Melting a chocolate spoon in hot milk while admiring the grand ducal palace is a must for any visit to Luxembourg City, as is a walk along the Corniche. Behind this recipe is Nathalie Bonn. The chocolatier opened her business in 2008, when she was starting a new chapter in her life.
After having been a housewife, this trained cook fell in love with chocolate. Her range now includes dozens of recipes for spoons, from the sweetest to the bitterest, as well as chocolates and pastries.
"It's all about love and patience here," says the 50-year-old. She started to expand her business in the early 2010s, opening in Mersch and then in the Pall Center. In addition to a dedicated stand at the Oberpallen outlet, her range of chocolates is available on the shelves of the Luxembourg store.
From Kuwait to Saudi Arabia
International development started a few years ago with a request from Kuwait, a country with which Nathalie Bonn had no particular link at the time, but which, after a trip there, took on another dimension. She met Mohammad Salman, a consultant who knows the Gulf region inside out and guided her in this entrepreneurial adventure. He drew up contracts and adapted the offer to the local market, which he had been involved in for 14 years. For example, chocolates containing liquor and recipes containing pork gelatine are excluded from the range.
"Chocolate and desserts in general are products that are popular in the Gulf," says the partner.
The first foreign point of sale of the Luxembourg brand opened in 2017 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Shanghai followed the same year. The year after, it was Reims and Echternach. Finally, Kuwait-- the capital of the eponymous country--completed the circle in 2019.
Contracts, compliance with local health standards and customs formalities are all handled by the chocolate company's trusted advisor. Thanks to him, the Luxembourger says she has taken up "the challenge of being a woman entrepreneur in Saudi Arabia. All this has opened my eyes to the world," she says.
And although chocolate is not the most visible Luxembourg culinary speciality, the company claims to have its "manufacturing secret" for selling it internationally. "Connections, knowledge of the manufacturing circuits and customer behaviour are the keys to the market for us," says Mohammad Salman.
A new range in a new outlet
In Luxembourg, Nathalie Bonn opened a second outlet this year on Rue de la Reine, also near the grand ducal palace. At Marguerite's, the chocolatier's recipes are available in vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free versions. A workshop is available for small group visits, where the behind-the-scenes production of chocolate--based on beans imported directly from the four corners of the world--is revealed.
The chocolates are made at the company's production workshop in Ellange. Dairy ingredients, such as cream, come from Luxlait. The “Made in Luxembourg" aspect is rounded off by Cargloux transporting the products to Asia and the Middle East. Cakes are made on site overseas, but with ingredients from the grand duchy and by staff trained by the company.
With the franchise, each owner can add his or her own personal touch to the shop.
Bonn has opted for a franchise model. "My first job is to make chocolate. With the franchise, each owner can add his or her own personal touch to the shop, which is something that is very important to me," says the entrepreneur.
Her network of seven outlets is set to grow, with another opening planned for the end of this year, once again in Kuwait. "We are also looking at the Sultanate of Oman," adds Salman, without giving a date as caution is called for in the context of the pandemic.
On the other hand, Dubai does not interest the Luxembourg company. "Our concept is not glamour but rather cosiness: to feel the warmth and simplicity in the Chocolate House. This is what guides us,” says the partner.
This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.