La Maison du Quernon
La Maison du Quernon is an artisanal chocolatier in Angers, France, producing its signature Quernon d'Ardoise® blue chocolate specialty through 4 retail boutiques and an e-commerce platform serving individual consumers, corporate gift clients, and reseller partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersAngers, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What La Maison du Quernon does
La Maison du Quernon is an artisanal chocolatier based in Angers, France, operating under the legal entity SAS La Petite Marquise. Its signature product, the Quernon d'Ardoise® — a square of caramelized nougatine with almonds and hazelnuts coated in blue chocolate — was created in 1966 and remains the brand anchor, supported by a sub-brand (La Gamme Bleue) that extends the signature blue coloration across tablets, lollipops, mendiants, rochers, and macarons. The broader catalog includes assorted chocolate ballotins and gift boxes, tablets from multiple cacao origins, marshmallow teddy bears, macarons, and seasonal collections for Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and other calendar occasions. Production relies on traditional French confectionery techniques executed by master chocolatiers, with proprietary recipes and natural blue colorants (spirulina, apple, blackcurrant, radish) as technical differentiators.
The company operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer model: 4 owned retail boutiques in the Angers metropolitan area (city center, Grand-Maine shopping center, Espace Anjou, Avrillé) plus a full e-commerce storefront (quernon.fr) with home delivery across mainland France and international shipping limited to October–April due to heat-related product constraints. A dedicated logistics center in Saint-Léger-Des-Bois supports online fulfillment, and free shipping is offered in metropolitan France above €75. Revenue comes from unit-priced retail and online sales of chocolate products ranging from €3.80 (single lollipop) to €304.50 (203-piece macaron pyramid), supplemented by a structured corporate gifting service ('Cadeaux d'entreprises') and a reseller program ('Devenez revendeur'). The customer base is primarily individual consumers, with corporate and reseller segments representing secondary channels. The business is privately held with a share capital of €322,920 and a small headcount of 8 employees.
La Maison du Quernon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Maison du Quernon
- Legal name
- SAS La Petite Marquise
- Website
- https://quernon.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- La Maison du Quernon is an artisanal chocolatier in Angers, France, producing its signature Quernon d'Ardoise® blue chocolate specialty through 4 retail boutiques and an e-commerce platform serving individual consumers, corporate gift clients, and reseller partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Maison du Quernon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisanal Chocolatier / Confectionery
- NAICS
- Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Retail Bakeries (311811)
- SIC
- Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Patisseries & Dessert Boutiques (CRAHAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons) (THAFAFAL)
Keywords
Where La Maison du Quernon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Angers
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
La Maison du Quernon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Chocolate Product Sales: La Maison du Quernon generates revenue through direct sales of artisanal chocolates, confectioneries, and related products. Customers purchase products either in-store at one of 4 retail locations in the Angers area or through the e-commerce website. Products include Quernons d'Ardoise, chocolates, macarons, mouldings, tablets, and gift boxes. The business operates on a one-time transaction model with per-unit pricing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Quernons d'Ardoise - Sachets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Quernons d'Ardoise - Boxes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ballotins Garnis |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Broken Tablets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mendiants |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Macarons |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lollipops/Sucettes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chocolate Gift Boxes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Macaron Pyramids |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Quernon Boxes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chocolate Pearls/Perles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chocolate Mouldings |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
La Maison du Quernon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Maison du Quernon is an artisanal chocolatier founded in 1966 in Angers, France, specializing in handcrafted chocolates and confectioneries. Its flagship product is the Quernon d'Ardoise®—a square of caramelized nougatine with almonds and hazelnuts coated in signature blue chocolate—paying homage to the slate roofs of Angers. The company sells its products through 4 retail boutiques in the Angers metropolitan area and via an e-commerce platform shipping across France and internationally (October–April).
Product overview
La Maison du Quernon is an artisan chocolatier based in Angers, France, founded in 1966, operating as a single-brand, multi-channel confectionery business with 4 physical boutiques and a full e-commerce platform. Its core product is the Quernon d'Ardoise® — a square of caramelized nougatine with almonds and hazelnuts coated in blue chocolate — which serves as the anchor of its entire portfolio. The product range spans: (1) Quernons d'Ardoise® products including sachets, gift boxes (Prestige range, traditional boxes, seasonal boxes), milk chocolate and dark chocolate variants, and the blue color sub-brand (La gamme bleue) featuring blue-dyed chocolate products (tablets, lollipops, mendiants, rochers, teddy bears, Maquernons macaron versions, and P'tit Beurre); (2) General chocolate products including assorted ballotins, écrins, gift coffrets, and curated selections (ganaches, pralinés, world flavors); (3) Macarons including Maquernons and Cointreau varieties, available individually or in pyramids; (4) Gourmandises including rochers (Coco, Lait, Bleu, Noir, Pistachio), Perles (chocolate-coated cereal pearls), and marshmallow teddy bears; (5) Chocolate tablets from various cacao origins; (6) Creative molds (moulages) including seasonal shapes, cabosses, Teddy bears, and birds; (7) Seasonal collections for Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day; (8) Corporate gifting service; and (9) a published book on the history of the Quernon d'Ardoise. The company also offers an online shop with delivery across France and internationally, in-store pickup, and a professional reseller program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Quernons d'Ardoise®: Signature blue chocolate specialty featuring caramelized nougatine with almonds and hazelnutes, coated in blue chocolate - created in 1966
- La Gamme Bleue
Products and services
- Quernons d'Ardoise® The signature specialty of La Maison du Quernon: a square of caramelized nougatine with almonds and hazelnuts, delicately coated in fragrant blue chocolate. Created in 1966, it pays homage to the slate roofs of Angers. Available in sachets, gift boxes (Gamme Prestige), milk and dark chocolate variants, and seasonal themes.
