
Our history




Groix et Nature, 25 years of passion and authenticity
For 25 years, Groix & Nature has been celebrating excellence in craftsmanship and island authenticity through a range of recipes made on the island of Groix. A human and sustainable adventure, supported by exceptional expertise and strong commitments.
As an artisan producer on the island of Groix for a quarter of a century, we're very committed to promoting our region, to the links with the producers we work with on a daily basis and to the involvement of our team, who share the same passion. Anchored on the island of Groix since 2000, Groix & Nature has always been committed to promoting the richness of this island territory. From the outset, the company has made it a point of honour to offer authentic, tasty recipes: fish rillettes and soups, lobster oil, ready meals... each creation tells a story, the story of preserved traditional know-how passed on with passion. This artisanal approach is an integral part of our identity.
These 25 years are not only a testimony to our past, but also to our commitment to the future through the fundamental values that guide our choices and our actions.
In the beginning, an island
The island of Groix, or Enez Groe in Breton, lies off the south coast of Brittany, opposite the port of Lorient, about 4 miles from the mainland.
On arrival, you'll discover Port Tudy, one of the island's five harbors (the others being Port Lay - Port St Nicolas - Port de Locmaria and Port Melin, spread between the north and south coasts). Port Tudy is the island's anchorage point, the rhythm of the boat's arrivals and departures.
The second-largest island in Brittany, Groix is 8 km long and 3 km wide, and boasts some very special features.
On the one hand, you're quickly overwhelmed by its natural, wild landscapes that remind you of the immensity of the sky and the sea. The island of Groix is an endearing territory where the authenticity of the small villages of yesteryear blends with the infinite beauty of the coastline washed by the sea spray. Groix's geological wealth is of such interest that a nature reserve has been created, and its culinary heritage is vast and intimately linked to the island's rich history, which dates back to the days of the White Tuna canneries.
The history of canning
From 1863 to 1979, five canneries on the island of Groix produced some of the best canned White Tuna on the Atlantic coast: Conserverie Romieux, Jégo, Kersaho, Orvoën and Tristan-Calloch. For over a century, they participated in the island's tuna epic and made the Groisillons proud; the traditional rooster on the church steeple was even replaced by a...tuna!
It was truly a golden age, with up to 300 tuna boats moored at Port-Tudy and Port-Lay, the island's first port. As Albacore tuna could only be sold fresh to a limited extent, crews from Groisillon initially supplied existing canneries on the Atlantic coast. Then, in 1863, the arrival of the train in Lorient and the opening up of markets triggered a movement to build canneries on Groix. The factories, which initially processed sardines, provided work for several generations of young girls and sailors' wives, as well as for many families from the mainland.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Port-Tudy was France's leading tuna port, and the whole island was alive with tuna fishing. With over three hundred dundees and a fishing school, the island of Groix was particularly renowned for its tuna fishing, with a sizeable fleet and a reputation as one of the islands that fetched tuna furthest from the coast.
The last tuna boat on the island of Groix
Le Biche is a tuna dundee from the island of Groix, built in 1934 in Les Sables d'Olonne for Groix skipper Ange Stéphan. He was nicknamed Ange Biche, hence the boat's name “Le Biche”. Many Groix tuna boats were built in Les Sables-d'Olonne, where shipyards built sturdy boats for summer tuna fishing and winter dredging.
Le Biche is Groix's last remaining tuna boat. Long restored, she can now be sailed for day or multi-day outings, depending on your wishes.
It marks a glorious period in tuna fishing and a strong history in the hearts of Groix sailors.
From its early years on the sea to the present day, the Biche embodies the tradition, courage and resilience of the sailors of Groix. So we're proud to help preserve its heritage through our commitment to social participation and solidarity in Le Biche's activities.

Our expertise
Since 2000, Groix & Nature's expertise has been built up over the years by a team of enthusiasts.
A genuine local sustainable development project, creating 19 year-round jobs on the island of Groix and 16 on the mainland. Passionate about good food and proud to perpetuate local culinary traditions to offer quality products that respect the environment.
When we make our recipes, we allow time for browning, reducing and simmering... so many tricks of the trade that make up the know-how of the men and women of Groix & Nature.

Emmanuelle

Marc

Marianne

Richard

Séverine

Marion

Julie

Lucie

Maerig

Audrey

Nadia

Mickaël

Charlotte
Living Heritage Company
Groix & Nature has held the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV) label since 2020. This state distinction, unique in France, rewards the excellence of French know-how and craft heritage. It is a real showcase for French excellence, helping to preserve and pass on unique skills.

Quality artisan producer
Groix & Nature is recognized by Le Collège Culinaire de France as a quality artisan producer since 2023.
This designation recognizes our commitment to the island's culinary know-how and our choice to produce authentic recipes where the human hand plays a key role.

Produced in Brittany
Since 2003, Groix et Nature is a member of the association Produit en Bretagne, which aims to responsibly support the economic and cultural dynamics of employment in Brittany.
This initiative supports the local economy and the preservation of our region's cultural heritage and traditional know-how.

LABEL RSE BRETAGNE 26000
This label recognises our commitment to more responsible development, rooted in the human, social and environmental values of our region.


Raw materials of excellence
Abalones from the island of Groix, sea bass, sardines, white germon tuna, hake, sea bream, cuttlefish and octopus all come from Brittany. Our other fish and shellfish, such as scallops, lobster and salmon, come from the North-East Atlantic and are purchased directly from wholesalers to promote short supply chains.


Cooked with passion on the island of Groix
Our recipes are hand-cooked on the island, respecting the resources and culinary traditions of the island, with no colorants or preservatives, a limited number of ingredients and a high percentage of raw materials to ensure that each fish retains its original taste.
Island know-how preserved through the preparation of authentic, refined recipes. Groix & Nature reflects a passion for taste, good products, precision, the land and the sea, artisan heritage and the excellence of French know-how.

Our partners
Fishermen and shellfish farmers bring you the very best their region has to offer, in keeping with its seasonal nature. These fishermen, producers of abalone, blue lobster, sardines and mackerel, select exceptional raw materials every day, while respecting the resource.

Jean besnard
Moulin Marée
Moulin Marée has been a fishmonger in Lorient for three generations, and is our preferred partner for fish and seafood fillets. Every day, we receive the fish fillets we need to prepare our recipes at our production facility on the island of Groix. Located opposite the island of Groix, the port of Lorient is an emblematic site for fishing in France.

ALEXIS TAUGé
Cinq degrés ouest
Based in the port of Lorient, 5 Degrés Ouest specializes in the meat of blue lobster and other shellfish, obtained by a unique cold shucking process that gives them unrivalled qualities in terms of taste and texture.

erwan tonerre
Groix Haliotis
The abalone, or sea ear, is a precious gastropod whose fishing is strictly regulated and limited. It lives at the base of the shallows or under the rocks in Brittany. Iodized with an inimitable taste, abalone feed on algae and plant particles. Erwan Tonnerre, a passionate halioticulturist on the island of Groix, specializes in raising abalone from spat.

Gaetan Lappart
Gaëtan Lappart, a native of St Guénolé and a bolinche fisherman in the Bay of Audierne, is our sole supplier of the sardines we use to make our sardine rillettes with Piment d'Espelette. Freshly landed in the port of St Guénolé, the sardines are bolinche-caught, a sustainable and responsible method of fishing that respects the resource.
