Bélisaire Boissier: Poet of Gourmandise

When, at the beginning of the 19th century, he left his province to conquer Paris, the young Bélisaire Boissier was armed only with his dream: to become a confectioner.

It was in 1827 that he invented a new icing technique, giving rise to the first Marron Glacé recipe, and that he realized his dream by founding Maison Boissier.
Its first counter, erected on Boulevard des Capucines, was so successful that the house quickly opened “Boissier” boutiques on the most beautiful Parisian streets: Boulevard de Courcelles, Avenue Raymond Poincaré, Avenue Marceau, Avenue Victor Hugo and Avenue des Champs-Elysées.

Beautiful, elegant women flocked to satisfy their sweet tooth. Bolstered by this success, Bélisaire married one of his employees, Anne Antoinette Barbier, who assisted him in the development of his business. Committed to a job well done, they worked together to perfect their reputation among a privileged clientele.

From the imagination of the ingenious confectioner was born the now famous "Boule candy": these pretty smooth balls bursting with fruit bring Boissier into our gourmet heritage. These pretty smooth balls bursting with fruit were the favorite treat of elegant ladies who enjoyed them while courting during intermissions, at the theater and the Opera. After creating the version with Montmorency cherry and the one with Grasse rose petals, Bélisaire Boissier imagined the ones with mint, jasmine, exotic fruits like pineapple, which was favored by the bourgeoisie and embodied par excellence "the theater candy."

Among the intellectuals seduced by the Maison's creativity, Victor Hugo stood out as a leader. The committed novelist became friends with Bélisaire and made Maison Boissier one of his favorite addresses. He immortalized this gourmet friendship with a few inspired verses:

Because we take the strong with bombs, and the weak with sweets.

It was in 1857 that Bélisaire decided to transfer his company to Cyrille Robineau, a young visionary who invested in this business, which he knew was flourishing and already a heritage. This entrepreneur contributed even more to the prosperity of the Boissier house by developing new products but also by taking care of the packaging and decoration of his boutiques. He secured the services of the greatest luxury craftsmen, such as Maison Songny, to offer boxes and bags made of leather and silk of great refinement. His heirs called upon the best illustrators to create the designs for the promotional posters and boxes: these designs are still used today, notably on surprise bags, including those of Jacqueline Duché.
A great lover of books, which he collected, Cyrille Robineau, like his predecessor, maintained close ties with their authors at the end of the 19th century. There are countless citations of Boissier products in literary works and other artistic creations: in the works of Alexandre Dumas fils, Émile Zola and the Goncourt brothers. The Parisian confectioner embodies luxury and voluptuousness for all.

While he knows how to promote it, Cyrille Robineau is above all committed to maintaining the level of excellence of the Boissier house by applying himself to the choice of his ingredients. The confectioner is even asked to invent delicacies from exotic fruits that will delight gourmets for several decades.

Several decades that saw four generations succeed one another, despite three wars, at the helm of a company that is now an institution. In the 1930s, metal boxes appeared, true little works of art: these nickel-plated candy boxes covered in aluminum and decorated with amusing paintings on glass or ice are today a delight for collectors.

The story could have ended for this house, which had been put to sleep at the end of the 20th century, but its commercial takeover by the founders of the Salon du Chocolat, Sylvie Douce and François Jeantet, brought the sleeping beauty back to life on February 14, 2000: a wonderful Valentine's Day gift for these lovers of exceptional products who were keen to preserve a gastronomic heritage.

Since its creation, Boissier has strived to preserve its unique artisanal know-how by blending tradition and modernity. Its high-end natural confectionery preserves the authentic flavors of its ingredients. Over time, the recipes have been revisited to diversify the range and offer unusual and innovative recipes, adapted to both die-hard fans and a new clientele. Similarly, the boxes and packaging have been reissued from the rediscovered Boissier archives (a collection of approximately 3,000 collector's items from the brand).

Boissier offers Candied Chestnuts, including a variety of vintages (Ardèche, Piedmont, Campania, Cognac, Chocolate, Vanilla, Williams Pear and Rum), the famous Ball candies (Cherry, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Blueberry, Rose, Violet, Poppy, etc.), not forgetting Froufrous, Heavenly Pearls and many other products that have become iconic.