Our iconic products

BIRTH OF THE COMPANY 1908/1945

1908 - THE BIRTH OF THE HOUSE
Joseph and Gabrielle Dubarry settled in the pleasant Gascon village of Gimont, at 6 Place de la vieille Halle. He was a master tinsmith, she a pork butcher, and they decided to make 'the best foie gras in the world'.

 
1935 - ENTRY INTO VPC
Yvette Dubarry marries Henry Lacroix, who achieves a tour de force: modernising distribution without changing its spirit. He sells by mail order, a first in foie gras, and an immediate success.

 
1939/1945 - COMTESSE IN WARTIME
During the Second World War, Comtesse du Barry remained synonymous with pleasure, the pleasure sent to soldiers at war, and the pleasure shared when they returned home.

AWAKENING & INNOVATION 1949/1974

1949 - THE FIRST SMALL DISHES

Yvette Lacroix-Dubarry introduces the first tinned gourmet dishes.

 


1954 - THE INVENTION OF THE FOIE GRAS BLOCK

Henri Lacroix perfected his process for making blocks of foie gras. This revolutionary recipe has remained unchanged ever since. This technique revived duck foie gras, which until then had only been appreciated by gourmets and reserved for family consumption (rarer than goose at the time), because it exuded too much fat when cooked.

 


1964 - DUCK BREASTS

With the friendly cooperation of André Daguin, one of the region's most renowned chefs, Philippe and Francis Lacroix revealed the art of tasting duck breasts, which had previously been enjoyed only by foie gras merchants. This gastronomic event enabled duck farming to take off in France, particularly in the South-West. This new generation has taken the company to a level where it can trade internationally.

MULTI-CHANNEL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION 1970/1980

1974 - THE FIRST BOUTIQUES

During the great postal strike, they created the Comtesse du Barry boutiques: warm, impeccable, 'veritable showcases of gastronomy'.

 


1982 - THE CONQUEST OF THE UNITED STATES...

The duck pâté with green pepper is awarded the prize for the best gastronomic product imported by the United States.

 


1985 - ... AND EVERY PORT IN EUROPE

Opening of a restaurant-tasting room on rue Taibout in Paris, as well as in Angers. Loïck Peyron, aboard his Formula 3 Lada Poch, races the Course de l'Europe carrying Comtesse du Barry products.

COUNTESS IN SPACE, ON THE WEB AND ON THE OCEANS - THE 1990S

1988 - 'LES GRANDS PETITS PLATS DANS L'ESPACE
Production of the 'great little dishes of space'. The CNES selected them to feed the cosmonauts during the Franco-Soviet Aragats flight.


1995 - NEW CONSUMER HABITS
Individual dishes are eaten at home, but also at customers' workplaces: to meet their needs, Comtesse du Barry R&D creates the first easy-open microwaveable dishes.


1996 - VAD EXPANDS WITH E-COMMERCE
Comtesse du Barry was the 1st gastronomic company in the South West of France to offer its products for sale via e-commerce.


1997 - GASTRONOMIC WORLD TOUR
In May, Jean-François Clervoy, a French astronaut, took Comtesse du Barry products with him on his mission aboard the Atlantis shuttle.


In June of the same year, Olivier de Kersauzon loaded hundreds of Comtesse du Barry products onto his trimaran and set a new round-the-world crewed record.


1998 - THE ROUTE DU RHUM
90 years ago. Comtesse competes in the Route du Rhum aboard monohulls and multihulls, with Catherine Chabaud, Mike Birch and Philippe Monet.


1999 - FRENCH GASTRONOMY ABOARD DISCOVERY
Jean-François Clervoy once again took a Comtesse selection on board the Discovery shuttle to improve the crew's diet.

A NEW APPROACH TO GASTRONOMY - THE 2000S

2000 - TERROIR & DIETETICS
'Comtesse created a range of 24 ready-made dishes (including Cassoulight) made up of soups, meat starters, fish and desserts, 'appertised' and labelled 'ligne légère'. Luc Bramel joins the family business.


