La Maison Thiercelin

The "House of Thiercelin" was introduced to Oakleaf a few years ago by Richard Ekkebus, who was then the executive chef at the Sandy Lane in Barbados. (he currently holds the same position at the seven platinum star Mandarin in Hong Kong) He told us about the Thiercelin family & their dedication in supplying the very best spices that you could find anywhere in the World. When his first order arrived at our office we were all astounded at both the visual & aromatic qualities of the many different spices he had ordered. The quality of the Thiercelin products was much better than anything we had come across before so we of course had to build a relationship between ourselves & JM Thiercelin. It is easy to see why so many of their regular customers in France are famous Chefs & household names (Pierre Gagnaire, Guy Martin, Alain Ducasse, Joel Robuchon, Michel Troigros, Pourcel’s Brothers ........).

We have since been buying special orders on request from Thiercelin for chefs that really understand (and insist on) quality, mostly chef’s that have worked in France and are now in other countries.

From August 2008, J M Thiercelin spices & peppers will be a stock item with Oakleaf so you can now order whenever you wish. We have chosen the 330ml tubs following advice from the producers as it keeps the ingredients so fresh, more so than in a 1 litre tub. For volume users we can of course obtain larger sizes to order. We also carry Thiercelins own brochure for the rest of their extensive range, printed in English, so if you would like to see what else they produce please ask for a copy and we will send it with your next order.

But perhaps the best news of all, for any serious cook in the UK is that JM Thiercelin spices will no longer be only available for the exclusive use of savvy chefs who are "in the know". We have now put our complete stock range into our online shopping area. The 330ml size is perfect for the enthusiastic home chef. Much larger than those fiddly supermarket jars but still small enough to be used up well before the use by date!


The History of JM Thiercelin

The House of Thiercelin has been a family business throughout its history since its beginnings in 1809, when Jean Thiercelin purchased some land from the City of Pithviers – Gatinais (in the country of Loiret) almost 200 years ago!

Activities in the earliest days involved vinegar making and the trading of Saffron which had been grown locally since the 15th century.

Following the destruction caused by the First World War, Saffron growing completely dissapeared from the Gatinais. So at this time Jean Thiercelin began to develop the trade of colonial items: spices, vanilla, medicinal herbs and flavourings. Whilst dealing with saffron from other origins, especially Spain.

By the end of the 2nd World War Thiercelin were beginning to offer their range of goods (JM Thiercelin Selection) to great French cooks.

Nowadays Thiercelin maintain this tradition working with modern techniques and equipment that helps them to guarantee a constant and uniform supply of high quality goods.

You can find more information about Thiercelin & their history on their own website http://www.thiercelin.com

Click the cart to Visit our Online Shop and see the range of JM Thiercelin products that we hold in stock and are available to buy online.