LA PISCICULTURE

What LA PISCICULTURE does

LA PISCICULTURE (commercial name Pisciculture de Villette) is a family-owned artisanal aquaculture business founded in 1896 at a 16th-century watermill on the Vaucouleurs river in Villette, Yvelines (roughly 60 km west of Paris). It is among France's oldest flowing-water salmonid farms and, per its own framing, the country's most-visited fish farm with approximately 40,000 annual visitors. The third-generation owner-manager, Emmanuel Coupin (an engineer-biologist), runs a diversified farm combining low-density trout aquaculture, traditional wood-fired smoking, on-site recreational fishing, ornamental fish retail, and a free ecomuseum housed in the historic Moulin Neuf. The firm has been in continuous operation for 130 years (as of 2026), carries the CERVIA 'Produit en Ile-de-France' quality label, and operates with roughly 29 total headcount.

The core product portfolio spans fresh rainbow trout; wood-fired hot-smoked trout (a craft continuous since 1947) sold whole or filleted; cold-smoked Scottish salmon (introduced 1977, salted with Camargue sea salt, smoked below 25°C, hand-sliced and reassembled); artisanal canned products (rillettes, terrines, soups) under the Ecailles & Compagnie sub-brand, which became a dedicated conserverie in Thoiry in 2023; premium Japanese Nishikigoi (Grade A/AA/AAA) imported annually from Niigata/Nagaoka breeders; and French-raised Grade C koi plus goldfish and Siberian sturgeon for ornamental ponds. On-site services include child-friendly basin fishing (€15.50/kg of fish caught), an equipped-angler lake with per-rod half-day and full-day tickets (€13.50–€54), corporate and school-group packages (€5–€12 per person), and private lake rental for groups of 15–80.

The business model is a hybrid direct-to-consumer and regional-channel operation. The on-site boutique du terroir inside the old mill is the primary sales point, supplemented by a mapped network of regional resellers (fine grocers, epiceries), seasonal restaurant partners, home delivery within 20 km (free above €50), and a separate fish-restocking B2B service delivering within 80 km. Revenue lines are transactional and SKU-per-unit (fishing tickets, smoked fish, conserves, koi priced individually in an annual Koï Book, restocking by quote). Customer segments are highly diversified across families, school groups, corporate committees (CE/CSE), partner restaurants, ornamental-fish collectors, and fishing associations — with no publicly disclosed revenue concentration, financials, or external funding.

Name

LA PISCICULTURE

Legal name

PISCICULTURE DE VILLETTE

Website

https://pisciculture.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Family-owned artisanal trout and salmon farm founded in 1896 in Villette, Yvelines, operating on-site retail of wood-fired smoked fish, conserves, and Japanese koi alongside recreational basin and lake fishing, school and corporate group packages, and regional reseller distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Villette

