CEPASCO

What CEPASCO does

CEPASCO is a French processor and distributor of spices, herbs, and aromatics headquartered in Gémenos, southern France. Founded in 1876 by Antoine ESPIG in Algiers as a saffron importer, the company now handles approximately 200 spices and aromatics sourced globally, which it processes and packages in its Gémenos workshops through cleaning, crushing, pulverizing, and mixing. The company operates five sub-brands tailored to specific channels: Spigol (the 1899 flagship saffron-based paella blend containing 3% saffron) and La Planète des Épices serve French GMS retail; FlavourI serves the Belgian market; and Espig and Antoine Espig serve retailers, wholesalers, professional foodservice, and industrial customers.

The company's commercial proposition is anchored on Provençal provenance and quality certifications, including Label Rouge for Herbes de Provence, IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) for Thym de Provence, and the proprietary Authentic Provence designation, supported by full lot-level traceability and independent laboratory testing for allergens, GMOs, and pesticide residues. CEPASCO monetizes through one-time product sales across B2C retail, B2B wholesale, professional foodservice, and industrial ingredient channels in France and Belgium, with marketing conducted via organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn). Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

As of July 2024, CEPASCO is no longer independent following its acquisition by Haudecoeur, a French ethnic food company that intends to use the business to expand its presence in the herbs and spices market. Pre-acquisition, the company was family-owned across five generations of the ESPIG family.

Name

CEPASCO

Legal name

CEPASCO

Website

https://cepasco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CEPASCO is a French processor of spices, herbs, and aromatics serving GMS retail, wholesale, foodservice, and industrial customers in France and Belgium through five sub-brands, anchored by Provençal certifications such as Label Rouge and IGP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spices, Herbs, and Aromatics Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

akta.pro primary industry

Ground & Powdered Spices (AFAJANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Whole Spices (Seeds, Pods, Bark, Roots) (AFAJANAA), Ingredient Blends & Systems / Custom Formulation (Seasoning Systems, Functional Blends) (CRADAOAO)

Keywords

• Spice processing
• Herbs and aromatics
• Spice blending
• Culinary ingredients
• Food ingredient manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Gémenos

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Spice and Herb Product Sales: CEPASCO generates revenue through the sale of processed spices, herbs, and aromatics to retail, wholesale, professional, and industrial customers. Products include whole spices, crushed spices, powdered spices, and blended spice mixtures sold under multiple brands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CEPASCO sources approximately 200 spices and aromatics globally, then processes them in its Gémenos workshops through cleaning, crushing, pulverizing, and mixing before packaging. It sells whole, crushed, and powdered spices as well as proprietary blends (notably the Spigol saffron blend for paella) under five sub-brands tailored to supermarkets, retailers, wholesalers, professional foodservice, and industrial food manufacturers in France and Belgium.

Product overview

CEPASCO is a French spice and herb specialist offering a portfolio of five sub-brands. Spigol is the historic flagship brand (founded 1899), specializing in saffron-based spice blends for paella. La Planète des Épices and the Belgium-focused FlavourI serve the GMS retail channel, while Espig and Antoine Espig serve retailers, wholesalers, professionals, and industrial customers. The company handles approximately 200 spices and aromatics sourced worldwide, processed and packaged at its Gémenos facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spigol®: Flagship brand for GMS (supermarkets). Signature product since 1899 - saffron and noble spices blend for paella, containing 3% saffron.
• La Planète des Épices
• Espig
• Antoine Espig
• Flavori

Products and services

• Spigol Flagship brand of CEPASCO since 1899: a proprietary blend of saffron (3%) and noble spices developed for paella, sold through French and Belgian GMS (supermarket and hypermarket) retail channels. Targeted at household consumers seeking authentic, heritage-quality Provençal-inspired blends.
• La Planète des Épices Retail sub-brand offering a wide variety of spices and herbs distributed through French GMS (supermarkets and hypermarkets). Targeted at household consumers seeking diverse culinary aromatics.
• Espig Sub-brand distributed through retailers, wholesalers, professional foodservice, and industrial channels. Targeted at business buyers (specialty stores, wholesalers, restaurants, food manufacturers) seeking reliable traceable spice supply.
• Antoine Espig Heritage sub-brand honoring company founder Antoine ESPIG (1876), distributed through retailers, wholesalers, professional foodservice, and industrial channels. Targeted at business buyers seeking Provençal-origin spice products with documented traceability.
• FlavourI Sub-brand dedicated to the Belgian market, distributed through GMS, retailers, wholesalers, and industrial channels. Targeted at Belgian retail consumers and food industry buyers.

Segments4 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HaudecoeurmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024In July 2024, French ethnic food company Haudecoeur announced the acquisition of French wholesale grocer Cepasco to expand its presence in the herbs and spices market. This acquisition represents a strategic move for Haudecoeur to strengthen its position in the herbs and spices sector through Cepasco's established distribution network and brand portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ducros: Ducros is the leading French spice brand owned by McCormick, distributing herbs, spices, and seasoning blends across French GMS and foodservice channels — directly competing with CEPASCO's Spigol and La Planète des Épices brands for shelf space and consumer spend in French supermarkets.
• Kotányi: Kotányi is an Austrian family-owned spice specialist with a broad portfolio of herbs, spices, and blends sold across European retail and foodservice — directly comparable to CEPASCO in business model (specialist spice processor, multi-brand, multi-channel European distribution).
• Fuchs Gewürze: Fuchs is a German family-owned spice company serving retail, foodservice, and industrial customers across Europe — comparable to CEPASCO as a European specialist spice processor with heritage brand portfolio and B2B industrial ingredient capabilities.
• Santa Maria: Santa Maria is a Nordic/European spice and seasoning brand owned by Orkla, distributing across retail and foodservice in multiple European markets — comparable to CEPASCO in multi-channel spice distribution and branded seasoning blends.
• Schwartz: Schwartz is a UK heritage spice brand (now owned by McCormick) distributing herbs, spices, and recipe mixes through British and European retail — comparable to CEPASCO as a heritage, multi-channel European spice brand with recipe-blend positioning.
• La Baleine: La Baleine is a heritage French culinary brand (salt and seasonings) distributed through French GMS — comparable to CEPASCO as a French heritage culinary-ingredient brand with multi-channel retail presence and French origin positioning.

Broad incumbents

• McCormick & Company: McCormick is the global leader in spices, seasonings, and flavors, with operations across consumer retail, industrial ingredients, and foodservice — competing with CEPASCO at the industrial-customer level (bulk spice supply) and through its Ducros subsidiary in French retail.

Emerging players

• Épices de Cru: Épices de Cru is a French specialty spice importer and retailer focused on single-origin and pure spices for gourmet and professional customers — comparable to CEPASCO in French market presence and premium/origin positioning, though smaller scale and more niche.

Others

• Haudecoeur: Haudecoeur is the French ethnic-food company that acquired CEPASCO in July 2024 to expand into herbs and spices — a strategic parent/platform peer, as CEPASCO now operates within Haudecoeur's broader specialty food distribution portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/marque.spigol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cepascospigol
• Instagraminstagram.com/espig.1876

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CEPASCO