- La Gamme Bleue Blue chocolate product line featuring signature blue-colored chocolate products: blue tablets, blue lollipops, blue mendiants, Maquernons macarons, blue teddy bears, blue rochers, P'tit Beurre Quernon d'Ardoise, and La boîte bleue gift box.
- Les Tablettes (Chocolate Tablets) Chocolate tablets from €7.00 for 80g, available in multiple origins and varieties including Cru Suhum 60% Ghana, Alto el sol 65% Pérou, Ruby, Quernon d'Ardoise, and Quernon Noir. Broken tablet option also available in Dulcey, Lait, Bleu, and Noir flavors at €9.00 per 100g.
- Mendiants Chocolate mendiants—nuts on a bed of chocolate—available in Lait, Bleu, and Noir flavors, sold in 150g sachets at €15.00.
- Macarons (including Maquernons) Macarons offered at €14.50–€36.00, available in Maquernon (signature with mini Quernon heart), Cointreau, and Mixte varieties in boxes of 8, 16, or 24 units. In-store pickup only.
- Pyramide de Macarons Macaron pyramids available in 40 macarons (€60.00), 108 macarons (€162.00), or 203 macarons (€304.50) formats, with a €30.00 deposit for the stand. Available by reservation and in-store pickup only.
- Les Rochers (Rocher bleu) Chocolate rochers with a fondant praline almond and hazelnut heart, coated in chocolate. Available in Cocoa, Lait, Bleu, Noir, and Pistachio flavors.
- Les Perles (Chocolate Pearls) Sachets of whole hazelnuts and puffed cereal pearls coated in chocolate, priced at €13.50 per package. Available in Caramel, Lait, Bleu, and Noir flavors.
- Les Oursons (Marshmallow Teddy Bears) Vanilla-flavored marshmallow teddy bears with chocolate coating, available in Noir, Lait, and Bleu varieties. Sold in boxes of 8 bears (120g) with related formats including 'oursons d'amour' (love-themed) and 'boîte d'oursons' (box of 14, 220g).
- Les Sucettes (XXL Chocolate Lollipops) XXL chocolate lollipops in shapes including Chat, Ours, Nougatine, Coeur, Oeufs, Renne, Petit Biscuit, and Bonhomme de Neige, priced at €4.80 each. Blue chocolate variant available in Chat, Ours, Coeur, and Nougatine shapes.
- Moulages (Chocolate Mouldings) Hand-crafted seasonal chocolate mouldings including Cabosse (cocoa pod shape, 250g at €27.50), Teddy (170g at €26.00), and Oiseaux (robin and blue tit, 140g at €25.00). In-store pickup only.
- Ballotins Garnis (Assorted Chocolate Boxes) Assorted chocolate ballotins in various sizes (250g–700g) with approximately 30–84 chocolates each, priced from €27.00 to €71.50. Available with or without alcohol.
- Les Écrins (Premium Gift Boxes) Premium chocolate gift boxes featuring Angou specialties: Quernon d'Ardoise, Marquise d'Anjou, Plantagenêt, and Carreaux des Rairies. Available in 135g, 240g, and 360g sizes at €19.50–€41.50.
- Les Coffrets (Chocolate Gift Boxes) Chocolate gift boxes in seasonal themes (Noël, St-Valentin) and standard sizes, ranging from 50g to 530g and €9.50 to €63.50, containing approximately 9 to 81 chocolates.
- Nos Sélections (Curated Chocolate Selections) Curated chocolate selections at €23.50, including Les ganaches, Les pralinés, and Les saveurs du monde boxes.
- P'tit Beurre Quernon d'Ardoise Co-creation with Nantes chocolatier Vincent Guerlais, featuring hazelnut praline and nougatine brittle under blue chocolate coating, priced at €3.80 (€15.20 per 100g).
- Seasonal Chocolate Collections Seasonal chocolate collections including Chocolats de Noël (Christmas: Quernons boxes, Père Noël/mère Noël/sapin mouldings), Chocolats de Pâques (Easter: eggs, cloches, rabbits, poules, fish), Chocolat Saint-Valentin (Valentine's Day), and Chocolat Fête des Mères (Mother's Day). Available until seasonal cutoff dates.
