Vincent Guerlais
Vincent Guerlais is a French artisan chocolatier and pâtissier based near Nantes, selling chocolates, pastries, macarons, ice cream, and biscuits through company-owned boutiques, an e-commerce store, workshops, and a B2B corporate gifting channel.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLa Chapelle-sur-erdre, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Vincent Guerlais does
Vincent Guerlais is a French artisan chocolatier and pâtissier headquartered in La Chapelle-sur-Erdre near Nantes, operating under the legal entity SAS GUERLAIS PRODUCTION (RCS Nantes 811 167 618). Founded in 1997, the company produces and sells a portfolio of chocolates (original creations, gift boxes, tablets, bouchées, confections), pastries (individual and shareable desserts, macarons, viennoiseries, tea time), seasonal ice cream under the Guerl'Ice brand, and biscuits (moelleux, sweet and salty biscuits). It also offers gift cards in multiple denominations (10, 20, 50, 90 euros) and bookable Ateliers Gourmands workshops (90 euros for 3 hours), plus a dedicated L'Expérience Cacaofacture that showcases the bean-to-bar process with cocoa-cooperative sourcing.
The business runs a multi-channel go-to-market: company-owned physical boutiques in the Nantes region and internationally, an e-commerce storefront at vincentguerlais.com with refrigerated Chronofresh delivery in summer for orders over 80 euros, a B2B corporate gifting channel (Espace Pro) with an event catalogue, and bookable workshop experiences. Marketing is concentrated on Instagram (@vincent_guerlais), an email newsletter, and the corporate website, with press relations handled by the Citron Grenade agency. The company is closely held, with founder Vincent Guerlais serving as president of the Relais Desserts association since 2018 and Karen Guerlais listed as publication responsible in the legal disclosures.
The revenue model is direct-to-consumer product sales supplemented by B2B gifting and workshop fees. Headcount is in the 51-100 range, registered capital is 200,000 euros, and no external funding or parent-company involvement is disclosed, indicating a founder-controlled, privately held artisan business. There are no disclosed AI capabilities, patents, or technology assets beyond standard e-commerce infrastructure (Clever Cloud hosting, Banque Populaire/Cyberplus payment processing).
Vincent Guerlais firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vincent Guerlais
- Legal name
- SAS GUERLAIS PRODUCTION
- Website
- https://vincentguerlais.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Vincent Guerlais is a French artisan chocolatier and pâtissier based near Nantes, selling chocolates, pastries, macarons, ice cream, and biscuits through company-owned boutiques, an e-commerce store, workshops, and a B2B corporate gifting channel.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vincent Guerlais industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Chocolate and Confectionery
- NAICS
- Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)
- SIC
- Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons) (THAFAFAL), Patisseries & Viennoiserie (French-Style) (THAFAFAB), Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA), Specialty Chocolatiers & Confectionery (CRAHAGAH)
Keywords
Where Vincent Guerlais is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Chapelle-sur-erdre
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Vincent Guerlais business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Chocolate and Pastry Products: Direct sales of artisanal chocolates, tablets, bonbons, pastries, macarons, ice cream (Guerl'Ice), and biscuits. Also includes specialty items like the Cacaofacture experience.
- Workshops and Masterclasses: Gourmet workshops where participants learn chocolate and pastry making techniques. Gift cards for workshops available (90€ for 3-hour Atelier Gourmand).
- Corporate Gifts: B2B corporate gift solutions through dedicated professional space (Espace Pro).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift cards available in multiple denominations |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Refrigerated home delivery |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Vincent Guerlais product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vincent Guerlais is an artisan chocolatier based in the Nantes region of France that manufactures and sells handmade chocolates, pastries, macarons, ice cream (Guerl'Ice), and biscuits through its own retail boutiques and e-commerce site. The company complements its product lines with L'Expérience Cacaofacture, a bean-to-bar cocoa experience, Ateliers Gourmands chocolate and pastry workshops, gift cards, and a dedicated corporate gifting service (Espace Pro).
Product overview
Vincent Guerlais is an artisan chocolate maker in Nantes, France, operating under SAS GUERLAIS PRODUCTION. The company offers a unified portfolio of chocolate and pastry products centered around its core Chocolats line, which includes Bouchée Marelle (praline chocolate bites), chocolate boxes, bars, and confections. The offering expands to complementary categories including Pâtisseries (pastries, macarons), Guerl'Ice (ice cream), and Biscuits. Services include Ateliers Gourmands (cooking workshops), corporate gifting, and the L'Expérience Cacaofacture cocoa experience. The company operates multiple boutiques near Nantes and maintains an e-commerce platform with Cartes Cadeaux (gift cards) for online and in-store redemption.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chocolats Artisan chocolate category including Original Creations, Chocolate Boxes, Chocolate Bars, Chocolate Bites (Bouchées), and Confections, made by Vincent Guerlais.
- Pâtisseries Pastry range including Individual Pastries, Shareable Desserts (Desserts à partager), Viennoiseries, and Tea Time items, sold at boutiques and online.
- Macarons French macarons in various flavors, sold individually and as part of pastry offerings.
- Guerl'Ice Ice cream and frozen desserts produced by Vincent Guerlais, offered during the summer season.
- Biscuits Artisan biscuits including Moelleux (soft cakes), Sweet Biscuits, and Salty Biscuits (Kregnottes salées), sold at boutiques and online.
- Bouchée Marelle Signature chocolate bite with crunchy praline filling coated in chocolate, sold through boutiques and online.
