“We were just typical French folks,” I often start off when I dive into our Duverger story.
A film music composer by trade, I had a longstanding habit of leaving my recording studio for a daily pilgrimage to the neighborhood patisserie for a macaron. My wife, Claire, was a trained painting conservationist with a way of making magic in the kitchen inherited from her mother and grandmother—two assiduous home bakers.
One day after work, I brought some macarons from my favorite Paris patisserie home to Claire and dared her to try her hand at making them. “Think you can crack the code of the macaron?” I teased.
THE BIRTH OF DUVERGER AS OUR FAMILY BUSINESS
Claire really embraced the challenge. She experimented with ingredients and flavors, exploring different variations of traditional macaron recipes—chocolate, coffee, caramel, lemon, etc.. And the results were stunning. Somehow, her kitchen experiments often tasted even better than what we could find from reputable local artisans.
Claire and I became “the macaron people” among our community. Our friends and family started asking us for macarons as gifts, and anytime we brought a pack of macarons to a dinner party or gathering, they were always gone in minutes.
This commitment to excellence and tradition is something that has stuck with us ever since. It rings true to the culinary craftsmanship of our Parisian roots, and the vibrant fresh flavors speak for themselves. Even today, over two decades later, all our Macarons are made with the same passion and excitement than during our Parisian years.
Paris was our home, steeped in the very traditions and tastes that inspired Duverger. But we each craved a change (both personally and professionally), a new backdrop for our growing family’s story. In Paris, it felt like we already knew the ending to the movie, and in 2008, we moved to the United States with our 2 children of 8 and 4.
Also Read: The Duverger Difference: Why Our Macarons Taste Exceptional
FIRST PRINCIPLES: ALL NATURAL, ALL THE TIME
Attracted by the warm mediterranean weather and the musical opportunities in the movie industry, we settled into a new life in Los Angeles and began dreaming of what would come next. We made a list of our skills, passions, and interests, but we always came back to one thing: macarons. Los Angeles did not have a single bakery producing macarons the way we loved them, meaning the traditional way, byhand and with fresh, natural ingredients (nor did the entire United States, as far as we could tell). This was, to us, as big a gap in the market as we could imagine.
We knew that Claire had the culinary gift, and combined with my business inclination, we started dreaming about a bakery that specializes in exceptional macarons that would take our passion to the next level.
It just felt right. Claire started experimenting with locally sourced ingredients and flavors, sticking only with their most natural forms, like fresh blueberries or real vanilla beans. As young parents, we were very aware of the importance of nutrition, especially for children, and wanted to be part of the healthy food movement.We didn’t want to use artificial flavors or take any other shortcuts—we wanted it all to be the real deal. It was more difficult, of course, but that was the challenge. Without using fillers, artificial flavors, or preservatives, Claire finalized the recipes of our first selection of flavors, and the first Duverger macarons were born.
I taste-tested thousands of macarons in those first few months and gained twenty pounds in the process. Let’s just say that I was fully committed to the quality control
In 2010, we officially opened Duverger when we signed a lease to rent the night shift at a neighborhood-bakery kitchen. That first year was a grind. Baking at night, farmers markets during the day. But tasting is believing, and once we had hooked a customer at the farmers market, we’d hooked them well. Before long, we made our first assistant hire to help us keep up.
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THE FIRST BIG ORDERS ROLLED IN, THEN THERE WERE TEARS
By 2012, a significant opportunity presented itself when Raymond Lobjois, one of the first French pastry chef in Los Angeles and the owner of the facility we now call home, first invited us to rent some space, and eventually to take over his bakery manufacture in Oxnard. This transition to a 15,000 square foot facility marked a pivotal moment in our journey.
Almost like we had run past some universal tripwire, as soon as our increased capacity came online, we were surprised with calls from larger retailers like Whole Foods and Earthfare. The latter sent us our first purchase order for seven pallets—a moment that left us both in disbelief and tears of joy.
A week later we got another order for seven pallets. We cried again.
Ramping up capacity was a challenge. We hired local workers and trained them on the traditional handmade macaron practices of French bakeries. Thankfully, they took to the new skills quickly, but it didn’t dampen the struggle of those first few years of the grueling cycle of receiving big orders, investing in team and supplies, and doing it all over again.
Things were working and we were growing, but not fast enough. Cashflow was a sustained challenge, but we knew—if we could just hold on a little long—it would be a challenge of the past.
We went through our savings. We even sold our house. It was scary there for a while. But we knew by our growing sales and customer feedback that what we were doing was special. We had to keep going.
It took nearly three years for Duverger to break even.
Also Read: The Wholesale French Macaron Buying Guide: Where to Buy, Bulk Costs, Shipping, and More
HOW WE PRESERVE OUR ARTISANAL ROOTS AS WE GROW
As Duverger has expanded, Claire and I have been adamant about staying true to the artisanal heart and soul of our origin. It’s been a journey of balancing growth while ensuring every macaron that leaves our kitchen embodies the care, love, and quality we started with in our home kitchen in Paris.
Scaling ‘handmade’ was one of our biggest challenges. As orders increased, we knew we needed more hands as we wanted to keep the artisanal spirit alive. We grew our business alongside our family, and concurrently to the birth of 2 new children, we started building a team of food-loving craftspeople, people who shared our passion and dedication. It’s their skilled hands that hand make every batch of macarons, maintaining the high standards of quality our customers have come to expect from Duverger.
To accommodate growing demand without compromising on our principles, we’ve carefully designed our production process around traditional family techniques and an unwavering commitment to ingredient quality. It’s a unique workflow that allows us to produce at a higher volume, yet each macaron is still made from pure raw ingredients and individually filled, and finished by hand. Our facility, dedicated entirely to macaron making, is a critical piece of this puzzle, enabling us to maintain our artisanal approach on a larger scale.
It’s been rewarding to see our efforts recognized. Duverger stands as the only wholesale supplier of Certified Organic macarons in the United States, a testament to our unwavering commitment to quality and natural ingredients. This achievement speaks to the hard work of our team and the loyalty of our customers who’ve supported us through this journey.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR DUVERGER
Today, we stand proud, not just as founders, but as the ‘parents’ of a maturing business that continues to embody the values we started with. Our oldest son, Victor, has joined the company and plays an important role as our Sales and Operation Coordinator, and with the rest of our team, now carries forward the traditions of craftsmanship and quality we’ve instilled.
As we look to the future, we’re excited to continue this journey, preserving the handcrafted nature of our macarons, nurturing the talent within our team, and bringing the authentic taste of artisan French macarons to more people, all while staying grounded in our roots.
For those curious about the Duverger difference, we’re always delighted to share. Whether you’re a cafe owner, a baker, or a retail partner, we invite you to request samples and taste the result of our labor. It’s not just a macaron; it’s a piece of our story, a bite of our dedication to craftsmanship and quality. And we’re eager to have you be a part of it.
Get in touch and request samples here.
