Taking the BISCUIT

France is known for its exquisite pâtisserie and extravagant gâteaux but the not-so-humble biscuit deserves recognition too

- Lara Dunn

Until 7 March 2021, an exhibition at the Musée d’Histoire de Nantes at the city’s Château des Ducs de Bretagne – ‘LU. Un Siècle d’Innovation (1846-1947)’ – celebrates the story of the Petit-Beurre biscuit and the Lefèvre-Utile (LU) brand which was founded in the city in 1846. The exhibition celebrates over a century of LU, showing off the largest collection of LefèvreUtile objects in France – over 1,500 items telling the story of the brand and its products.

New objects which were acquired in 2018 from a private collection in Paris will be on show for the first time. Using Louis Lefèvre-Utile’s own motto, “to whet appetites, you must begin with the eye”, the innovative advertising and marketing of LU products is the cornerstone of this exhibition, including packaging designs, the famous logo by Raymond Loewy and advertising material such as the intricate creations by Alphonse Mucha.

LU brand biscuits such as the Petit-Beurre and Petit Écolier have become a household institution in France since their creation all those years ago, but they draw on a well-established tradition of biscuit bakery from across the whole Hexagone.

Almost every region has at least one hallmark sweet and crunchy snack, perhaps more homely in form than the artful creations crowding the windows of pâtisseries but just as delicious.

Worth their salt