Bélisaire Boissier: Poet of Gastronomy

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 glazing technique giving birth to the first recipe for Marron Glacé and that he realized his dream by founding Maison Boissier.

Its first counter erected on Boulevard des Capucines was such a success that, very quickly, the company opened "Boissier" boutiques on the most beautiful Parisian thoroughfares: Boulevard de Courcelles, Avenue Raymond Poincaré, Avenue Marceau, Avenue Victor Hugo, and Avenue des Champs-Elysées.

Elegant women flock there to satisfy their sweet tooth. Buoyed by this success, Bélisaire marries one of his employees, Anne Antoinette Barbier, who assists him in developing his business. Committed to excellence, they work together to cultivate their reputation with a discerning clientele.

From the imagination of this ingenious confectioner was born the now-famous "Boule" candy: these pretty, smooth, fruit-filled balls secured Boissier's place in our culinary heritage. These lovely, smooth, fruit-filled balls were a favorite treat of elegant ladies who enjoyed them while courting during intermissions at the theater and the opera. After creating the Montmorency cherry version and the one with Grasse rose petals, Bélisaire Boissier conceived the mint and jasmine versions, as well as those with exotic fruits like pineapple, which became a favorite among the bourgeoisie and perfectly embodies "the theater candy."

Luxury & Pleasure

In 1857, Bélisaire decided to pass on his business to Cyrille Robineau, a young visionary who invested in the thriving and already valuable company. This entrepreneur further contributed to the prosperity of Maison Boissier by developing new products and meticulously attending to the packaging and decoration of its boutiques. He secured the services of the finest luxury artisans, such as Maison Songny, to create exquisitely refined leather and silk boxes and bags. His heirs commissioned the best illustrators to design promotional posters and boxes: these designs are still used today, notably on surprise gift bags, including those by 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. References to Boissier products in literary works and other artistic creations are countless: by Alexandre Dumas fils, Émile Zola, the Goncourt brothers, and even the painter Gustave Émile Couder. The Parisian confectioner embodied luxury and indulgence for all.

The Boissier company had a tradition, during the New Year's holidays, of naming a candy after a hit film of the year. It was a consecration and an honor for an actress or a theater to have a Boissier fondant named after her! In 1863, the Boissier company invented the "Salammbô," a new cream-filled petit four named after the heroine; oblong in shape, filled with pastry cream, then glazed with sugar. Originally, the decoration consisted of chopped pistachios placed at both ends of the Salammbô, which was glazed with caramel. This little cake is said to owe its name to Reyer's opera, based on the novel by Gustave Flaubert, which enjoyed great success at the time. Nowadays, the spelling is simplified to "Salambo."

In 1867, in Le Figaro: Boissier is the favorite confectioner of the imperial upper middle class "the sweets of the empire", the papillotes of Princess Mathilde, the caramels of the Little Prince.


In 1879, Marie Duplessis, muse and companion of Alexandre Dumas (he was inspired by her for The Lady of the Camellias), bought her chocolates and sweets for the show from Boissier.

The awakening of the sleeping beauty

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


Since its inception, Boissier has strived to preserve a unique artisanal expertise by blending tradition and modernity. Its premium, all-natural confectionery retains the authentic flavors of its ingredients. Over time, the recipes have been revisited to diversify the range and offer unusual and innovative creations, appealing to both loyal customers and a new clientele. Similarly, the boxes and packaging have been reissued from rediscovered Boissier archives (a collection of approximately 3,000 collector's items from the brand).


The Boissier company thus offers Marrons Glacés including a range of crus (Ardèche, Piedmont, Campania, Cognac, Chocolate, Vanilla, Williams Pear and Rum), the famous Boule candies (Cherry, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Blueberry, Rose, Violet, Poppy,...) not forgetting the Froufrous, the Perles Célestes and many other products which have become iconic.