- Cadeaux d'Entreprises (Corporate Gift Service) Corporate gift service offering customized chocolate gift selections for business clients, employees, and partners.
- Le Livre Quernon — 'Le Quernon dans tous ses éclats' A book recounting the history of the Quernon d'Ardoise from its creation to the present day, priced at €9.90. Available in French.
Companies that use La Maison du Quernon
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
La Maison du Quernon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
La Maison du Quernon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Vincent GuerlaisminorPartnership with chocolatier Vincent Guerlais based in Nantes for the co-creation of P'tit Beurre Quernon d'Ardoise product. This collaborative product combines the Quernon d'Ardoise with butter cookie, featuring hazelnut praline and nougatine pieces coated in blue chocolate. The partnership brings together two regional French chocolatiers for an exclusive product offering.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
La Maison du Quernon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Weiss: Saint-Étienne-based French chocolate maker with boutiques, macarons and seasonal gift boxes, plus an industrial heritage. Comparable as a heritage regional chocolatier with retail and gifting focus.
- Vincent Guerlais: Nantes-based artisan chocolatier with boutiques, e-commerce, and seasonal collections — already a co-development partner of La Maison du Quernon via the P'tit Beurre product. Comparable regional French chocolatier operating in a similar size band.
- Bonnat: Voiron-based French chocolatier with a single-origin chocolate bar focus, own boutique and e-commerce. Comparable craft, terroir-driven artisan model even if product mix is more tablet-centric.
- Pralus: Roanne-based French chocolatier with boutiques, a single-origin chocolate bar pyramid range and e-commerce. Comparable regional, family-style artisan brand rooted in a specific French terroir.
Direct peers
- Lenôtre: Iconic French patisserie and chocolatier brand with boutiques, e-commerce, and a strong gift/seasonal offering (macarons, chocolates, coffrets). Closely comparable multi-channel artisan model, though with broader patisserie scope.
- La Maison du Chocolat: Paris-based premium French chocolatier operating multiple owned boutiques and an international e-commerce platform, with macarons, gift boxes and seasonal collections. Closest direct comparable in business model (artisan chocolate + multi-channel retail) to La Maison du Quernon, only at a much larger scale and with national/international brand reach.
- Patrick Roger: French artisan chocolatier with a strong signature identity (sculptural chocolate pieces) and multiple boutiques plus e-commerce. Comparable as a brand-led, artisan chocolatier competing on craftsmanship and design rather than mass-market volume.
- Pierre Marcolini: Belgian-origin premium chocolatier with boutiques across Europe and an international e-commerce site. Comparable as a craft chocolatier emphasising single-origin chocolate, macarons, gift boxes and seasonal ranges at premium price points.
Emerging players
- Pascal Caffet: French chocolatier/pâtissier with boutiques and online sales, known for prize-winning chocolates and macarons. Comparable artisan positioning with a smaller footprint than the national incumbents.
Broad incumbents
- Alain Ducasse: Large, multi-category French gastronomy brand with chocolate, patisserie and cafés across multiple countries. Overlaps with La Maison du Quernon in premium French chocolate/coffret positioning but operates at a much wider portfolio scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
La Maison du Quernon social profiles
Digital presenceLa Maison du Quernon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Maison du Quernon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
La Maison du Quernon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Maison du Quernon 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 La Maison du Quernon
What does La Maison du Quernon do?
La Maison du Quernon is an artisanal chocolatier founded in 1966 in Angers, France, specializing in handcrafted chocolates and confectioneries. Its flagship product is the Quernon d'Ardoise®—a square of caramelized nougatine with almonds and hazelnuts coated in signature blue chocolate—paying homage to the slate roofs of Angers. The company sells its products through 4 retail boutiques in the Angers metropolitan area and via an e-commerce platform shipping across France and internationally (October–April).
Is La Maison du Quernon a public or private company?
La Maison du Quernon is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was La Maison du Quernon founded?
La Maison du Quernon was founded in 1966. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is La Maison du Quernon based?
La Maison du Quernon is headquartered in Angers, France, in the Europe region.
How does La Maison du Quernon make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct Chocolate Product Sales.
Who are La Maison du Quernon's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Weiss, Vincent Guerlais, Bonnat and Pralus. Direct peers are Lenôtre, La Maison du Chocolat, Patrick Roger and Pierre Marcolini. Pascal Caffet is listed as an emerging player. Alain Ducasse is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does La Maison du Quernon have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Maison du Quernon.
What industry is La Maison du Quernon in?
La Maison du Quernon's product category is Artisanal Chocolatier / Confectionery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAGAB, Patisseries & Dessert Boutiques, with a secondary code of THAFAFAL, Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons). Its NAICS code is 31135 and its SIC code is 2060.