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. On-site farm boutique sales (vente directe à la ferme): Direct sales of smoked trout (hot-smoked, whole or filleted), smoked salmon (cold-smoked, sliced and reassembled), fresh trout, artisanal conserves (rillettes, terrines, soups), and selected local artisan products (honey, jams, duck conserves, biscuits, wines). This is the primary revenue stream, operational year-round with peak periods during holiday seasons. The shop has been selling directly on-site for over 75 years.
2. Pêche en bassins — Basin fishing (children/families): Catch-by-weight fishing activity for children (age 4+) and families. Entry is free, equipment is lent, bait is provided, and customers pay €15.50 per kilo of trout caught. Fish is cleaned, vacuum-packed, and accompanied by a recipe card. Suitable for casual families and groups. Open year-round during shop hours.
3. Pêche en étang — Lake fishing (experienced anglers): Per-rod fishing tickets for experienced anglers on the lake, who must bring their own equipment. Unlimited catches. Ticket pricing scales by number of rods and half-day vs. full-day: half-day 1 rod €13.50, 2 rods €24, 3 rods €36; full day 1 rod €24, 2 rods €36, 3 rods €54; additional rods €12 (half-day) or €18 (full day) each. Private lake bookings available for groups of 15–80 at custom all-inclusive day rates.
4. Koi and ornamental fish sales: Seasonal sales (approximately April–October) of Japanese Nishikigoi (grade A, AA, AAA) ranging from tosai (1-year, 10–20cm) to nisai (2-year, 28–50cm) to sansai (3-year, 45–60cm+). Also seasonal French-raised koi grade C (sold by weight), goldfish, and Siberian sturgeon (sold by weight). Tosai prices start from €12 per fish; nisai/sansai prices in annual Koï Book. Discounts available for multiple koi purchases.
5. Fish restocking / rempoissonnement: Sale of salmonids (trout, salmon) to fishing associations, local authorities, and private individuals for river and pond restocking. Delivered by temperature-controlled vehicle within 80km radius. Small quantities available for on-site pickup. Certified disease-free status (veterinary approval) required for restocking.
6. Corporate group packages and lake privatization: Corporate group packages including: guided visits (€5/person), guided visit + tasting (€12/person), and fishing in basins (€5/trout caught). Lake privatization with all-inclusive daily rates for up to 40–50 anglers. Also bulk purchase discounts for smoked salmon (10% off from 10+ salmon) and conserves (10% off from 2+ cartons of 12).
7. Wholesale to resellers and restaurants: Supply of smoked fish and conserves to a network of local boutiques, fine grocers, and epiceries across the Yvelines and surrounding region. Seasonal supply of trout to partner restaurants. Resellers are listed on the website with a map, marked as either carrying both Pisciculture and Ecailles & Compagnie products, or Ecailles & Compagnie products only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LA PISCICULTURE (Pisciculture de Villette) is a historic artisanal trout farm founded in 1896 that operates a vertically integrated business producing fresh and wood-fire smoked trout, cold-smoked Scottish salmon, and artisanal fish conserves (rillettes, terrines, soups) under its own brand and the Ecailles & Compagnie sub-brand. It runs a diversified on-site commercial offering combining a farm shop (boutique du terroir), two recreational fishing activities (children's basins and adult lake), premium Japanese koi sales, guided tours of a historic 16th-century-mill ecomuseum, corporate and school group packages, and a wholesale channel into regional grocers and restaurants.

Product overview

LA PISCICULTURE is an artisanal trout farm established in 1896 offering a diversified portfolio of products and services. The core product line comprises fresh and smoked fish (trout and salmon) processed on-site using traditional wood-fire smoking techniques dating to 1947, complemented by artisanal canned products under the Ecailles & Compagnie brand. The business also retails premium Japanese-imported Grade A koi carp alongside French-raised ornamental fish and sturgeon. Service offerings include recreational fishing experiences (pond fishing for adults and basin fishing for children), fish restocking for rivers and ponds, private pond rental for groups, and guided historical tours of the ecomuseum. Products are sold direct from the farm shop and through a network of regional resellers and restaurant partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Écailles & Compagnie: Artisanal conserves brand established in 2023, producing terrines, rillettes, and soups of fish under the conserves artisanales line.

