Maille (company)

Last updated
Maille Logo Black and Gold.jpg

Maille is a brand of condiments, which originated as a vinegar manufactury in Marseille, France, in 1723. Today it is a subsidiary of multinational consumer goods company Unilever, which produces the brand's mustard at plants globally and markets cornichons, stoneware, salad dressings, kitchen gifts, and cooking oil under the Maille name in company stores, through global retail distribution agreements, and online since 2007.

Contents

Maille also markets traditional dijon mustard and flavored variants through dedicated Maison Maille shops in Dijon, London (2013), New York City (2014), Paris (2015), and Bordeaux (2015), as well as in-store concessions in Chicago, [1] Portland, [2] and San Francisco. [3]

History

In 1747, second generation vinegar-maker Antoine-Claude Maille opened a boutique called La Maison Maille on the rue Saint-André des Arts in Paris and became supplier to the court of Louis XV. His father, also named Antoine-Claude, had become famous during the 1720s for recommending vinegar as a treatment for the plague.

In 1760, Maille was named official vinegar supplier to the courts of Austria and Hungary. In 1769, King Louis XVI granted him a license as “ordinary distiller-vinegar-maker” and two years later he was granted a charter as distiller-vinegar-maker to Empress Catherine II of Russia.

Maille sold his business to his associate André-Arnoult Acloque in 1800 and died in 1804. His son Robert and Alcoque's son Andre-Gabriel became business partners in 1819, and were appointed distillers to the King and sole suppliers to the house of King Louis XVIII in 1821. Maille became vinegar-maker for Charles X in 1826, the King of England in 1830, and King Louis-Philippe in 1836. A Maille boutique opened in the Burgundy region in 1845.

In 1885, Maille was purchased by Maurice Grey of Grey-Poupon. [4] [5] In 1930, Maille was purchased by entrepreneur Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The company's slogan, Que Maille qui m’aille, or "Maille alone suits me", was created in 1931. In 1936, the brand advertised itself by spelling out the word ‘MAILLE’ in lights on Parisian rooftops. This scene was depicted in a cinema advert called Quand on n'en a pas. These campaigns ended after the outbreak of the Second World War.

In 1952, Rothschild sold the brand to André Ricard and Joseph Poupon, deputy CEO of Grey Poupon. Maille and Grey Poupon then joined forces and began marketing in supermarkets.

The company began producing Maille whisky glasses in 1988 and launched its trademark Fleur de Lys jar a year later. It started selling balsamic vinegar in 1991.

In 1996, the firm celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding by opening a shop on the Place de la Madeleine in Paris. It sells packaged mustards, oils and vinegars as well as mustard straight from the pump.

Maille was sold to Paribas Affaires Industrielles in 1997 and was purchased by Unilever in 2000. In 2011, the company introduced a Dijon mustard with Chablis "1747", an aged balsamic vinegar and black truffle mustard.

Products

In 1937, Dijon was granted the right to an Appellation Controlee, subjecting it to manufacturing regulations, and prescribing the method by which it may be called a Dijon mustard.

The company has produced condiments using other ingredients, including mango, red berries, tarragon and Cognac.

In 1996, Maille introduced limited-edition mustards delivered on tap from porcelain pumps, each based on a signature ingredient such as Chablis. They included a black truffle and Chablis mustard served in sandstone jars.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinegar</span> Liquid consisting mainly of acetic acid and water

Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to ethanol using yeast and ethanol to acetic acid using acetic acid bacteria. Many types of vinegar are made, depending on source materials. The product is now mainly used in the culinary arts as a flavorful, acidic cooking ingredient or in pickling. Various types are used as condiments or garnishes, including balsamic vinegar and malt vinegar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chardonnay</span> Variety of grape mainly used to make wine

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new and developing wine regions, growing Chardonnay is seen as a 'rite of passage' and an easy entry into the international wine market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dijon</span> Prefecture of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

Dijon is a city that serves as the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. As of 2017 the commune had a population of 156,920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unilever</span> British multinational consumer goods company

Unilever PLC is a British multinational fast-moving consumer goods company founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of British soap maker Lever Brothers and Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie. It is headquartered in London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auxerre</span> Prefecture and commune in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

Auxerre is the capital (prefecture) of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Paris. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are referred to as Auxerrois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burgundy wine</span> Wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France

