A French Bread Obsession

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A Tragic Turn

After high school, Apollonia made the decision to attend college in the U.S., in part because her mother, Irena, was Polish-American. Her Harvard entrance essay was on the importance on bread in her life and how she would one day run the company. "You might say, that flour and not blood runs through her veins," says Geneviève Briere, Poilâne's communications manager.

But Apollonia had no idea how soon and unexpectedly her future career would arrive. In 2002, when she was just 18, her parents were killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Brittany. The Harvard freshman lost her family overnight and had to take charge of the family business while grappling with her grief.

Now a senior majoring in economics, Apollonia manages Poilâne's operations trans-Atlantically during the school term, returning to Paris every four to six weeks to check in. "She had always been groomed for the role, and it was understood that one day she would be running the show," says Briere.

Despite her youth, the sharp scion of the French baking dynasty is well in control. Under Apollonia's leadership, Poilâne's annual sales have grown from €11.6 million ($15 million) in 2001 to €13.8 million ($17.9 million) last year. Though known for her decision-making skills, she relies on a team of responsables, many of whom worked alongside her father and have been with the company for more than 35 years.

Making Dough

Apollonia's management has already earned praise from longstanding associates of Lionel's. "Respect for the finest ingredients and a passion for artisanship were inculcated in Apollonia by her father," says Ariane Daguin, chief executive of D'Artagnan, the largest retailer of foie gras in the U.S. and long-time business partner. "I admire this devotion to quality—something that is fast dying out in a market obsessed with industrial processes and production objectives."

Poilâne's transformation from local Parisian bakery to international business is largely due to Apollonia's father. When Lionel took over the business, his mission was to preserve the artisanal techniques and know-how of the past, while combining them with the best of present day technology. "His idea of 'retro-innovation' is the cornerstone of our business success," says Apollonia. Known for hanging out with the artists and philosophers of the Left Bank, Lionel incarnated the Epicurean lifestyle.

To expand the business, Lionel opened a "manufactury"—a sort of bread factory—in Bièvres, near Paris, that employs 50 bakers working round the clock to feed 24 wood-fired ovens. He also launched international distribution through third-party retailers and opened the company's first British boutique, on Elizabeth Street in London. In the last years before his death, he launched Internet sales, which now account for 20% of revenues.

But even as sales surged and Poilâne became an internationally-recognized brand, Lionel resisted industrializing its processes. "It would be foolish to assume that we don't use some technology to make our bread," says Apollonia. "But we hold tight to certain fundamentals. Bièvres is a 'manufactury,' not a factory, because we use hands, not machines." The dough is still cut by hand, and the "proving," or letting the dough rest under a wet cloth before baking, is done naturally. The company now produces 12 to 19 metric tons of bread per day, some 20% of which is destined for international markets.

Bread Is Life

Today, Poilâne gets 80% of its sales from retail distributors, including some of the most prestigious names in the gastronomy business—Agatha and Valentina in New York, Takashimaya in Japan, and the upscale Monoprix supermarket chain in France and Germany. The bread is served in restaurants such as London's Mirabelle and The Ivy. "Poilâne stayed true," states Jean-Louis Dumonet, executive chef at SnAKS at Saks in New York, and Maître Cuisinier de France. "They haven't deviated from their brand. They understand that the recipe and preparation are healthy and natural, something I prize as a chef."

The thriving Internet business is Poilâne's newest means of reaching demanding customers around the world. Its global clientele includes Hollywood film stars and titans of the French entertainment industry. Apollonia says she prefers to decline orders if delivery cannot be guaranteed within 24 to 48 hours. And though it's known that she also supplies bread to the Elysée Palace, home of French President Jacques Chirac, she won't discuss specific clients.

"In France, we have an expression, 'Le pain, c'est la vie' (bread is life)," Apollonia says. "It's the common denominator of all civilizations, and a friend is someone you share your bread with." For 75 years, this is how Poilâne has seen its role in its customer's lives. Now, for the young woman taking charge of a French icon, bread is more than ever a family affair.

Haq writes for BusinessWeek.com from Paris.