Midi Libre: a barbecue start-up based in the Cévennes (Gard)

   Their brazier made a splash at the international catering, hospitality and food fair in Lyon. The secret to their success is selling conviviality.

Coeo. A funny name for a company based in the heart of the Cévennes, in Vigan? "It makes sense," replies Amandine Berthezene, who founded the company in 2020 with Yannick Bonfort and a carpenter friend, Jean-Rémy Bresson. "Coeo means to gather in Latin."

Their idea, inspired by the spirit of southern France, is to bring guests together around a brazier for a convivial moment. "Barbecuing is nice, but generally, there is one person who manages it. The brazier, on the contrary, allows everyone to be together around the cooking area. And to express their own version of outdoor cooking."

Thanks to M6

When they embark on the adventure, just back from China in the midst of the Covid pandemic, they think they will settle into a niche market driven by the pleasure of cooking over wood fire. But a report on M6 in 2021 will put them in the spotlight. Orders pour in, despite a high price range (from €1100 to €2500). And the customers are not just barbecue enthusiasts.

"We have also been contacted by great chefs. And since last year, we have a partnership with the Bocuse Institute, which has included wood-fired cooking in its curriculum," explains the former lawyer. She adds: "We are seeing a real enthusiasm for a return to this traditional cooking method. The unmatched taste it brings and the experience of outdoor cooking are two strong arguments that continue to convince more and more professionals."

The return of future chefs

Working with the Bocuse Institute is an undeniable asset for the partners at Coeo. This partnership allows them to receive direct feedback from future chefs. "We discuss with them the temperature rises of meat or fish, as well as their needs." This has allowed for the imagining and creation of new utensils: a motorised rotisserie, a pizza oven…

Each time with a focus on refined design, another hallmark of the small company from Vigan. "We want clean and simple lines, durable materials, to create practical, decorative, and adaptable objects," details the young business leader.

And now, the kamado

Used to travelling, Amandine Berthezene and Yannick Bonfort also aim to bring cultures together by expanding internationally. "We are already sold in Belgium, in Spain, and our presence last week at the international catering, hospitality, and food trade show (Sirah) in Lyon should allow us to export even more in 2023."

Coeo will soon have another asset in this foreign market: a kamado. "It’s a Japanese oven, certainly less festive, but it should appeal to those who enjoy cooking with low-temperature cooking and smoking. It’s a product that can be used both indoors and outdoors."

The young entrepreneurs, who handle a large part of the marketing, hope to further develop their distribution network to focus on creating new products. Still at the heart of their Cévennes.

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