Vincent Guerlais

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).

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

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 industry

PRIMARYTHAFAGAD

Chocolate & Confectionery Shops

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Dessert, Ice Cream & Specialty Sweets Shops

SECONDARYTHAFAFAL

Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Bakeries & Patisseries

SECONDARYTHAFAFAB

Patisseries & Viennoiserie (French-Style)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Bakeries & Patisseries

SECONDARYCRADABAA

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/Snacks & Confectionery

SECONDARYCRAHAGAH

Specialty Chocolatiers & Confectionery

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Specialty Food Stores (Deli, Cheese, Gourmet, Bakery)

Keywords

• Artisan chocolate
• Handmade chocolates
• French pastries
• Chocolate workshops
• Corporate gifting

Headquarters

HQ city

La Chapelle-sur-erdre

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Workshops and Masterclasses: Gourmet workshops where participants learn chocolate and pastry making techniques. Gift cards for workshops available (90€ for 3-hour Atelier Gourmand).
3. Corporate Gifts: B2B corporate gift solutions through dedicated professional space (Espace Pro).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Relais DessertscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Vincent 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)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic 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 CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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

Direct 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

• Instagraminstagram.com/vincent_guerlais
• Xx.com/VincentGuerlais
• Facebookfacebook.com/VincentGUERLAIS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chocolaterie-vincent-guerlais

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Vincent Guerlais