ESCOUTE
ESCOUTE is a five-generation French family-owned food producer specializing in AOC/AOP Pruneaux d'Agen, dried fruits, confectionery, roasted nuts, and olives, serving consumers and B2B buyers across France from two Lot-et-Garonne production sites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1900
- HeadquartersSainte-Livrade-sur-Lot, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ESCOUTE does
ESCOUTE (legal entity VERGNES S.A.S) is a five-generation, family-owned French food producer founded in 1900, headquartered in Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The company produces and transforms dried fruits, confectionery, roasted seeds and nuts, rehydrated soft fruits, and prepared olives across two production sites in Lot-et-Garonne (Penne-d'Agenais and Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot), supported by a portfolio of domestic French supply chains (filières) for pruneau, almond, walnut, hazelnut, corn, peanut, and sunflower. Its core technology is traditional artisanal food production: hand-crafted confectionery, salt/fat-free roasting, cauldron sugar caramelization, and a proprietary pruneau mi-cuit (half-cooked plum) transformation process that differentiates it from classical dried prunes. The flagship product, Pruneaux d'Agen, carries AOC/AOP protected designation.
The company operates a hybrid GTM. Direct-to-consumer sales run through the e-commerce boutique laboutiquedesvergersescoute.com and a physical retail store in Penne-d'Agenais (closed January–March). B2B sales target retailers, wholesalers, and food service buyers through a dedicated professional Espace PRO with a 2026/2027 catalog. Revenue is generated on one-time product sales across categories including dried fruits, confectionery, moist fruits, roasted nuts, olives, and gift ballotins, plus a growing Gammes BIO organic range of 45 SKUs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company employs 33 people, has 100,000 EUR of share capital, and is privately held with no external investors.
ESCOUTE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ESCOUTE
- Legal name
- VERGNES S.A.S
- Website
- https://escoute.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1900
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ESCOUTE is a five-generation French family-owned food producer specializing in AOC/AOP Pruneaux d'Agen, dried fruits, confectionery, roasted nuts, and olives, serving consumers and B2B buyers across France from two Lot-et-Garonne production sites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ESCOUTE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Dried Fruits and Confectionery
- NAICS
- Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)
- SIC
- Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030), Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fruit Snacks & Dried Fruit (CRADABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Shelf-Stable Pantry Staples (Grains, Pasta, Rice, Beans, Canned Foods) (CRADAAAA), Snack Bars (Granola, Protein, Cereal Bars) (CRADABAG)
Keywords
Where ESCOUTE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
ESCOUTE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dried fruits and nuts sales: Core revenue from production and sale of dried fruits including pruneaux d'Agen, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, cranberries, raisins, figs, apricots, dates, pistachios, ginger, banana chips, pineapple, papaya, mango, and peanuts. Products sold in various formats including bulk, sachets, boxes, and containers.
- Confectionery products: Sale of chocolate-covered prunes, chocolate-covered almonds, chocolate-covered hazelnuts, stuffed prunes, plum cream, nougat, and confectionery gift boxes (ballotins).
- Moist fruits and prepared olives: Sale of rehydrated moist fruits (apricots, figs) and prepared olives cooked according to house recipes.
- Roasted seeds and nuts: Sale of roasted and salted seeds and nuts, including salt-free options, prepared through traditional roasting methods.
- B2B professional/catalog sales: Wholesale and distribution sales to professional clients including retailers and food service businesses through catalog-based ordering.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
ESCOUTE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ESCOUTE produces and sells dried fruits, rehydrated moist fruits, roasted nuts and seeds, cooked olives, and confectionery (chocolate-covered fruits, nougat, stuffed prunes, ballotins). Its flagship is the AOC/AOP-protected pruneau d'Agen, including the proprietary pruneau mi-cuit specialty. Products are sold under own brand to consumers through an e-commerce boutique and a physical store in Penne-d'Agenais, and to retailers/wholesalers through a B2B professional catalog.
