Groupe Gendreau

What Groupe Gendreau does

Groupe Gendreau is a family-owned French seafood processing group founded in 1903 by Eugène Gendreau in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Vendée. The group operates 4 production sites across western France (Vendée, Brittany, Pas-de-Calais) through 6 wholly-owned subsidiaries — Gendreau (fish canning), V.I.F. Very Innovative Food (ready meals), Le Grand Lejon (smoked fish and traiteur since 1953), Petit Pierre (canned fish in Boulogne-sur-Mer), La Perle des Dieux (premium seafood), and La Belle Alliance (fishing fleet) — plus the recently acquired La Conserverie Bigoudène (July 2026). The group produces canned fish (sardines, mackerel, herring, pilchards), smoked fish, hot and cold ambient ready meals, organic seafood products, and airline catering solutions, distributed through owned brands (Les Dieux, La Perle des Dieux, Petit Pierre, Bonne Nature, La Cuisine d'Océane, Chef Eugène, Le Grand Lejon, Le Père Eugène), private label manufacturing, export, and a network of 16 retail boutiques.

Underlying operations combine manual heritage craftsmanship — manual preparation and deboning preserved as a recognized craft under the EPV (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant) label renewed in April 2026 — with selective automation including partially robotized packaging at Petit Pierre (120,000 boxes in 7 hours) and refrigerated seawater tanks on La Belle Alliance fishing vessels for in-situ freshness preservation. Quality and sustainability credentials include IFS version 7, BRC version 8, MSC sustainable fishing, PME+, and CITEO eco-responsibility identifiers across multiple entities.

The business model is sales-led across multiple channels: B2C retail through French supermarket chains and owned boutiques, B2B private label manufacturing and industrial subcontracting, export sales to global markets (with presence at PLMA, WTCE, GULFood, Natexpo, MADE trade shows), and enterprise catering via the Chef Eugène brand to airlines. Customer segments span retail consumers, supermarkets and retailers, specialized organic distributors, fine grocery, and the airline/travel industry. Vertical integration from fishing through processing to branded retail is a defining structural feature. The group is led by Philippe Gendreau as Président Directeur Général; ownership is fully family-held under GENDREAU SAS with no disclosed institutional or external capital.

Name

Groupe Gendreau

Legal name

GENDREAU SAS

Website

https://groupegendreau.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Groupe Gendreau is a 1903-founded, family-owned French seafood processing group operating 4 production sites and 6 subsidiaries across Vendée, Brittany, and Pas-de-Calais, producing canned fish, smoked fish, ready meals, organic seafood, and airline catering under multiple brands for retail, private label, export, and travel-catering customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Canned Seafood Manufacturing

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Specialty & Premium Cuts (Loins, Steaks, Portions for Foodservice) (AFANALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special-Diet Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (Low-Sodium, Keto, Gluten-Free) (AFANAFAL)

Keywords

• Canned seafood
• Fish canning
• Ready meals
• Smoked fish
• Private label manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-gilles-de-la-neuville

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Own Brand Products: Sale of canned fish, smoked fish, ready meals, and seafood products under company brands (Le Trésor des Dieux, La Perle des Dieux, Petit Pierre, Le Grand Lejon, Bonne Nature, La Cuisine d'Océane, Chef Eugène) to retailers and consumers.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Manufacturing products for distributors and retailers under their own brands.
3. Catering Services: Chef Eugène brand provides in-flight and travel catering solutions to airlines.
4. Export Sales: International distribution through export channels, targeting global markets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Groupe Gendreau is a French family-owned food manufacturing group producing canned fish (sardines, mackerel, herring, pilchards), smoked fish and traiteur preparations, hot and cold ready meals, organic seafood products, and ambient in-flight catering meals. It operates its own fishing fleet (La Belle Alliance), four production sites in western France, and sells products under multiple owned brands (Le Trésor des Dieux, La Perle des Dieux, Petit Pierre, Le Grand Lejon, Bonne Nature, La Cuisine d'Océane, Chef Eugène, V.I.F.) as well as private-label products for retailers and distributors.

Product overview

Groupe Gendreau is a French food processing group comprising 6 companies that offers a diversified portfolio of seafood products across multiple brands. The core offerings include canned fish (sardines, mackerel, herring, pilchards), hot and cold ready meals, smoked fish and traiteur products, and air catering solutions. The group operates across four production sites in western France (Vendée, Brittany, Pas-de-Calais) and owns the complete supply chain from fishing (La Belle Alliance) to processing (Gendreau, Petit Pierre) to branded retail products. The portfolio is organized into distinct market segments through sub-brands: premium fine food (La Perle des Dieux), organic products (Bonne Nature), convenience meals (La Cuisine d'Océane, V.I.F.), solidarity-focused sardines (Le Trésor des Dieux), and travel catering (Chef Eugène).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Les Dieux: Canned fish brand, previously known as Le Trésor des Dieux
• La Cuisine d'Océane
• Bonne Nature
• La Perle des Dieux
• Le Grand Lejon
• Petit Pierre
• Chef Eugène
• V.I.F. Very Innovative Food

