Biscuiterie Saint-Michel is a French food company, a subsidiary of St Michel Biscuits, which produces and markets dry pastries (cookies) under the St-Michel brand name. It was founded in 1905 in the coastal town of Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef, where is still standing the original factory. However, the headquarters have been relocated in Contres.
Saint-Michel produces a range of biscuits, exports them to about 30 countries, and offers store brand production services. The "Galette St Michel" biscuit, which has been produced since 1905, features the surname of the founder (Grellier).
History
At the beginning of the 20th century, a pastry chef named Joseph Grellier was making small golden biscuits in the village of Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef, to which he gave his name. The bakery opened in 1905, and Joseph Grellier, looking for a cookie that would keep for a long time, created Galettes Saint-Michel. His wife, Constance, decided to sell these cookies to the wealthy ladies of Paris who came to the sea baths at Tharon-Plage, a seaside resort belonging to the commune of Saint-Michel. The Saint-Michel brand was created that year.
In 1912, Joseph Grellier had a production workshop built opposite the bakery, in response to the growing success of his galette. This building is still the cookie factory's store today.
The cookies were industrially processed from 1919 onwards by their nephew, Félix Grellier, who founded Société Biscuits Saint-Michel. Production diversified with regional shortbread, Éventails d'or and Roudor Breton palets.
The cookie factory remained in the Grellier family until 1994, when it was acquired by the German group