Burgundy wine is made in the Burgundy region of eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here, and those commonly referred to as "Burgundies", are dry red wines made from pinot noir grapes and white wines made from chardonnay grapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey Poupon</span> Brand of mustard originating in France

Grey Poupon is a brand of Dijon mustard which originated in Dijon, France, in 1866.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justerini & Brooks</span> English merchant of fine wine and spirits

Justerini & Brooks is a fine wine and spirits merchant founded in St. James's in 1749, originally to provide wine and spirits to the aristocratic households of London. The firm has been a supplier to every British monarch since the coronation of King George III in 1761. It sells to private collectors, hotels, and restaurants across the United Kingdom. Justerini & Brooks is owned by multinational Diageo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wish-Bone</span> American salad dressing and condiment company

Wish-Bone is an American brand of salad dressing, marinades, dips and pasta salad. The original salad dressing was based on a recipe served at the Wishbone restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, founded by ex-soldier Phillip Sollomi in 1945 along with Lena Sollomi, Phillip's mother. The Italian dressing served at the Wishbone was based on a recipe from Lena Sollomi's Sicilian family which was a blend of oil, vinegar, herbs and spices. Demand for the salad dressing proved so high that Phillip started a separate operation to produce it for sale, making it by the barrel. The brand was acquired by Lipton, part of the Unilever portfolio, in 1958, and was manufactured in the Kansas City area. In 2013, Pinnacle Foods acquired Wish-Bone from Unilever. In turn, ConAgra acquired Pinnacle Foods on October 26, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulden's</span> American manufacturer of mustard

Gulden's is the third largest American manufacturer of mustard, after French's and Grey Poupon. One of the oldest continuously operating mustard brands in the United States, it is now owned by agricultural giant ConAgra Foods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amora (mustard)</span> French condiment brand owned by Anglo-Dutch Unilever

Amora Maille Societe Industrielle, also written as Amora-Maille, is a French company and brand that manufactures condiments. The company is a subsidiary of Unilever and the leading condiment maker in France. The company operates two major brands, Amora and Maille.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizkan</span> Japanese food manufacturer

Mizkan Holdings is a Japanese company that produces vinegars, mustards, salad dressings, authentic East Asian sauces, nattō, and other food products. It is based in Handa, Aichi Prefecture, near Nagoya.

Henriot is a Champagne producer based in the Reims region of Champagne. The house, founded in Reims 1808, produces both vintage and non-vintage cuvée. Henriot has been under family ownership since 1994 when Joseph Henriot left Veuve Clicquot to manage the estate. Henriot's cellar master Laurent Fresnet, who was named "Sparkling Winemaker of the Year" by International Wine Challenge in 2015 and 2016, has said:

What makes our champagne so special is that it is sourced from beautiful terroirs, mostly Grand & Premier Cru vineyards. Thanks to our independent status, I can dedicate the time and care they require to craft the most luminous champagnes and perpetuate the unique style of the House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mustard (condiment)</span> Condiment made from mustard seeds

Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dijon mustard</span> Type of mustard

Dijon mustard is a traditional mustard of France. It is named after the city of Dijon in Burgundy, which was the center of mustard making in the late Middle Ages and was granted exclusive rights in France in the 17th century. First used in 1336 for the table of King Philip VI, it assumed its current form in 1856 when Jean Naigeon of Dijon replaced the vinegar usually used in prepared mustard with verjuice, the acidic juice of unripe grapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Kensington's</span> American food brand owned by Unilever

Sir Kensington's is an American food company with headquarters in New York City, New York. It was founded by Mark Ramadan, Scott Norton, Brandon Child, and Win Bennett. The company produces Non-GMO Project Verified condiments including ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, ranch dressing, and "Fabanaise", a vegan mayo whose name is a portmanteau of the substitute ingredient aquafaba and mayonnaise which it mimics.

References

  1. Conrad, Marissa (October 27, 2015). "Pastoral's Appellation opens today in Andersonville". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  2. Walsh, Chad (July 16, 2015). "Mei Lin Special Dinner; Mustard On Tap". Eater Portland . Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  3. "La Maison Maille SAN FRANCISCO". www.maille.com. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  4. "-1816 ● Naissance de Maurice Grey, moutardier". Académie des sciences (in French). Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  5. Signer, Rachel (December 12, 2014). "Pardon Me, But Real Dijon Mustard Comes From Burgundy, Not Canada". Food republic. Retrieved August 28, 2019.