What Grain de Sail does

Grain de Sail is a French food manufacturing and maritime transport company headquartered in Morlaix, Brittany. Founded in 2012, the company imports organic cocoa and coffee, processes them into chocolate and roasted coffee products, and exports French wine — with all transatlantic raw material transport carried out by its own fleet of cargo sailing ships (Grain de Sail I, II, and III) to eliminate fossil-fuel-based shipping emissions. Products are certified organic (FR-BIO-13) and span the full bean-to-bar value chain: dark and milk chocolate tablets (45–85% cacao), napolitains, pistoles, spreadable chocolate, single-origin Honduras coffee in whole bean and ground formats, gift boxes, and more recently a transatlantic rum (Cuvée Transatlantique) and branded accessories (manual coffee grinders, mugs, textiles). All production takes place in two owned facilities in Morlaix — a chocolate factory and a coffee roasting plant — and the company operates two branded boutiques, a visitor gallery, and a Labo Tablettes personalization workshop at the same site.

The company's business model is anchored in direct-to-consumer sales through its own e-commerce platform (graindesail.com), which ships to seven countries: France, Belgium, Spain, the United States, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Two physical boutiques in Morlaix serve as both retail outlets and experiential touchpoints, complemented by a relay point pickup network for last-mile delivery. Pricing follows a per-unit model (€3.47–€3.65 per 100g chocolate tablet; €6.50 per 250g ground coffee) with basket-level volume discounts of 5% over €100 and 10% over €200, and free relay-point shipping above €59. The cargo sailing fleet also functions as a potential B2B freight service for third parties seeking low-carbon transatlantic logistics.

In 2022 Grain de Sail raised institutional capital from Bpifrance and Crédit Mutuel Equity to finance the construction of a second cargo ship and a new chocolate/roasting factory, both completed in 2023. Reported revenue stood at €7.7 million in FY2021 with 47 employees, and the company has since expanded its fleet to three ships, launched a rum product line, and rolled out a 10th anniversary commemorative collection. The combination of vertically integrated production, proprietary decarbonized maritime transport, and owned retail channels positions Grain de Sail as a differentiated niche player in the French sustainable gourmet food segment.

Name

Grain de Sail

Legal name

Grain de Sail

Website

https://graindesail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Grain de Sail is a French organic chocolatier and coffee roaster based in Morlaix, Brittany, that transports its raw materials across the Atlantic using a fleet of cargo sailing ships. It sells chocolate, coffee, rum, and accessories direct-to-consumer via its own e-commerce store, two boutiques, and a relay point network across seven European and North American markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty organic chocolate and coffee manufacturing

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Beverage Wholesale (AFAIAGAD), Coffee, Tea & Cacao Experiences (Roastery Tours, Tastings) (THAJAGAH), Alcohol & Beverage-Grade Bulk Liquid Transport (Spirits/Wine/Beer Base) (TLADALAH)

Keywords

• Organic chocolate manufacturing
• Specialty coffee roasting
• Cargo sailing transport
• Artisan food production
• Low-carbon maritime freight

Headquarters

HQ city

Morlaix

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Organic Chocolate Products: Grain de Sail manufactures and sells a range of organic chocolate products including tablets (barres), napolitains (mini chocolate squares), and pistoles (chocolate drops). Products feature varying cacao percentages (45%–85%) and inclusions such as caramel, fleur de sel, nuts, sesame, and coffee. All products are certified organic (BIO). Revenue is generated through one-time per-unit purchases via the online store and physical boutiques.
2. Organic Roasted Coffee Products: The company roasts and sells organic coffee in both whole bean (grain) and ground (moulu) formats. Single-origin offerings include Honduras, with products sold in various pack sizes (e.g., 250g, multi-pack). Revenue is generated through per-unit coffee sales.
3. Accessories and Branded Merchandise: Grain de Sail sells branded accessories including textile items (scarves, socks, hats, tote bags, tea towels), coffee grinders (manual mills from Hario and Timemore), mugs, and pouches. Some items are co-branded with Tissages de l'Ouest (A l'Aise Breizh). Revenue from one-time accessory purchases.
4. Maritime Cargo Transport Services: Grain de Sail's cargo sailing ships provide decarbonized transatlantic freight transport services, moving raw materials (cacao, coffee, and potentially wine) between origin countries and France. This is both a cost-center for the company's own supply chain and a potential revenue-generating service for third parties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grain de Sail manufactures and sells certified organic (FR-BIO-13) chocolate and specialty coffee from its production site in Morlaix, Brittany. Raw cacao and coffee are transported across the Atlantic on the company's own cargo sailing ships (Grain de Sail I, II, III) and processed in-house at the company's chocolate factory and coffee roasting plant. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company's e-commerce store and two physical boutiques, with shipping to seven European and North American countries.

