The Petit Beurre effect

Now that autumn has arrived, the Belgian chef Jean-Philippe Darcis is preparing his latest macaroon collection to be sold at his stores all over the world. This year, the highlight is a macaroon inspired by the popular Petit Beurre cookie, which the firm Lu now owns. Years ago, its popularity first crossed the French borders and quickly spread worldwide thanks to a simple recipe based on butter, flour, sugar and milk.

Similar cookies can be found in several countries, but only few of them have been copied as much as this one. Its distinctive rectangular shape and its serrated sides have inspired the creation of countless moulds for the home preparation of this product.

Besides introducing such a popular manufactured product into the artisanal field, Darcis successfully tries to bring his customers back to their childhood memories. The Véritable Petit Beurre cookie (or Petit Beurre) is added to the macaroon thanks to a delicate ganache containing white couvertutre (1800 g) and Petit Beurre (1650 g). The white couverture does not alter the flavour of the cookie and enhances its sweetness. Wise choice then for a product which has an important emotional load as well as an interesting impact on the gustatory memory. In this chef’s DNA, his preference for simple flavours, easily recognizable by the customers, is clear.

The promotion of this new product has gone beyond the typical information leaflet. Darcis’ team regularly publishes a bulletin about the online store in which they inform of all the new products in the patisseries. The marketing argument and the advertising strategy are crystal-clear. Besides, one of the pillars of their pastry is the staging of their products in a marketing setting where the packaging and image are priority. Their website (https://www.darcis.com/), for example, is like a continuous advert in which Darcis’ products are displayed in all their splendour.