- Ateliers Gourmands Gourmet cooking workshops for participants, including chocolate and pastry-making classes, with gift cards available at €90 for a 3-hour session.
- L'Expérience Cacaofacture Bean-to-bar cocoa experience showcasing the origin and processing of cacao, including partnerships with cocoa cooperatives for traceable supply.
- Cadeaux d'Entreprise (Espace Pro) Dedicated B2B corporate gifting service for business clients, with a dedicated professional space (Espace Pro) and event catalogue.
- Cartes Cadeaux (Gift Cards) Gift cards available in denominations of €10, €20, €50, and €90 (3-hour Atelier Gourmand), redeemable in-store or on the online boutique.
Companies that use Vincent Guerlais
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Vincent Guerlais technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Vincent Guerlais partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Relais DessertscoreVincent Guerlais has served as president of the Relais Desserts association since 2018, representing excellence in pastry arts. This leadership position indicates a strategic role in the French pastry and chocolate industry network, connecting artisan producers and maintaining quality standards.
- Citron Grenade (PR Agency)minorPublic relations agency handling press relations for Vincent Guerlais. Camille Gonnet serves as press attaché for the company, managing media inquiries and press kit distribution.
- Cacao CooperativescorePartnership with cocoa cooperatives for sourcing, as referenced in the 'Nos coopératives partenaires' section, supporting sustainable and traceable cacao supply chain.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vincent Guerlais competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jacques Genin: Paris-based artisan chocolatier-pâtissier known for handmade caramels, pâtes de fruits, chocolates, and milles-feuilles, with in-boutique pastry production. Direct peer in the high-end French chocolatier-pâtissier craft category with similar handmade-boutique model.
- Patrick Roger: French MOF chocolatier with retail boutiques, sculptural chocolate creations, and bean-to-bar sourcing. Direct peer in the artisan chocolatier boutique category with similar premium positioning and craft-led brand storytelling.
- Christian Constant: French chocolatier-pâtissier operating multiple boutique locations in Paris under the Cyril Lignac and Christian Constant names. Comparable as a multi-boutique Parisian chocolatier-pâtissier serving both retail and corporate clients.
- La Maison du Chocolat: Iconic French premium chocolatier with boutiques worldwide and a strong corporate gifting business. Closely comparable: bean-to-bar heritage, premium boxed assortments, B2B gifting, and atelier-trained craftsmanship mirroring Vincent Guerlais' positioning.
- Hugo & Victor: French luxury chocolatier and pâtissier with boutiques in Paris and Tokyo, offering chocolates, macarons, pastries and confectionery. Direct peer in the high-end Parisian chocolatier-pâtissier boutique category with comparable product mix and gifting focus.
- Pierre Hermé: Paris-based artisan pâtissier and chocolatier famous for macarons, chocolates, and viennoiseries, with boutiques globally. Highly comparable: same French artisan model, same product mix (macarons, chocolates, pastries, gift assortments), similar high-end gifting and experiential positioning.
- Christophe Michalak: French pastry-chocolate master running L'École Michalak and boutiques focused on chocolates, viennoiseries, and dessert masterclasses. Highly comparable via the combination of pastries, chocolates, and paid workshop/class experiences similar to Ateliers Gourmands.
- Ladurée: French luxury patisserie and chocolatier built around macarons, chocolates, viennoiseries and tea-room experiences with global boutiques. Comparable in combining macarons, chocolates, gift boxes, and salon-de-thé formats under a single artisan-boutique brand.
- Jean-Paul Hévin: French MOF chocolatier with boutiques in Paris, Tokyo and other cities, focused on bean-to-bar chocolates and patisserie. Comparable via international boutique expansion, premium bean-to-bar positioning, and parallel chocolate + pastry product portfolio.
- A La Mère de Famille: Paris's oldest chocolate and confectionery house operating multiple retail boutiques. Comparable as a multi-boutique French chocolate-confectionery specialist with a similar DTC artisanal retail model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vincent Guerlais social profiles
Digital presenceVincent Guerlais financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vincent Guerlais leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Vincent Guerlais funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vincent Guerlais M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vincent Guerlais
What does Vincent Guerlais do?
Vincent Guerlais is an artisan chocolatier based in the Nantes region of France that manufactures and sells handmade chocolates, pastries, macarons, ice cream (Guerl'Ice), and biscuits through its own retail boutiques and e-commerce site. The company complements its product lines with L'Expérience Cacaofacture, a bean-to-bar cocoa experience, Ateliers Gourmands chocolate and pastry workshops, gift cards, and a dedicated corporate gifting service (Espace Pro).
Is Vincent Guerlais a public or private company?
Vincent Guerlais is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vincent Guerlais founded?
Vincent Guerlais was founded in 1997. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Vincent Guerlais based?
Vincent Guerlais is headquartered in La Chapelle-sur-erdre, France, in the Europe region.
How does Vincent Guerlais make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Chocolate and Pastry Products are the primary driver. The others are workshops and Masterclasses and corporate Gifts.
Who are Vincent Guerlais's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jacques Genin, Patrick Roger, Christian Constant, La Maison du Chocolat, Hugo & Victor, Pierre Hermé, Christophe Michalak, Ladurée, Jean-Paul Hévin and A La Mère de Famille.
Does Vincent Guerlais have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vincent Guerlais.
What industry is Vincent Guerlais in?
Vincent Guerlais's product category is Artisan Chocolate and Confectionery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAGAD, Chocolate & Confectionery Shops, with a secondary code of THAFAFAL, Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons). Its NAICS code is 31135 and its SIC code is 2060.