Why it belongs in ORBIS
Provencal chocolatier founded 1967 near Aix-en-Provence by Jan-Guy and Marie-Anne Roelandts, who learned chocolate-making in the Belgian Congo; calissons and truffles joined the range in 1975. Now a multi-generation family business with boutiques across France.
Chocolaterie de Puyricard traces its roots to the Belgian Congo in the 1960s, where Jan-Guy Roelandts encouraged his wife, Marie-Anne, to learn chocolate-making. In 1967 the family settled near Aix-en-Provence, in the small village of Puyricard, and opened their chocolaterie there. In 1975 the range expanded to include calissons alongside chocolate truffles, both made without preservatives. What began as a small local business has grown into one of France's recognized chocolate houses, now three generations into family ownership, with boutiques in Aix-en-Provence, Paris, Marseille, and other French cities.