, Francis Holder also transformed the family's PAUL business in Lille where he installed a woodfired oven. The baking oven was fully visible to clients. The concept was simple yet avant-garde at the same time and laid the foundations for PAUL's success, with the loaves being produced in strict artisanal conditions. Customers could now rediscover the quality and taste of top-of the range bakery products. The PAUL network expanded with the growth of shopping malls throughout France. Francis Holder then set about acquiring carefully selected sites in the town centres, in Paris and in the main French cities.

In 1987-90, PAUL opened its first restaurants/tea shops. A number of shops offered sandwiches and snacks too. In 1990, PAUL opened its first shop in Japan.

In 1993, the black-fronted bakeries made their appearance. This was a new style and a new concept for the shops, which gave the impression of being a century old! Francis Holder injected a further dose of culture, reviving the use of a rustic variety of soft winter wheat and developing a range of special loaves. It was the same year that Francis Holder acquired LADURÉE, in Rue Royale, Paris.

In 1998, creation of the SAINT PREUX bakery terminal concept, developed in franchise form.

In 2000-05, PAUL signed a contract with Hold&Co to develop the brand at concession sites including railway stations, airports, motorways and exhibition centres, etc. The group underwent unprecedented expansion. The PAUL brand planted its flag the world over. Expansion through franchising continued both in France and internationally. In 2005, for the first time ever LADURÉE envisaged expanding outside Paris, with the brand opening its first overseas store at Harrods in London.

In 2006-08, the HOLDER group moved to Marcq-en-Baroeul. By basing its head office in the very heart of its latest bakery plant, the group embarked on an unprecedented and very human adventure. In 2007, one of Europe's most modern baking facilities coupled with a 10 000m² logistics centre took shape on the site. This was followed by the world's first macaroon production line and a state-of-the-art Viennese pastry line in 2008 operating under the CHÂTEAU BLANC brand.

En 2007, l’un des ateliers de panification le plus moderne d’Europe au côté d’une plateforme logistique de 10 000m² voit le jour sur le site. Suivront la première ligne de macarons au Monde et une ligne de viennoiserie de pointe en 2008 sous la marque CHÂTEAU BLANC.