origins

The Story of Saint Martial’s little baker

Frederic-Pierre Theulier was born in 1850 in Marminiac Lot (46).

In 1870, he moves from the Quercy region to Saint Martial de Nabirat, a small Périgord village (600 inhabitants). There, he built his own house and its dependencies in order to open a bakery. In 1873, he marries Eugenie Maleville and they have four children. Three daughters: Madeleine, Paule, Denise and a boy, Honore (28 June 1900).

The vocation was in route for the future generations. Madeleine’s daughter, Cecilia married Perigueux’s baker and Paule married a baker from Beaumont. Her two sons, Peter and Rene worked in the family bakery until the death of their father.  And for Honore, he naturally took over his father’s bakery in 1920.

A vocation

“ Anar cercat lo pan cô Marminiac “

“I am going to buy the bread at Marminiac” (Occitan dialect). From the beginning, in the 1870s until 1950, the bakery was frequently designated as the “Bakery Marminiac” (name of the Frederic’s village of origin). Upon installation, at the time, Frederic adopts a unique method of preparation and baking bread. (Based on sourdough and baked in a wood-fired oven). This practice will be perpetuated for over a century.

In these times, the bakery is frequented by a rural world with people living outside the village and buying breads only once or twice a month. Working conditions are harsh: each batch of bread consists of 100 kgof flour, yeast (fermented dough prepared the day before), salt and water. This amount will be mingled with the force of arms until the arrival in 1920 of the kneading machine powered by a combustion engine.

Honore (1900-1994)

From an early age (12 years), Honore will be drawn into the bakery to devote to learn the craft. From then on, his father gives him all the small tasks to manage (to pull the bread out of the oven, to manage the temperature and the resupply the wood).

After his military service completion, during the 1920s, Honore gradually takes the reins of the bakery. His work takes one hundred percent of his time and distractions are very rare. “Only on Sunday afternoon a towel under one arm and a loaf of bread in the other, Honore wandered into the village to visit the barber, his buddy from regiment, trading the loaf against the shaving of his beard.”

In 1930, life changes with the arrival of the “little Parisian”, Marie Jeanne Ribault. The marriage was celebrated that same year. From this union, they have 4 children. One daughter and four sons.

Henceforth all habits are turned upside down. They must think about the family and the evolution of the business. Competition requires the purchase of vehicles in order to provide home delivery services to customers away from the village.

The Second World War (39-45) causes serious difficulties related to rationing and flour quality. The scarcity of gasoline led to the abandonment of home deliveries. In this context, Honore made a point of honor to brave (with many risks) the prohibition to continue to provide its customers with the preferred traditional bread. “Jeanne took all the risks by leaving at night (by taxi) to travel tens of kilometers in order to seek 200 kg of the prohibited flour.”

The war ended and the activity returns to normal. After 6 years of interruption, home deliveries resume and reputation of the small bread baker from Saint-Martial is constantly increasing. From now on and for the next 30 years, the business development will grow at the regional level. Many innovations are made, both in the production methods and the management.

After devoting 64 years of his life to his profession and to perpetuate a trademark, Honore decides to make his last batch in 1976. His strong legacy to his children and grandchildren remains with a unique pride for his know-how and a sense of doing things right.

At the time of his death, in 1994, the fourth generation naturally oriented itself towards the continuity of the business. By creating WATERFOOD, the descendants install the continuity of values by providing quality flour for export developments of the French artisanal bakery.