Two years ago, Bénédicte Montlouis-Félicité took on the challenge of marketing in supermarkets, local ice cream produced in an artisanal way. It’s a real success story. Today, the Bénédicte Montlouis-Félicité ice cream maker launched a crowdfunding campaign to meet growing demand and develop its activity.
Since 2014, Bénédicte MontLouis-Félicité has made the taste buds of Martinicans salivate with her “Madi’Saveurs” ice creams. In total, the 31-year-old Martiniquaise offers a range of 13 flavors from the local orchard. To get there, Bénédicte Montlouis-Félicité did not hesitate to quit her position as an automotive sales representative. ”At one point, I said to myself that it was time for me to live off my passion: pastry making” . A passion transmitted by her father, she confides to us.
She then made the choice to leave her native Martinique to follow a training course at Maison LeNôtre, a renowned school in the world of gastronomy and internationally renowned. “An exciting adventure where I met exceptional people, great chefs, world champions, the best workers in France. We had quality classes in pastry, chocolate, confectionery, the world of ice cream and cooking. ”
Bénédicte Montlouis-Félcicité within the Maison Lenôtre © DR
Bénédicte Montlouis-Félcicité within the Maison Lenôtre © DR
From pastry to gourmet ice cream
Back in Martinique, Bénédicte returns with a project in mind: to create a boutique of fine pastries using local fruits and vegetables. “Due to lack of funding for pastry making, I opted for ice cream, which was my other favorite during my training at Lenôtre”.
Determined, Bénédicte sets a new challenge for herself. “With my husband, we said to ourselves: why not launch ice creams with the flavors of our local fruits in hypermarkets. The idea was to bring local crafts into the major distribution channels. In the ice cream market, we generally only find industrial products in supermarkets, ”adds the young entrepreneur.
Bénédicte MontLouis-Félicité in her studio © DR
Bénédicte MontLouis-Félicité in her studio © DR
Thus was born “Madi-Saveurs” and the concept of “gourmet ice cream”. “For us, it is about offering customers a high-end product by choosing quality raw materials (fruits, vegetables, milk, butter), and which respects the natural flavors of our local fruits. No “flavors or preservatives in our preparations”.
The “Madi-Saveurs” products in the island’s supermarkets and hypermarkets have won over the various brands as well as their customers. “At first, they were all surprised by this type of offer. After tasting, they were seduced and packaged to market it. And right from the start, we were out of stock so we had to deliver almost every day ”. A master stroke for this entrepreneur who received marketing requests in Guadeloupe and Guyana.
More than 13 local flavors are offered to customers © DR
More than 13 local flavors are offered to customers: cinnamon, old rum, nougat-pays, lemon-basil, etc. © DR
Victim of his own success
“Daily life is still quite difficult because it is very physical and energy intensive. There are only two of us in the company to manage everything, from marketing to production, from delivery to shelving. We started with our small means. Our products are in high demand which we cannot meet. It’s quite frustrating not being able to meet this demand because we are limited by our means of production. ” Despite her difficulties, the 30-year-old entrepreneur remains confident and has therefore launched a crowdfunding campaign to develop her business. Objective of this campaign: acquire € 5,000 to buy a more efficient ice cream maker, and possibly develop new recipes.
MadiSvaeurs 3
However, Bénédicte Montlouis-Félicité does not intend to stop there. “Direct selling is also very important to us. Discussing live and knowing the opinion of the client who is in front of us is priceless. But additional costs like renting a room are a cost that cannot be afforded today. However, we hope to achieve this in the near future ”.
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