Gillardeau History
1898: At the end of the 19th century, in the heart of Marennes-Oléron pool, driven by his passion for oyster farming, Henri Gillardeau founded Maison Gillardeau
1978: During his time at the head of Maison Gillardeau, Gérard Gillardeau gave birth to the iconic Gillardeau oyster. Oysters lovers quickly associated La Gillardeau to excellence for its recognizable quality and appearance, as well as the generosity of its flesh
2014: In its fight against counterfeit, Maison Gillardeau decided to equip its packing chain with a laser allowing to brand each oyster with its logo to certify their authenticity
2019: On september 2019, Mrs. Véronique Gillardeau became the new CEO of Maison Blanc, a highly renowned establishment from the Rungis Market and a longtime client of Maison Gillardeau
Gillardeau Excellence
Maison Gillardeau has always cherished excellence during its whole history.
From Henri to Thierry and Veronique, this value dear to them is transmitted from generation to generation. To ensure you the finest of their production, from their nursing parks to your tables, they submit each day their oysters to rigorous analyzes
Selection Process
From their shell shape to their flesh rate, La Maison Gillardeau daily checks every oyster from their parks to certify that they met their requirements, and therefore those of their clients.
Since salinity level as well as the oxygen rate can affect the well-being of oysters, to ensure the optimal conditions for their oysters’ growth, they regularly verify the waters of their development pools.
Many times a day, they examine the waters quality by conducting several analyzes.
Once all those requirements passed, and after a vigorous cleaning aiming to get rid of parasitic shells, each oyster bag is then sorted manually during their packing process
Counterfeit and Laser branding
Like the shoreline by the sea is sculpted at the rhythm of tides and seasons, they shape the oyster thanks to their well-treasured savoir-faire that they pass from generation to generation.
From this savoir-faire, La Gillardeau was born, an oyster with exceptional taste that many have been unsuccessfully tried to copy and reproduce for years.
In their fight against counterfeit, each oyster coming from their production sees its shell engraved by laser with their iconic G before being packed. This mark is a guaranty that your oysters are authentic Gillardeau ones
Chefs favourite oyster
Many renowned Chefs have been seduced around the world by La Gillardeau’s appearance as well as the quality and generosity of its flesh.
For its unique and refined flavour, La Gillardeau became a worldwide reference in gourmet products. All Chefs agree that La Gillardeau must and should always be treated with respect while elaborating a dish that incorporates it. Enhancing without altering its flavour being the secret to achieve a sophisticated and perfectly balanced dish.
Internationally recognized and called “The Rolls-Royce of oysters”, Gillardeau’s oysters will always have their place on the most refined tables
Oyster opening tips