We invite you to meet François, one of the two "Monsieur Plantes" from our Bons-en-Chablais terrier.
Mission : find the best plants and track them!
Astrological sign : rhinoceros ascendant marmot
Fetish plant : lemon balm , strong and fragile at the same time, it hides its game well.
Cursed plant : mint , because it is one of the most capricious!
My paternal grandfather was a farmer, my maternal grandparents were horticulturists, and I spent all my summers outdoors in the Vosges. So, above all, I am a great lover of nature. And since I like to understand things, I naturally turned to studying biology and became an agricultural engineer.
After my studies, I joined Namibia as a volunteer for a rural economic development mission. I spent two and a half years there looking for outlets for the abundant natural resources there. For example, we opened a plant oil extraction sector for the cosmetics industry.
Then I joined a friend who had a farm in the desert. She wanted to reintroduce the black rhino, but to do that, she needed to do a plant census on site. So I started creating a herbarium . I collected, identified, and named plants in the middle of Africa.
Back in France, I first joined an SME that manufactured natural cosmetic ingredients before being caught up in my passion for plants. I then resumed training as a herbalist and then responded to an advertisement published by Les 2 Marmottes. After several interviews, I got my ticket to the burrow! And since then, my herbalist diploma!
I am a "plant sourcing master." My mission is to find the best plants and connect with our producers . They are truly trusted partners, with whom we share much more than a business relationship. We listen to each other, we share our knowledge, and we seek solutions together to move towards ever-increasing quality while respecting nature. Some producers have been working with Les 2 Marmottes for 2 or 3 generations. It's truly a big, beautiful family.
Since we never use added flavors in our recipes, we primarily look for plants that have flavor. We request samples, taste them, and have them analyzed (to verify that there are no traces of pesticides, for example). We work as much as possible with whole plants , which we then cut and assemble on site.
I have a weakness for Blackcurrant Rooibos and I also really like one of the latest new products: Lemon-Ginger . But I may not be very objective because I was the one who started it in our design team! In fact, I realize that it is above all a question of timing. For example, I swear by the Cocktail Digest infusion after a raclette… It’s what makes the world of plants and infusions a little magical!