Products and services

• Le Trésor des Dieux / Les Dieux (Canned Sardines) Sardine-focused canned fish brand featuring the 'Fiers de nos Sardines' and 'Nos Sardinières ont du cœur' solidarity product lines. Targets retail consumers and supermarkets in France.
• La Perle des Dieux (Premium Fine Food) Premium fine food brand specializing in exceptional sardines, vintage canned fish, and high-end seafood preparations. Brand heritage dating back to 1887; targets premium retail and fine grocery channels.
• Petit Pierre (Canned Fish) Canned fish brand based in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France's leading fishing port, offering traditional canned fish products including pilchards and herring with MSC sustainable fishing certification. Targets retail consumers.
• Le Grand Lejon (Smoked Fish and Traiteur) Smoked fish and traiteur brand from Brittany since 1953, specializing in smoked seafood and catering preparations. Also offers Le Père Eugène range of saurisserie, soups, and sauces.
• La Cuisine d'Océane (Microwaveable Ready Meals) Microwaveable ready meal brand offering convenient ambient meals for retail distribution. Targets consumers seeking convenient seafood-based meal solutions.
• Bonne Nature (Organic Products) Organic product range launched in 2018, dedicated to specialized organic distribution channels, offering organic canned seafood, ready meals, and fish rillettes. Targets organic specialty retail consumers.
• Chef Eugène (Airline Catering) Airline catering and in-flight meal solutions brand offering ambient ready meals for airlines and travel catering services. Products are oven-reheatable with 12-month shelf life and peel-off film packaging. Targets enterprise airline customers.
• V.I.F. Very Innovative Food (Ready Meal Solutions) Ready meal solutions brand offering hot and cold ambient meals for retail and institutional channels. Subsidiary focused on innovative food solutions.
• Private Label Manufacturing Industrial subcontracting and private label manufacturing service for distributors, retailers, and food industry partners seeking to source French-made canned seafood, ready meals, and fish products under their own brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000 boxes capacity per 7 hours in Petit Pierre packaging
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Agir pour l'Enfant – HaïtiminorOthersHumanitarian partnership sending canned sardines to support child nutrition in Haiti. Donated 14,000 boxes of sardines in 2022 to support school cafeteria meals.
• Restos du CœurminorOthersPartnership with Les Restos du Cœur charity donating canned fish products to families in difficulty. Expanded to include antenne of Pays de Saint Gilles Croix de Vie.
• Secours Populaire FrançaisminorOthersProduct-sharing initiative 'Nos Sardinières ont du cœur' donating €0.15 per box sold since 2019. Donated €5,000 in 2022, totaling €25,000 since launch.
• Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer (SNSM)coreOthersLong-term partnership through 'Fiers de nos Sardines' product sharing initiative launched in 2014. Donated nearly €150,000 over 8 years to local stations in Saint Gilles Croix de Vie and Les Sables d'Olonne.
• Les Sardines MécaniquesminorOthersSponsorship supporting the association's '4L for organ donation' challenge to restore a Renault 4L and travel 3,000 km to raise awareness about organ donation in support of France ADOT 85.
• European UnionminorOthersEuropean partners participated in the funding and development of Petit Pierre's partially robotized packaging workshop.
• La Belle AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishing company partnership ensuring local, short-chain sardine supply. Created in 2020 by Philippe Gendreau and Jérémy Chagnolleau to maintain local fishing industry in Saint Gilles Croix de Vie. New fishing vessels 'Les Chignolles' and 'Papy Chichi' specialized for quality seasonal sardine fishing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Connétable: French sardine brand acquired by Thai Union Group, directly competing with Groupe Gendreau's Le Trésor des Dieux and Les Dieux brands in mass-market French retail. Both target consumers seeking traditional French canned sardines with similar heritage positioning.
• King Oscar: Norwegian premium sardine brand (now owned by Thai Union) with strong international distribution. Comparable to La Perle des Dieux for premium positioning and similar multi-market expansion strategy in canned seafood.
• Les Mouettes d'Arvor: Independent French sardine canner based in Brittany with artisanal heritage positioning. Comparable as a fellow French regional sardine producer competing in similar retail and specialty channels with traditional craftsmanship credentials.
• Nuri: Portuguese premium sardine brand dating to 1920 with strong specialty and gourmet channel presence. Comparable to La Perle des Dieux for artisanal heritage, premium positioning, and serving similar European fine food distributors and retailers.
• Ortiz: Spanish premium seafood preserves brand specializing in anchovies, tuna, and bonito with strong European fine food distribution. Comparable to La Perle des Dieux for premium canned seafood positioning and specialty/gourmet channel presence.
• Petit Navire: Major French sardine brand owned by Thai Union Group, the leading branded sardine in French supermarkets. Directly comparable to Groupe Gendreau's mass-market sardine brands with similar grocery distribution model and target consumer.
• Saupiquet: French sardine and tuna brand owned by Italian Bolton Group. Directly competes with Groupe Gendreau in French retail grocery channels with comparable canned seafood product range and private label manufacturing capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Thai Union Group: Global publicly-traded seafood conglomerate and owner of Connétable, Petit Navire, and King Oscar. Operates at vastly greater scale across tuna, sardines, and pet food, competing directly with Groupe Gendreau through multiple owned brands.
• Bolton Group: Italian family-owned consumer goods conglomerate owning Saupiquet and other seafood brands. Comparable as a parent competitor with overlapping canned seafood brands across European retail and private label channels.

Regional players

• Grupo Calvo: Spanish seafood canning company producing tuna, sardines, and mackerel with vertically-integrated fishing operations. Comparable as a regional European canned seafood player with similar value chain structure and Iberian-Atlantic supply base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groupe-gendreau

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 records

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 Groupe Gendreau