Can you introduce us to Esprit Fermes?
Esprit Fermes is a leading digital platform connecting consumers directly with farm-fresh products. As a digitized cooperative, we unite independent producers who specialize in on-site sales at farms, markets, and fairs, with minimal online presence. Our mission is to celebrate France's rich culinary heritage by curating exceptional products from every region. We deliver innovative, ecologically responsible options to both individuals and professionals—especially restaurants grappling with junk food trends. Producers benefit from our comprehensive turnkey e-commerce solution, covering product selection, promotion, and distribution. Far from a simple catalog, our site showcases each agro-entrepreneur and their offerings in an immersive online “gourmet hall.”
What can be found in these online halls?
We’re not just a luxury delicatessen. From hams and pastas to truffles, cheeses, and oils, we cater to every palate and mealtime—breakfast through coffee. Our long-term vision includes all major appellations like AOC, AOP, and IGP, while embracing producer creativity. We feature both labeled and unlabeled products, organic or conventional, and are expanding into farm-made cosmetics, crafts, and farm stays. Soon, we'll include fair-trade products from other European and Mediterranean regions.
How do you work with “agro-entrepreneurs”?
We partner with producers across France, often visiting them to collaboratively select standout products. Member producers set their own sale prices, aligning with fair-trade principles. For non-members, we match their prices to avoid undercutting our partners.
Who are the producers you work with?
Our producers are independent agro-entrepreneurs operating small-scale, often family-run farms—specialized or diversified. Passionate stewards of their land and animals, they raise livestock outdoors, frequently using home-grown feed in a true circular economy. Blending ancestral traditions with cutting-edge innovations, they drive the ecological transition. Many are young farmers practicing reasoned, sustainable agriculture, distinct from industrial giants.
You recently opened a grocery store and a restaurant in the inner suburbs of Paris—can you tell us more?
In early April, we launched a restaurant next to our grocery store, opened in January in Gentilly. We're excited about urban initiatives like Grand Paris, extending beyond the city center with reliable home delivery. At Esprit Fermes “L’Expérience,” we highlight our producers' products and host meet-and-greets for those visiting Paris. The restaurant showcases their ingredients in modern dishes—proving local sourcing means fresh, balanced innovation, not just heavy classics. Chef Armance Vilain, a Ferrandi graduate, crafts 100% plant-based options alongside Haute-Savoie specialties like reblochonnade with authentic farm Reblochon and raw ham. Videos of her recipes are on our social channels. Embracing a farm-inspired circular economy, we transform fresh products into zero-waste meals.
