Arnaud Soubeyran

Two hundred years of sweet-making

Arnaud Soubeyran have been confectioners since 1837, a long story of enthusiasm and passion.

Spurred on by a strong desire to attain excellence, we respectfully continue along the path chosen by our ancestors.

Our confectionery is still slowly and gently cooked in copper pans and bain-maries to retain all the flavour of the carefully-selected ingredients following age-old recipes.

Tradition, Creation and Innovation have dominated our way of thinking since the business began.

Tradition through innovation

1837, the brand is born

Although the origins of nougat itself have long vanished into the mists of time, Arnaud Soubeyran nougat began in 1837 with the marriage between Monsieur Arnaud, sweet maker, and Mademoiselle Soubeyran.

Made with audacity and love

The enterprising couple were one of the first to launch production of nougat on a larger scale than that of a normal cake shop. They deliberately chose to make a top-quality product by carefully selecting local ingredients.

Marguerite ran the factory and shop until she was 91 when she left the business to her son-in-law Jean Abel Pinchard, as she had no living direct descendants.

The "Ace of master nougat confectioners"

After being passed down through several generations and then bought out, the Golden Age returned to Arnaud Soubeyran thanks to Alfred Cru, nicknamed « the Ace of master nougat confectioners ». It must be said that he had big ideas as shown by the 26kg yacht made out of nougat which he presented to Grace Kelly in 1956. He produced two exclusive types of nougat, one soft and one hard, using his own special cooking methods which nobody managed to imitate.

Hard times

In 1977, after an unsuccessful merger following several difficult years, the business called in the receivers.

successful takeover

Three years later, the business was sold at auction to Charles Brotte, a native of Montélimar, fulfilling a childhood dream. He revived Monsieur Cru’s famous recipes as well as his cooking methods using copper pans which are still used today. Along with his son Jean-Pierre he developed the brand and range of confectionery.

The story continues…

In 2000 Caroline, Charles’s granddaughter, and her husband Didier Honnoré took over the management of Arnaud Soubeyran from Jean-Pierre Brotte.

5 years later they opened the Museum of Nougat, a fascinating, fun experience which was restructured in 2019 and is now a venue for shows and exhibitions throughout the year, bringing together performers and gourmets.

Over the past 20 years, Didier, a keen entrepreneur, has developed the commercial side of the business, even going so far as to learn the art of nougat-making alongside Christian Gil, a master nougat confectioner since 1980.

In 2013 their son Quentin, a chocolate-maker and confectioner, joined the business and together they offer a range of products combining unusual and delicious flavours.

The shape of things to come

In 2017, Caroline and Didier’s son, Thomas, joined the business to set up bee hives and cultivate 17 hectares of organic almond groves.

Current plans include conversion to alternative energy sources, passing on the business to the next generation, a range of organic confectionery and developing the museum. The best has yet to come !

Traditionally-made confectionery

Secrets of Arnaud Soubeyran confectionery

Arnaud Soubeyran have been making traditional confectionery using age-old skills for almost 200 years.

Nougat, calissons, caramels, marshmallows, biscuits and chocolate-coated fruit and nuts… lots and lots of traditional « sweets » carefully made to authentic recipes, some still cooked in traditional copper cauldrons.  Arnaud Soubeyran confectionery owes its fineness primarily to its choice of ingredients. Their quality is the result of good local knowledge and close working relationships with regional producers.

Traditionally-made Montélimar Nougat

The manufacture of Montélimar nougat remains shrouded in mystery

Why is it white ? And what about dark nougat ? Where did it come from ? How can a product which looks so simple have so many different flavours and textures?

Nougat was originally made in Asia Minor and brought to Marseille by the Greeks. Over time the home-made sweetmeat travelled up the River Rhone to Montélimar where it attracted the attention of pastry chefs who replaced the walnuts with almonds and added egg white.

Arnaud Soubeyran have been making Montélimar nougat in the same age-old way for almost 200 years, cooking it in copper cauldrons over a bain-marie and using top-quality ingredients. This gives soft nougat its supple texture, hard nougat its crisp firmness and both of them a wide palette of fragrant flavours when eaten.

The main ingredients:

Lavender honey for its aftertaste and blossom honey for its floral notes are both produced in our lovely region.
Strongly-flavoured Mediterranean almonds and brightly-coloured pistachios.
Egg white to ensure a supple texture and shiny white colour.
Sugar and glucose syrup whose cooking determines the softness of the nougat.

Method: Using a bain-marie enables gradual evaporation of humidity while retaining the flavour of the honey.

Stiffly-beaten egg whites are added to the slowly cooked honey, followed by sugar syrup, pre-cooked on the range, and lightly-roasted, blanched almonds.
The mixture is spread into trays lined with rice paper.

Shaping: After cooking, the nougat is turned out and cut into bars, sticks, dominoes or cubes.

 

Traditionally-made Calissons de Provence

Calissons are Provence sweets ‘par excellence’

… they first saw the light of day in monasteries during the 12th century.

This sweetmeat of Italian origin, made from candied melon and almonds, was long associated with religious festivals.

 Ingredients: Arnaud Soubeyran calissons are made from candied melon from Apt and almonds plus a very small quantity of bitter almonds.
Our special touch : the addition of candied orange peel.

The Calisson Arnaud Soubeyran is made with Mediterranean almonds...

Method: First of all the ingredients are ground, then the paste is slowly cooked in a copper cauldron over a bain-marie. Sugar syrup is added during cooking.

Shaping: After it has rested, the paste is put into moulds then iced with a mixture of egg white and icing sugar.
After final cooking, the delicious calissons are ready to eat !

Traditionally-made marshmallow

Is marshmallow a plant or a sweet ?

Marshmallow was originally a medicinal herb used to treat various inflammations. Over time it became a sweetmeat by replacing the root with egg white and adding different natural flavourings.

Ingredients:  Arnaud Soubeyran hand-made marshmallow is made from egg whites, jelling agent, natural flavours and colourings.

To make a good marshmallow, whisk first the egg whites to form stiff peaks.

Method: To make good marshmallow, first beat the egg whites until stiff.
Then incorporate the sugar syrup and jelling agent.
Next add the natural flavours and colourings.

 The fourth step is to put the paste in a tray, leave it to rest for 24 hours then cut it.
Forget any preconceived ideas of chemical-tasting marshmallow with an elastic consistency.

The soft, gentle texture reveals subtle flavours including violet, vanilla, coconut, mandarin, lemon, blueberry, raspberry, lime, and many more...

From Arnaud Soubeyran.com
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