The Maille store in Paris, last hope in the face of the mustard shortage

For several weeks, it has been particularly difficult to find a pot of mustard on the shelves of French supermarkets. The drought in Canada and the war in Ukraine, the main mustard seed producing countries, are the main causes of this shortage.

To Parisconsumers can still find it at the Mesh House, a famous mustard maker from the Amora-Maille company which dominates the French market, located on Place de la Madeleine. Since the rarefaction of the product on the shelves, the shop has experienced an unusual influx of customers ready to do anything to find a jar of the precious sesame.

40 jars put on the shelves every day

Maille mustard was created in 1747 by the famous mustard maker Antoine-Claude Maille. He opened his first boutique on rue Saint-André des Arts in Paris. It was in 1996, 250 years later, that a second place of sale was opened, place de la Madeleine. It’s today their only shop in the capital.

There is a wide range of mustards, oils and vinegars as well as mustards freshly served at the pump… even since the beginning of the shortage in France. But in limited quantity.

“They only put on 10 kilos a day,” explains a customer. That is 40 pots of 250 grams, of Original and Old fashioned mustard, put on the shelves. Once the 40 pots have been sold, you have to wait until the next day for the department to be restocked. Next to it, a sign reads: “Only one jar will be sold per family. Thank you for your understanding. »

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Same instruction for mustard served at the pump. “Dear customers, due to the current situation, the House informs you that a maximum of 500g of white wine mustard will be served per person. Please excuse us for this inconvenience”, one can read on a poster. When contacted, the company did not respond to our requests.

Quickly sold daily stocks

Despite these restrictions, the 40 pots leave every day like hotcakes. In the space of 30 minutes spent in the shop, Tuesday, July 26 in the morning, four customers who had come especially to buy a jar of old-fashioned or Original mustard paraded. At 11.30 a.m., 1.5 hours after opening, there were less than five pots left in the “essential and classic” section. But every day, the historic shop is stocked.

Since the shelves of supermarkets have been empty of jars of mustard, the Parisian boutique has known a resurgence of passages of a clientele that is not necessarily usual. Like Francois-Regis, who came to Maison Maille in Paris for the first time that day to buy a jar of Original mustard. “I can’t find any more in supermarkets, it’s a disaster. I can hardly do without it in the kitchen and the stocks at home are empty so I came here,” he says.

Buying directly in the Parisian boutique nevertheless has a price: 6,50 € the 250 gram glass jar. “I am aware that it is more expensive, but at least I am sure of finding some and of the quality,” he admits. For Hubert, the price is also restrictive and it is not with a good heart that he comes to restock for the second time at Maison Maille. “Except that mustard is part of my culinary habits. I’d rather not come here, but I have no other choice as long as the shelves are empty. »

Hopes on Burgundy mustard seeds for 2023

France buys 80% of these seeds from Canada. However, the country has been severely affected by Drought in 2021, causing production to collapse and impacting French imports. The war in Ukraine has also had an impact on seed export, as Russia and Ukraine are other major producers.

In France, Burgundy also produces a small part of this raw material necessary for the mustard sauce. French production alone would not be enough to meet demand, according to the Unilever group. However, the seed harvest which has just been completed has been particularly good, according to information from France Bluesuggesting an end to the shortage by the end of 2022.

According to several experts, the stocks should only return to the shelves in the coming months. The Canadian Ministry of Agriculture hopes for a return to normal by 2023.

La Maison Maille Paris: 6, place de la Madeleine, open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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