Butter at its best

It was the summer of 2021 when, driving from Lyon to Tours, we spotted the sign of St Michel bakery (factory) with the red rooster logo (the symbol of rural France and good products) that has been on the package since 1919. Time was not at all on our side that day as usual, but my craving for these buttery creations made my heart act irrationally, and just a couple of those precious minutes later, there we were, in the shop full of buttery and sugary goodness, debating what to buy. Checking out 30 minutes later with a cart so full that one would think we were heading back to a country where no cookies are available, we did not care about any minute missed from arriving at the destination later that day.

Everyone who has stepped into a supermarket in France and places around the world recognises this orange package with the logo of a red rooster proudly standing there in the middle. St Michel’s success story is undeniable, but why is that? Maybe it is in the right amount of butter and sugar they use in the recipes. Maybe the traditional recipes brought to us today. Maybe the quality of ingredients, as the company is working with fresh eggs, local products, and only French flour. Or maybe the fact that since their foundation in 1905, they have managed to stay a family-owned company with the sole purpose of baking something they would eat themselves.

But one thing is sure: even after more than 100 years, when the owner opened the factory, the credit for their success goes to his wife, Constance, as she was the one who came up with the idea of selling large cookies to the ladies who came to the town to spend their days by the beach, ready to nibble on something special.

As someone who enjoys baking my own cookies, I have a discerning palate when it comes to store-bought cookies. However, whenever in need of a good cookie to satisfy my craving when none of mine are around, I like to reach for a package of St Michel. Whether it is one of their bestsellers like Galettes and La Galette Fourrée (cookies filled with chocolate cream) or their historical creations like Sablé de Retz (with coconut) from 1920 or Roudor from 1979. There are plenty of choices out there, but when it comes to St Michel, nothing stands close to that taste and texture so beloved by almost everyone who tries. From France to America and Asia.