Terre d'Essais, station d'expérimentation agricole, Cerafel, prince de Bretagne. Pouliquen, échalotes et légumes frais de Bretagne.

Pouliquen joins the Vitalis network: a natural step in line with our commitments

For over a century, we at Pouliquen have cultivated a passion for high-quality vegetables, close relationships with our Breton producers and trust-based relationships with our customers, wholesalers, importers and supermarkets. Today, we are taking a new step forward by joining the Vitalis network, France’s leading private network specialising in the trade and packaging of potatoes, onions and condiments.

This decision is in line with our history and our values. It demonstrates our desire to remain faithful to what has driven us since 1917: to serve our producers and customers as best we can, while preserving our independence and our Breton identity.

A network that shares our convictions

As you know, we never do things by chance. Joining Vitalis means joining a collective of family businesses that share our vision of the profession and our commitments:
– Adding value to the work of producers. We are, and will remain, the essential link between those who cultivate the land and our customers. Every vegetable we sell embodies the work and expertise of our partner producers. It is our responsibility to promote it as it deserves.
– Earning your trust. Food quality and safety are non-negotiable. Like Vitalis, we believe that a lasting commercial relationship is based on high standards, transparency and respect for commitments. Our certifications (IFS Food, Ecocert) and our CSR approach demonstrate this on a daily basis.
– Sharing a perfect product. From our production areas in Brittany to your shelves in more than 20 countries in Europe and beyond, we do everything we can to ensure that every shallot, every onion and every vegetable arrives in the best possible condition. It is this commitment to quality that brings us together with Vitalis today.

‘Being together is the best way to be stronger.’

This phrase is Vitalis’ motto. It resonates particularly well with what we have been building for over 100 years at Pouliquen.
Gérard Quillévéré, CEO of Pouliquen, explains the meaning of this merger:
“Joining Vitalis is first and foremost a matter of common sense. We realised that we shared the same values, the same high standards for our producers and customers, and the same desire to help our regions grow. This merger does not change our identity: Pouliquen remains Pouliquen, rooted in the heart of Finistère, a vegetable-producing region for over a century, with its teams, its expertise and its direct relationship with Breton producers.

What we gain is collective strength. Vitalis brings us complementary geographical coverage, recognised expertise in the sector, and a network of partners with whom we will be able to create synergies, particularly in our shallot and onion division, as well as in the development of our vegetable business. For our customers, it means the assurance of continuity of service and an enhanced ability to meet their needs.This step is consistent with our track record. Since I took over the company in 2002, we have continued to grow: new production tools, certifications, diversification into organic farming, export partnerships, etc. In 2022, I also acquired Nédélec, a company specialising in potato packaging, which has enabled us to develop our potato range thanks to this local partner. Joining a network such as Vitalis simply means continuing this momentum while remaining true to ourselves.”

Total operational continuity for our customers

In practical terms, nothing will change for our customers in their day-to-day relationship with Pouliquen. We will continue to operate independently from our site in Cléder, with the same teams, the same contacts and the same level of commitment.
Gérard Quillévéré remains at the helm of Pouliquen and Nédélec, our company specialising in potatoes. He is also joining the management of the Vitalis Group as a partner and will play a coordinating role for allium and Breton vegetable projects, working closely with Philippe Le Roux, who heads Le Roux (which will join Vitalis in January 2025) .
What is changing is our ability to offer you even more:
• A stronger regional presence in Brittany, with three complementary structures (Pouliquen, Nédélec, Le Roux) serving the Breton sector.
• The best national geographical coverage for potatoes, thanks to the Vitalis network’s locations in all the major French production areas.
• Operational synergies that will enable us to expand our offering and further improve our responsiveness.

Looking to the future

By joining Vitalis, we are writing a new page in our history. A page that is in line with everything we have built together since 1917: proximity, quality, regional commitment and human relationships.
We remain Pouliquen more than ever. What’s more, we now have the strength of a network that shares our convictions and helps us to go even further in our mission: to be the link between producers and you, our customers, so that every vegetable we package meets the standards we have set for ourselves for over a century.
Because being together is truly the best way to be stronger.