Well known to regulars of the Thionville market, Xavier Moreau, at the head of the organic bakery Les Pains Vagabonds, has settled his activity in a cell of the Griesberg casemate, rue du Manège. Yes, in the midst of an energy crisis and at a time when the profession is counting its losses…
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07:00 | updated at 3:30 p.m.
At first glance, Xavier Moreau, 47, with his cool look, cap screwed on his head and hooded sweater, has perfectly prepared the sedentarization of his organic bakery. In his case, market research has never been more aptly named. His brand, Les Pains Vagabonds, has earned a solid reputation on the weekly market in Thionville. By dint of eyeing him, the empty cell of the Griesberg casemate, located opposite his assigned place in the middle of the Temple parking lot, convinced him to put his luggage there. On January 5, he opened his business, called La Fabrik des Pains Vagabonds.
The place resembles him, with a wooded and metallic interior. The signature of this former industrial maintenance technician, always in search of authenticity. At this point, a legitimate question arises. We apologize for the use of commonplace but how can one, on their own, get themselves into such a mess? “It’s true that the context is not totally ideal”, slips, with a smile, the entrepreneur.
“Leaven, a noble and living material”
The profession is going through the energy crisis in pain. She counts her losses, mowed down by soaring bills. Opening in the middle of a storm, the day after the holidays and in an inflationary era seems to border on sweet madness. Xavier smiles again: “I’ve been preparing for this location for more than two years. Once the walls had been acquired and the work done, it was time to get started. And then, I rely on my uniqueness to get there…”
A reference to his taste for natural sourdough. “A noble and living material” which he learned to domesticate at the prestigious International Bakery School in Sisteron. Being one of the only establishments on the planet to provide complete training in the delicate art of preparing organic bread: “I worked there in particular with executives from all over the world who were concerned, like me, with preparing their conversion. I even remember that an American lawyer was enrolled in the training”.
Investment: €500,000
Confident, this grandson of Meuse bakers relies on a formula that has already proven itself. Its first point of sale, located in the former Saint-Thiébault cheese dairy, in Gorze, has been active in the Metz area since 2017. And even further still, the chef of the starred restaurant Toya, in Faulquemont, counted among his admirers.
A reputation, a know-how and even a sense of savings sweep away the supposedly suicidal nature of this opening. In order to soften his energy bill, Xavier opted for a subscription allowing him to benefit from the government price shield: “I limit my consumption to 36 kWh. Otherwise, I was offered a price close to €900 per megawatt hour! Concretely, I reduce my production by only using two floors of my oven. I also try to take advantage of off-peak hours for cooking. The price to pay for not seeing its investment in the structure go up in smoke, amounting to… €500,000.
