FAUCHON, AUGUSTE FÉLIX

FAUCHON, AUGUSTE FÉLIX. Auguste Félix Fauchon (1856–1939) was a Parisian grocer who founded Fauchon, the luxury food store in the Place de la Madeleine in the 8th Arrondissement in Paris. Fauchon, who was born in Calvados, left school and moved to Paris, where he bought a wagon to peddle fruit and vegetables outside La Madeleine. In 1886, he bought a small shop across from the church, where he began to specialize in high-quality foods including charcuterie, cheeses, poultry, confectionery, and wines, as well as produce.

Fauchon became more and more popular among the rich and fashionable of Paris along with its reputation for quality, luxury, and exclusivity. During Fauchon's lifetime, his shop sold only French products; importing exotic items from outside France remained the domain of the neighboring grocery owned by Fauchon's friend Ferdinand Hédiard.

Between the two world wars, Fauchon expanded his operation to include a catering service, a tea and pastry salon, and a food laboratory to prepare products such as confits and bottled fruit. After his death, the company added specialty items from around the world and continued to develop its own luxury products, including teas, honeys, jams, spices, pâtés, chocolates, and pastries.

Today, Fauchon includes several departments, including the tea salon, wine cellar, patisserie, charcuterie, produce shop, and épicerie for Fauchon-brand products, including teas, coffees, and spices.

See also Hédiard, Ferdinand.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cranford, Helen. "Sold in the Best Possible Taste." Daily Telegraph (London, 1 April 1998).

"Fauchon, Auguste Félix." In Larousse gastronomique, edited by Prosper Montagné. New York: Clarkson Potter, 2001.

Gardner-Loew. "Madame President." Bon Appétit, 36, Issue 5 (May 1991): 28.

Johnson, Margaret M. "World's Fare/Visit to Paris." Minneapolis Star Tribune (June 21, 1998): 7G.

MM Pack