Ruby Group

What Ruby Group does

Groupe Rouby is a third-generation, family-owned B2B distributor headquartered in Avignon, France, supplying raw materials (flours, yeasts, improvers, seeds), small equipment, hygiene products, packaging, professional clothing, and tri-temperature food products (fresh, dry, frozen) to food service professionals. Founded in 1958 by Pierre Rouby as a yeast-delivery service to bakers in southeastern France, the company has expanded into a multi-branch distributor operating under six trading names — Rouby Avignon, Rouby Provence, Rouby Alpes, Rouby Var, Casibel, and Audouard — across Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and surrounding departments. Its customer base spans artisan bakers and pastry chefs, traditional and gastronomic restaurants, pizzerias and snack operators, chocolatiers and ice-cream makers, caterers, hotels and campsites, and public-sector institutions (schools, healthcare, collective catering).

The company's core offering is a multi-category product catalog delivered through a network of physical branches, a field force of commercial advisors, an e-commerce ordering portal (Espace Client), and a physical retail showroom in Avignon. No proprietary technology is disclosed; the operation is positioned as a traditional distribution model. Since 1989, Groupe Rouby has been a member of Back Europ France, a national network of more than 40 independent distributors operating over 55 depots with access to more than 400 suppliers, which materially extends the catalog and procurement leverage available to the regional business.

The revenue model is B2B product distribution on a quote-based transactional basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is tailored per customer. Go-to-market is sales-led via field representatives targeting primarily SMB food-service operators and selected mid-market hospitality and government accounts across southeastern France. The company employs 51-100 staff, remains privately held with no disclosed outside investment, and is currently led by Nicolas Rouby in the third generation of family ownership.

Name

Ruby Group

Legal name

Groupe Rouby

Website

https://rouby.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Groupe Rouby is a third-generation, family-owned B2B distributor headquartered in Avignon, France, supplying raw materials, equipment, and tri-temperature food products to bakers, pastry chefs, restaurants, caterers, hotels, and public-sector institutions across southeastern France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food service distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Starches, Flours & Milling Products Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Preparation Equipment & Smallwares Wholesale (AFAIALAK), Snack Bakery (Cookies, Crackers, Bars) Wholesale (AFAIAFAI)

Keywords

• Food service distribution
• Bakery raw materials
• Pastry ingredients supply
• Restaurant equipment wholesale
• Professional kitchen supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Avignon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution: Revenue generated through the sale and distribution of raw materials, small equipment, hygiene products, packaging, professional clothing, and tri-temperature products (fresh, dry, frozen) to food service professionals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Groupe Rouby distributes raw materials (flours, leavening agents, improvers, seeds, ingredients), small kitchen equipment, hygiene products, packaging, and professional clothing to food service professionals. It supplies bakeries, pastry shops, restaurants, caterers, hotels, and public institutions across southeastern France, complemented by an e-commerce platform, expert commercial advisors, sales administration, product customization, and a physical showroom in Avignon.

Product overview

Groupe Rouby is a food service distribution company operating as part of the Back Europ France network, offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for food trades professionals (boulangers, pâtissiers, restaurateurs, traiteurs, hôteliers). The product offering is structured around core food and equipment categories: raw materials (matières premières including flours, leavening agents, improvers, seeds), small equipment (petits matériels), hygiene products, packaging, professional clothing, and tri-temperature products (fresh, dry, frozen). Supporting services include e-commerce ordering, expert sales advisors, sales administration, exclusive events, and product customization. The company serves diverse segments including bakeries, pastry shops, restaurants, caterers, hotels, and collective catering across southeastern France through multiple locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Raw materials for food trades (Matières premières) Traditional and specialty flours, leavening agents, improvers, seeds, and complementary ingredients distributed to artisan bakers, pastry chefs, and food service professionals.
• Small professional equipment (Petits matériels)

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Back Europ FrancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1989Groupe Rouby is a proud member of Back Europ France, the first national organization of independent distributors serving food service trades. This membership provides access to a complete and innovative product range selected from the best suppliers, optimized supply conditions through the network's power and organization, and shared expertise from over 40 distributors across France. The network operates more than 55 depots and works with over 400 suppliers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Back Europ France: The national network of independent foodservice distributors of which Groupe Rouby is a member since 1989 — not a competitor but the partnering organization providing sourcing, scale, and shared expertise that shapes Rouby's cost structure and catalog.

Direct peers

• Transgourmet France: Major French foodservice and cash-and-carry distributor serving restaurants, bakeries, and caterers with a comparable broad product portfolio including fresh, frozen, and dry goods; structurally similar B2B foodservice distribution activity.
• Pro à Pro: French foodservice distributor (Auchan subsidiary) supplying independent restaurants, bakeries, and caterers across multiple categories — directly overlapping in product breadth, customer segments, and regional footprint.
• Brake (Brake Brothers / Sysco France): French foodservice distribution business of the Brake Group serving restaurants and caterers with fresh, frozen, and dry products; comparable target customers and full-range B2B distribution model.
• France Frais: French foodservice distributor specializing in dairy and fresh products to restaurants and bakeries — directly comparable customer base (food trades professionals) and distribution model in the same geographies.
• Pomona (Episens): France's largest independent foodservice distributor, supplying fresh, dry, frozen, and non-food products to restaurants, bakeries, and collective catering customers — directly comparable activity, customer base, and tri-temperature model to Groupe Rouby.

Broad incumbents

• METRO France: Cash-and-carry and foodservice wholesaler serving hospitality and food trades; broader portfolio across fresh, dry, frozen plus non-food categories but overlapping customer base and product categories.
• Sysco Corporation: Global foodservice distribution leader with French operations; operates at vastly greater scale across the same customer categories (restaurants, bakeries, healthcare, hospitality) and benchmarks margin/cost economics for the broader sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/grouperouby
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soci-t-rouby
• Instagraminstagram.com/rouby_fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Ruby Group