Products and services

• Truite fraîche (Fresh rainbow trout) Fresh rainbow trout raised on-site using flowing spring water from the Vaucouleurs river, sold live or cleaned in the farm shop to individual visitors and local buyers.
• Truite fumée au feu de bois (Wood-fire smoked trout) Artisanal hot-smoked rainbow trout produced using a traditional wood-fire technique established in 1947; sold whole or in fillets at the farm shop, to resellers and to partner restaurants. Carries the CERVIA « Produit en Ile-de-France » regional quality label.
• Saumon fumé artisanal (Artisanal cold-smoked Scottish salmon) Cold-smoked Scottish salmon from sustainable aquaculture, salted with Camargue sea salt, dried overnight, cold-smoked at under 25°C and hand-sliced; sold whole, sliced and reassembled, in fillets, or whole sides at the farm shop and through resellers and partner restaurants.
• Conserves artisanales Écailles & Compagnie (Artisanal fish conserves) Artisanal canned fish products — rillettes, terrines and soups — made in-house from Pisciculture's smoked and fresh fish under the Écailles & Compagnie sub-brand, sold at the boutique, through the reseller network and to partner restaurants.
• Carpes Koï Grade A importées du Japon (Japanese nishikigoi — Grade A, AA, AAA) Premium imported Japanese koi carp (Grades A, AA, AAA) for collectors and pond owners, sold individually (Tosai from €12 per fish; Nisai and Sansai priced via the annual Koï Book) with documented breeder provenance, long acclimatization and post-sale advisory on pond sizing and care.
• Carpes Koï Grade C, poissons rouges et esturgeons (French-raised ornamental fish) French-raised ornamental koi (Grade C), goldfish and Siberian sturgeon sold seasonally by weight or by piece for garden ponds and large water features; complements the premium Japanese Grade A program with a more robust, accessible ornamental offering.
• Pêche en étang (Trout lake fishing for experienced anglers) On-site recreational trout fishing on the farm's lake for experienced anglers who bring their own equipment; tickets by rod count and duration (half-day from €13.50/rod, full day from €24/rod) with unlimited catches, plus seasonal special-event passes.
• Pêche en bassins pour enfants (Children's basin fishing) Easy, supervised family fishing in basins adapted for children from age 4; free entry, equipment lent on-site, bait provided, fish cleaned and vacuum-packed, with a recipe card included. Priced at €15.50 per kilo of trout caught.
• Rempoissonnement (Salmonid restocking service) Sale of veterinary-certified, disease-free salmonids (trout and salmon) for river and pond restocking programs, with temperature-controlled delivery within 80 km and small quantities available for on-site pickup. Serves fishing associations, federations, municipalities and private pond owners.
• Location de l'étang pour groupes (Private lake rental for corporate and association groups) Private rental of the trout fishing lake with all-inclusive daily packages for corporate groups, CE/CSE, associations and family celebrations (groups of 15-80), with optional guided tours, tasting sessions and basin fishing add-ons.
• Visites guidées et écomusée (Guided tours and ecomuseum of the historic mill) Free ecomuseum inside the historic 16th-century Moulin Neuf plus a nature discovery trail with educational panels, with paid guided tours (€5/person) and combined visit-with-tasting formulas (€12/person) for adult groups, companies and schools; covers the farm's 130-year history, fish anatomy and salmonid farming.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~40,000 visitors per year, making Pisciculture de Villette the most-visited fish farm in France
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ecailles & CompagniecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcailles & Compagnie is an artisanal conserverie established in 2023 in a dedicated workshop at Thoiry (Yvelines), entirely dedicated to producing conserves (rillettes, terrines, soups) for Pisciculture de Villette. The two businesses are co-located in that Ecailles & Compagnie products are made using Pisciculture's smoked and fresh fish, and sold exclusively through Pisciculture's boutique and reseller network. Since 2023, the new workshop has been dedicated to this partnership. Products are sold under the Ecailles & Compagnie brand (www.ecaillesetcompagnie.fr) and complement Pisciculture's own smoked fish line. Recipes incorporate local ingredients such as Vexin mustard and locally grown saffron.
• Les Deux GourmandsminorOthersLocal biscuit producer whose products are sold at the Pisciculture boutique du terroir. Listed among other artisan products (honey, jams, duck conserves, wines) that complement the fish product offering.