Product overview

Grain de Sail is a French company based in Morlaix, Brittany, operating as a chocolatier, coffee roaster, and maritime transport provider. The company offers organic chocolate products (tablets, napolitains, pistoles, spreads), organic coffee (whole bean and ground), gift boxes, rum, and branded accessories including coffee grinders, mugs, and textiles. The business model combines direct-to-consumer sales through physical boutiques and an online store with sustainable maritime transport via three cargo sailing ships (Grain de Sail I, II, and III) that transport raw materials transatlantically. The company also offers experiential services including chocolate factory tours, roasting plant visits, and personalized tablet workshops at their Morlaix locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Chocolate Tablets (Tablettes) Certified organic (FR-BIO-13) chocolate bars in 100g tablet format, available in dark and milk chocolate at cacao percentages from 45% to 85%, with multiple inclusion varieties. Sold to individual consumers via the e-commerce store and Morlaix boutique.
• Organic Chocolate Napolitains Individual chocolate portions in 180g bags, available in dark and milk chocolate varieties with inclusions. Sold to consumers for direct consumption.
• Organic Chocolate Pistoles Chocolate chips in 180g bags (pistoles) for baking or direct consumption, including a 75% dark chocolate variant. Sold to consumers and home bakers.
• Gourmandises — À Tartiner (Spreadable Chocolate) Spreadable chocolate products (à tartiner), including a crème café façon éclair variant. Sold to consumers for direct consumption.
• Organic Whole Bean Coffee (Café en grains) Organic whole-bean coffee, including Honduras single origin, transported via the company's cargo sailing ships. Sold to consumers for home grinding and brewing.
• Organic Ground Coffee (Café moulu) Pre-ground organic coffee in 250g packs (Honduras single origin), with a 4x250g multi-pack bundle. Sold to consumers for direct brewing.
• Coffrets (Gift Boxes and Sets) Pre-bundled gift sets combining chocolate and coffee products, including the L'Hisse et Ho collection. Sold to consumers for gifting occasions.
• Rhum Cuvée Transatlantique Transatlantic rum (Cuvée Transatlantique) in 50cl bottles, an extension of the brand beyond its core chocolate and coffee range. Sold to consumers via the e-commerce store.
• Manual Coffee Grinders (Moulins à café) Branded manual coffee grinders from Hario and Timemore (including Mini Slim+, Skerton+, Dome, Wood Natural, and Chestnut C3S Pro models). Sold to consumers as accessories to the company's whole-bean coffee.
• Tasses et Mugs (Cups and Mugs) Branded ceramic cups and mugs in Cabosses, Navire, and Pas de mât Pas de chocolat designs. Sold to consumers as branded drinkware accessories.
• Branded Textiles — Écharpes, Bonnets, Chaussettes Branded textile accessories — scarves, socks, and beanies — co-produced with A l'Aise Breizh (Tissages de l'Ouest) and manufactured in Morlaix. Sold to consumers as branded merchandise.
• Torchons (Tea Towels) 100% cotton tea towels in the Balade à Morlaix and Cacao Trio designs, manufactured in Morlaix. Sold to consumers as branded kitchen textiles.
• Maritime Transport Services (Services de transport) Carbon-neutral transatlantic maritime transport services operated by the Grain de Sail cargo sailing fleet, offered to third-party businesses (food and beverage producers, importers) seeking low-emission freight for raw materials.
• Chocolaterie de Morlaix — Factory Visits and Labo Tablettes Workshop Guided factory visits, visitor gallery, and the Labo Tablettes personalization workshop at the Morlaix chocolate factory, allowing visitors to design and produce their own chocolate tablet on-site. Open to the public and to corporate visitors.
• Torréfaction de Morlaix — Coffee Roasting Boutique On-site coffee retail boutique at the Morlaix roasting facility, selling roasted coffee, grinders, and accessories with tactile product experience and barista-adjacent service. Open Tuesday–Saturday.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue of €7.7 million in 2021 with 47 employees, indicating efficient per-employee revenue generation (approximately €163,830 per employee).

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Valrhona: Major French premium chocolate maker (subsidiary of Savencia), specializing in couverture and bean-to-bar chocolate. Comparable as a French premium chocolate producer, though much larger and predominantly B2B/professional.
• Michel Cluizel: Premium French bean-to-bar chocolate maker with single-origin positioning. Comparable as a French premium chocolate house with bean-to-bar craftsmanship, though with a much longer history and broader retail distribution.
• Cémoi: Largest French chocolate manufacturer, offering mass-market and premium chocolate across retail and industrial channels. Comparable as a French broad-line chocolate producer, though operating at significantly greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Alter Eco: US-based producer of organic and fair-trade chocolate and coffee. Closely matches Grain de Sail's product mix (chocolate + coffee), organic certification positioning, and sustainability-led D2C brand story.
• Tony's Chocolonely: Dutch B Corp and mission-driven chocolate brand focused on slave-free cocoa and ethical sourcing. Directly comparable to Grain de Sail as a similarly positioned D2C organic chocolate brand with a strong sustainability narrative.
• Taza Chocolate: US-based direct-trade, organic, stone-ground chocolate maker with a strong ethical-sourcing and transparency narrative. Comparable to Grain de Sail as a craft organic chocolate producer with a distinctive processing approach and D2C orientation.
• Ethiquable: French B Corp cooperative producing organic and fair-trade chocolate, coffee, and specialty foods. A direct French peer to Grain de Sail with the same producer-level organic and fair-trade supply chain focus and similar gifting/coffee range.
• Lobodis: French organic and fair-trade coffee roaster with single-origin offerings. Comparable to Grain de Sail's coffee roasting arm — a similarly positioned French specialty coffee brand leaning on ethical, traceable sourcing.
• Kaoka: French organic and fair-trade chocolate maker. Comparable as a similarly sized French chocolate manufacturer-verticalizer focused exclusively on organic, traceable cocoa sourcing for B2C and specialty retail.

Emerging players

• Belco: French importer-trader of organic and fair-trade green coffee. Comparable as a French supply-side specialist in the same organic coffee value chain that Grain de Sail sources and roasts, though positioned upstream at import/trading rather than retail.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/graindesail

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grain de Sail