Product overview
ESCOUTE is a French prune producer and food manufacturer founded in 1900, operating as a family business through 5 generations of the Vergnes family. The company offers a diverse portfolio of dried fruits, soft/moist rehydrated fruits, confectionery, roasted nuts, olives, and related products. Core offerings include Pruneaux d'Agen (their flagship AOC-protected product), Confiserie (chocolate-covered fruits, stuffed prunes, nougat), Fruits moelleux (rehydrated apricots and figs from Turkey), Fruits Secs (dried nuts and fruits), Fruits Grillés (roasted nuts in salted/salt-free varieties), and Olives et tapenades. Products are sold through traditional trade channels, a professional catalog (Espace PRO) for B2B customers, and an e-commerce boutique. Production takes place at two sites in Lot-et-Garonne (Penne-d'Agenais and Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot). The company also develops local French supply chains (filières) for products like almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, corn, peanuts, and sunflower.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 3 kg of Ente plums required to produce 1 kg of pruneaux
Companies that use ESCOUTE
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ESCOUTE technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ESCOUTE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Olives processing partner in ProvenceminorOlives are cooked at a partner facility in Provence according to Escoute's proprietary recipes. The partner prepares olives mixed with sauce on-site, then covers them with brine (water + salt) for bulk use or adds only oil for preservation in jars.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ESCOUTE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bonne Maman: Iconic French premium preserved fruit and jam brand distributed through grocery retail and gift channels across France and internationally. Comparable as a French heritage specialty-food brand selling preserved fruit and pantry products to consumers and professional buyers.
- Valrhona: French premium chocolate producer supplying confectioners and retailers with chocolate couvertures and chocolate-based products. Comparable to Escoute's chocolate-confectionery savoir-faire and B2B-plus-retail distribution approach in the premium segment.
- Cémoi: France's largest chocolate manufacturer producing chocolate-covered fruits, confectionery, and gift boxes through both B2B and retail channels. Closely comparable to Escoute's confiserie range (chocolate-covered prunes, almonds, hazelnuts) and ballotin gift formats.
- Fossier: Historic French biscuit and confectionery brand from Reims producing traditional artisanal sweets sold through retail and gifting channels. Comparable as a multi-generational French confectionery house with heritage positioning and gift-oriented product mix.
- Markal: French producer of organic and conventional cereals, dried fruits, seeds, and pulses sold through specialty retail and organic channels. Comparable to Escoute in dried fruits, nuts, and seeds categories and in operating both consumer and B2B professional distribution.
- Clément Faugier: French specialty food producer famous for chestnut cream (crème de marrons) and other preserved fruit products, distributed through retail and B2B channels. Comparable as a regional French specialty fruit-preserve producer with strong heritage and gifting business.
Broad incumbents
- St Michel: Major French biscuits and confectionery brand with broad retail distribution across France. Comparable as a French heritage confectionery business serving both retail and gifting occasions, though at significantly larger scale than Escoute.
- Andros Group: Major French fruit-processing group producing jams, compotes, dried fruits, and fruit-based products at industrial scale. Overlaps with Escoute in dried and preserved fruit categories but operates at much larger scale across multiple retail channels.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ESCOUTE social profiles
Digital presenceESCOUTE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ESCOUTE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
ESCOUTE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ESCOUTE 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 ESCOUTE
What does ESCOUTE do?
ESCOUTE produces and sells dried fruits, rehydrated moist fruits, roasted nuts and seeds, cooked olives, and confectionery (chocolate-covered fruits, nougat, stuffed prunes, ballotins). Its flagship is the AOC/AOP-protected pruneau d'Agen, including the proprietary pruneau mi-cuit specialty. Products are sold under own brand to consumers through an e-commerce boutique and a physical store in Penne-d'Agenais, and to retailers/wholesalers through a B2B professional catalog.
Is ESCOUTE a public or private company?
ESCOUTE is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was ESCOUTE founded?
ESCOUTE was founded in 1900. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ESCOUTE based?
ESCOUTE is headquartered in Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot, France, in the Europe region.
How does ESCOUTE make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dried fruits and nuts sales are the primary driver. The others are confectionery products, moist fruits and prepared olives, roasted seeds and nuts and B2B professional/catalog sales.
Who are ESCOUTE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bonne Maman, Valrhona, Cémoi, Fossier, Markal and Clément Faugier. Broad incumbents are St Michel and Andros Group.
Does ESCOUTE have an API?
No public API is recorded for ESCOUTE.
What industry is ESCOUTE in?
ESCOUTE's product category is Specialty Dried Fruits and Confectionery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAJ, Fruit Snacks & Dried Fruit, with a secondary code of CRADAAAA, Shelf-Stable Pantry Staples (Grains, Pasta, Rice, Beans, Canned Foods). Its NAICS code is 3114 and its SIC code is 2030.