France Grenoble
Social and Economic Equity
Supply & Distribution

AB Epluche, a vegetable processing company to supply collective catering with fresh local products

Private

AB Épluche - Isère A Saisonner

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Context

The majority of central kitchens no longer have vegetable preparation centers to process raw agricultural products. They are therefore mainly supplied with so-called 4th range vegetables, that is to say ready to be eaten (vacuum packed, canned, frozen, etc.). Morover, the small-scale farms scattered over the territory can hardly meet this expectation and the volumes ordered.

To allow market gardeners in Isère to access the catering markets, AB Epluche was created in 2012. The company then moved to the central kitchen of Saint Martin d'Hères near Grenoble and then moved in 2014 to a vegetable factory built in partnership with the Métropole de Grenoble and the Pays Voironnais. Today, the local vegetable processing workshop is located in Fontanil-Cornillon and a team of seven employees operates it.

Project

The name AB Epluche (‘éplucher’ means ‘to peel’), suggests the activity of this company: peeling and preparing vegetables that come mainly from organic farming. The aim is to promote local products and prepare them for collective catering. The company has therefore widened its range by developing the Isère A Saisonner platform. There is a wide choice of products, including more or less prepared vegetables (not only 4th range) and from local production. The vegetables are delivered quickly after picking, and thanks to the processing workshop are sold ready to use for catering professionals.

Today, AB Epluche prepares 200 tonnes of raw products per year, the objective being to double production to meet the dynamics of the Isère department.

Project leaders

Marianne Molina, the vegetable store manager, and her team develop the company's activity in collaboration and at the service of local market gardeners. Among the big customers, there is the kitchen of the Department catering service which delivers the meals to secondary schools in the South Isère in particular. AB Epluche works with the Mangez Bio Isère logistics platform to supply collective restaurants.

The Little Extra

AB Epluche offers a wide range of local products to discover a multitude of varieties. In our canteens, we can then taste vegetables which are local and sometimes original. We have green pumpkins, the new black carrots and even the Isère rutabaga.

Written by Eris Papagiannopoulos, LFC volunteer - September 2019. 

Last modification : 30 Apr 2020.

AB Épluche - Isère A Saisonner

Avenue de la Louisiane 38120 Fontanil-Cornillon France

The company AB Épluche was created by 2 farmers from Isère with the aim of allowing market gardeners in Isère to have access to the collective catering market.
The project initially focuses on the establishment of a vegetable factory dedicated to the processing of local vegetables.

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