2001 - INNOVATION IN PACKAGING AND TABLEWARE
Launch of the first foies gras in trays, making them easier to remove from the mould and presenting them beautifully in regular slices.


2002 - A NEW DELICATESSEN RANGE
Launch of the first delicatessen range, with refined starters based on poultry, fish, etc.


2006 - THE 4TH GENERATION OF COMTESSE DU BARRY
Luc Bramel, 4th generation, is appointed Managing Director and initiates a third boutique concept.


2010 - THE FRENCH GASTRONOMIC MEAL
French gastronomy is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, reinforcing Comtesse du Barry's commitment to quality,

A NEW ERA - FROM 2010 TO THE PRESENT DAY

2011 - THE SYNERGY OF A COOPERATIVE GROUP

The Maïsadour cooperative group from the South-West of France takes over the family business.

The brand is expanding into smoked salmon and Aquitaine caviar, drawing on the synergy of the group. In December, Comtesse du Barry whole duck foie gras topped the rankings presented by the magazine 60 millions de consommateurs.

 

2012 - AWARD-WINNING CREATIONS

Packaging is evolving, particularly in the foies gras range.

The SIAL awards Comtesse du Barry for two innovations: the Xocolati duck foie gras with cocoa nibs and hazelnuts and the Iberian duck foie gras with Serrano ham and balsamic.

 


2014 - A STRONG IDENTITY: THE TERROIR OF THE SOUTH-WEST

Deployment of a new strategy for the century-old brand based on four strong values: terroir, gastronomy, the South West and aristocracy, and emblematic products: foie gras, caviar, smoked salmon and truffles.  A fifth boutique concept, a world of discovery, is being rolled out in 4 towns.

 

2015 - GOURMET GIFTS AND INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

The brand now has a strong presence in airports, Galeries Lafayette Gourmet, etc. Its ambition is to redeploy in France and internationally, through corners, the opening of franchises and exports, to embody this new French-style luxury and become the benchmark for gourmet gifts.

She received the Janus du Commerce award in 2015 for her work on the new concept, based on the '5 E's' criteria: Economy, Ergonomics, Aesthetics, Ethics and Emotion.

 

2016 - COMTESSE DU BARRY CONTINUES ITS ADVENTURE IN SPACE

It's already been almost 20 years since French astronaut Jean-François Clervoy took Comtesse du Barry products on board during his mission aboard the shuttle Atlantis. In 2016, Comtesse revived this star-studded past with an exclusive range of small individual dishes for the launch of the 'Astronauts' exhibition. It's a fitting tribute to the men and women who used to wake up and enjoy these dishes. There's no need to reach for the moon, sometimes all it takes is a few beautiful, divine and affordable dishes to please.

 

2017 - A COUNTESS IN THE LOUVRE

Since February 2017 Comtesse du Barry has had its address in the Carrousel du Louvre, more precisely at 99 rue de Rivoli. The lively and daring gastronomy of Comtesse can be found in the heart of the capital in a place that reflects excellence and the French art of living.

 


2018 - COMTESSE CELEBRATES ITS 110TH BIRTHDAY

To mark the occasion, Comtesse is unveiling a number of gourmet innovations, including a new foie gras in homage to Gabrielle Dubarry, who dreamed of making the 'Best Foie Gras in the World'.

 


2020 - INNOVATIONS

Always on the lookout for innovation, Comtesse du Barry is investing in the ready-to-eat sector by launching its own snacking range in Paris. It is also creating its new 'Incomtessetable' programme to thank its customers for their loyalty.

 

2021 - NEW WEBSITE AND NEW VISUAL IDENTITY

The Comtesse du Barry website has been given a facelift, in line with the new visual identity. New functionalities and technical developments to optimise the site's performance, making it more secure and faster.

New digital campaign wins 3rd place in the communication awards.

 

2023 - SILVER AWARD FOR BEST CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Comtesse du Barry wins the Silver Trophy for Best Retail Customer Satisfaction 2023 in the delicatessen category based on customer reviews shared on Google awarded by Wizville.

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