Born in 2017, Carré de Café® was born from the gourmet imagination of journalist Vincent Ferniot who was able to find in his friend François Pralus the know-how necessary to bring his idea to fruition: munching coffee!
“Even when I was little, I preferred the taste of coffee to that of chocolate, and since I couldn't stand drinking hot, I couldn't enjoy a cup of coffee. All I had left from time to time were éclairs, nuns or coffee macaroons. But every day at snack time, watching my friends bite into chocolate, I dreamed of being able to bite into a bar too... but a coffee bar. All my life I have waited to be able to satisfy this desire. I looked among my friends who are pastry chefs, confectioners and chocolatiers for someone who would help me. But I had to meet someone who, in addition to being a great chocolatier, was also a slightly crazy adventurer... in flavors, ready to launch into new projects with enthusiasm. François Pralus brings together these qualities and friendship to boot. I am happy that it allowed me to make this gourmet childhood dream come true,” explains the culinary journalist.
Always up for it as long as the idea appeals to him and the route is beautiful, François Pralus embarked on this project without hesitation. After fascinating exchanges of views (over coffee of course) the foundations were laid and the appointment was made without delay to launch into the tests, into the alchemy of chewable coffee. A few weeks of fine-tuning, sleepless nights and secret tastings later, the first black coffee cover finally flowed from the turbines of the Pralus Manufacture in Roanne, before the eyes of the two moved dads. Chewable coffee was born. All that remained was to find a name for this pretty toddler: CARRÉ DE CAFÉ®.
A few months after its release, the jury of Gourmet Selection2018, a trade fair for delicatessen professionals dedicated to the latest trends in the sector, chose to award the BEST OF Taste Innovation to the Carré de Café® from Maison Pralus. The jury recognized the unique character of this new product: chewable coffee molded into tablets and Neapolitans. He also praised the quality of the work of François Pralus, who was able to select a very fruity 100% Arabica coffee from Brazil, reveal its flavors and open up new perspectives for coffee in the world of delicatessen. “It’s unique and very delicious,” commented the jury. “This product has the real taste and unmistakable aroma of good coffee. It is tasty and extremely long in the mouth. It really feels like you’re biting into an espresso.”
This first Square of Arabica Coffee, available in black and milk tablets, was followed by a Sidamo mocha from Ethiopia and then an organic Colombia. In tablets and Neapolitans, the Carré de Café range has been enriched with a box of Neapolitans and sweets: Hazelnut Coffee and Coffee Pearls as well as an explosive Infernal Coffee Bar.