• Les Ruchers de La Vaucouleurs (Septeuil)minorOthersLocal beekeeping operation producing honey sold at the Pisciculture boutique du terroir. Located in the same Vaucouleurs valley as the farm, reinforcing the terroir and local provenance theme.
• Les Délices du PotagerminorOthersLocal jam producer whose products are sold at the Pisciculture boutique du terroir, alongside smoked fish, conserves, and other artisan foods.
• Ferme de la GarenneminorOthersDuck conserverie producer whose products (duck conserves) are sold at the Pisciculture boutique du terroir as part of the local artisan product range.
• Various Yvelines/Ile-de-France reseller boutiques and epiceries finesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA network of local boutiques and fine grocers across Yvelines and surrounding Ile-de-France sell Pisciculture smoked fish and/or Ecailles & Compagnie conserves. Listed on an interactive map on the website. Two tiers: resellers carrying both Pisciculture products and Ecailles products (marked with blue fish icon), and those carrying only Ecailles products (marked with orange fish icon).
• Various partner restaurantsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurants in the Yvelines region that serve Pisciculture smoked trout and salmon on their seasonal menus. Listed with a map on the website. Products are served seasonally, and restaurants are an important channel for introducing new customers to the brand.
• Normandy trout hatcheries (suppliers of fry/smolt)minorOthersTrout hatcheries in Normandy that supply young trout (almost adult size) to Pisciculture de Villette for finishing/growing in their basins. All suppliers adhere to a quality charter and practice sustainable aquaculture. This is an inbound supply relationship critical to the farm's production cycle.
• Scottish salmon producers (lochs, Scotland)minorOthersSalmon sourced from Scottish aquaculture farms (lochs) and the Faroe Islands, selected by a Boulogne-sur-Mer selector. Arrives whole (eviscerated) or pre-filleted in ice-packed crates. The smoked salmon production depends entirely on this supply relationship.
• Japanese koi breeders (Niigata/Nagaoka region)minorOthersPremium Japanese koi breeders from the Niigata and Nagaoka regions (300km north-west of Tokyo), including named breeders: Chogoro, Tanaka, Sakazume, Yamasan, Fukasawa, Yagenji, Izumiya, Igarashi Seïki, Kaze, Shinoda, Miyaishi, Takahashi, Suda, Tsuna, Maruseï, Marudo, Hosokaï, Marusaka, Otsuka, Kaneko, Mano, Maruhiro, Maruhide, Hoshikin, Yamazaki, Yagenji, Oofuchi, Aokiy, Hirasawa, Tazawa, Sakaï, Genjiro, and others. Annual imports of carefully selected Nishikigoi for the French market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Jardiland: France's largest garden center chain (Teract group). Comparable as a French retailer of ornamental koi, pond equipment, and pond fish to the same consumer base, but operates as a broad garden retailer rather than a specialist koi supplier.
• Sturia: French premium sturgeon and caviar producer, owned by Euralis. Comparable as a French artisanal aquaculture brand with direct retail and B-to-B distribution, but focused on caviar/sturgeon rather than trout, and without agritourism.
• Petrossian: Iconic Parisian caviar and premium seafood house. Comparable as a French premium seafood brand with similar heritage-driven positioning, but focused on caviar and sturgeon rather than trout, and without agritourism.
• Mowi: World's largest Atlantic salmon aquaculture company (formerly Marine Harvest). Comparable as the upstream salmon category supplier, but operates at massive industrial scale (hundreds of thousands of tonnes annually) with no retail or tourism integration.
• Labeyrie: France's leading premium smoked salmon and foie gras brand (Labeyrie Fine Foods). Comparable as a French smoked fish producer with established retail distribution, but operates at industrial scale without artisanal farm-tourism integration.
• Leroy Seafood Group: Norwegian vertically-integrated seafood group producing salmon, trout, and whitefish. Comparable as an industrial salmonid producer but at vastly larger scale and without direct retail or tourism integration.

Others

• Ferme de Gally: Agritourism farm destination in the Paris region (Yvelines/Boulogne-Billancourt area). Comparable as a Paris-region agritourism destination with on-site retail and group activities, but focused on vegetable production rather than fish.
• Ferme de Viltain: Family-operated dairy and crop farm in Jouy-en-Josas (Yvelines), well-known agritourism destination. Comparable as a Paris-region agritourism family farm with on-site retail and group activities, but focused on dairy and cereal rather than fish.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pisciculture
• Instagraminstagram.com/pisciculture_de_villette
• Pinterestpinterest.fr/pisciculture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-pisciculture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 LA PISCICULTURE