If winter is long and you are longing for spring, what better way to project yourself towards brighter days outdoors than with COEO fire pits? Ideal for creating a friendly atmosphere, those designed by Amandine Berthezène and Yannick Bonfort also have the good idea of being available in several sizes and various accessories.
“The idea came to us during the first lockdown,” explains Amandine, who with her partner had the misfortune of living apart for part of this period in China. The globe-trotters experienced a torment: “We could no longer go out freely. We were scared, almost panicked.”
In this context, we better understand the pressing need for conviviality that may have prevailed at the launch of their fire pit brand. In Latin, Coeo means “to go together, to gather, to associate, but also to become one, to couple.” Those who see barbecues as a “symbol of masculinity” will have to reconsider.
Unity is strength, as we know, and around a fire pit, it is peaceful: nearly 500 units have been sold today, according to Amandine, who has set aside her law studies. Alongside Yannick, an engineer, “work starts on Monday at 7 am and finishes on Sunday at 10 pm! We take care of everything, including the creation of the website and the photo shoots…”.
Evolving and complete
More technical than it seems, the plancha is the centrepiece of the brasero. Amandine explains: "During manufacturing, we press it to give direction to the fibre. This is clearly visible in operation: there is a slight slope when the plancha is cold. This slope becomes more pronounced as the plancha heats up. It is necessary for the fats to drain well into the centre of the hearth. And the steel has been tested in a laboratory. It is compliant for food use."
The TRIO and QUADRO braseros are designed to be adaptable and complete: barbecue, plancha "and much more than that, as cast iron casseroles, paella pans, woks, rotisseries, pizza ovens... can notably be adapted," specifies Amandine.
And as a simple harmonious decorative object in a garden, the COEO brasero has already delighted some architects and landscapers who have adopted it.
While the private customer base remains the majority, that of chefs is logically significant, especially for event use. In September 2022, the Paul-Bocuse Institute chose to train its students in outdoor cooking on COEOs. Amandine and Yannick are obviously very proud of this. "But we were also surprised to discover that the purpose of the brasero is to be used in an even broader context, such as festivals. We have received, for example, orders for an ultratrail, for the FISE and for the Natural Games."
An arty version of the furniture support has been created in collaboration with the Montpellier street art association Line Up, while a second is planned.
Points of sale and prices at www.coeo-design.com
COEO, the brand of barbecue plancha fire pits from the Cévennes, based near Nîmes and Montpellier, featured in the local newspaper Art de Ville.
Our fire pit barbecues.