Val de Serigny is one of the biggest Charente melon producing companies. 14,000 tons are produced annually over their 600 hectares across three production sites in Spain, France and Morocco. Over the six month sales period they sell half of their production to large and medium retailers, 30% to wholesalers, 10% to the catering industry and 6% for export (e.g. to Spain and Italy).
For the third year in a row they have also been supplying Mc Donald’s. Out of their 550 tons, Val de Serigny supplies 330 tons. 60% of the melons supplied over the summer to the 1,419 restaurants comes from Val de Serigny. In reality, the company actually supplies Florette Food Service, who prepare, package and deliver the melons. Mc Donald’s represents 5-10% of Val de Serigny’s volumes, but they say it is an “important partnership”. Sebastian Trupon, Buying Manager at Florette Food Service says that “What is important to us is the quality, and Val de Serigny offers that.”
Robert Franchineau, Founder and Chairman of Val de Serigny, says that “Today, the main challenge is ensuring product traceability”. The company carries out every step of production - seeds, plants, working the soil, plantation, harvest, shipping. It takes the melons 35 days from flowering to reach maturity and they produce 15 to 20 varieties of Charente melons.
Val de Serigny are testing organic farming on one of their plots, “we could have 80% of our production as organic, but for now, it would be too risky for us. Our aim is increase within reason, to perfect the equipment, increase staff training, to be a real motor for sustainable development, to invest in quality and remain a reference supplier”.