After starting out by working with steel, making steel bands for sewing, saw blades and springs for the watchmaking industry, it was in 1840 that the Peugeot brothers designed their first coffee grinder, simply called the "Ordinary Model". This marked the beginning of the production of the famous Peugeot mills, which were used to grind coffee beans, peppers, spices, salt flower and even sugar for several generations to this day.
At the same time as the great adventure of the automobile and cycling, Peugeot never ceased to develop, innovate and perfect its pepper mills, which are still manufactured in the historic family factory in the Doubs, France. Everything is done on site: the design, the technical development and of course the manufacturing. The wood is turned, varnished or painted; the mechanisms are stamped and meticulously assembled with a goldsmith's skill. The mills are exported from their native France-Comté to more than 80 countries around the world.
The iconic Paris mill appeared in 1987 and is Peugeot's best-seller. At the time, only available in natural or lacquered wood, the Paris mill is now available in a multitude of colours, materials and sizes: the largest measures 110 cm!
A little anecdote worth its weight in pepper:
In the 1930s, Jean Pierre Peugeot visited American car factories. During a large banquet, he was told that everything in the room he was in was American.
"Almost everything," replied the French boss, grabbing the pepper mill on the table, "except for this, which is French," and turning it around to add, "and Peugeot too!
The iconic Paris mill appeared in 1987 and is Peugeot's best-seller. At the time, only available in natural or lacquered wood, the Paris mill is now available in a multitude of colours, materials and sizes: the largest measures 110 cm!
A little anecdote worth its weight in pepper:
In the 1930s, Jean Pierre Peugeot visited American car factories. During a large banquet, he was told that everything in the room he was in was American.
"Almost everything," replied the French boss, grabbing the pepper mill on the table, "except for this, which is French," and turning it around to add, "and Peugeot too!
Peugeot puts its peppercorn into haute gastronomy: meeting with Christophe Marguin, french top chef
To talk about this atypical spice, Christophe Marguin welcomed us into his restaurant in Lyon, Le Président. Sat in his famous Chef's Room, where the walls are entirely decorated with the kitchen jackets of the greatest french and international chefs, he told us about the importance of pepper in his daily life as a chef – as well as his attachment to the Lion brand pepper pots.
To talk about this atypical spice, Christophe Marguin welcomed us into his restaurant in Lyon, Le Président. Sat in his famous Chef's Room, where the walls are entirely decorated with the kitchen jackets of the greatest french and international chefs, he told us about the importance of pepper in his daily life as a chef – as well as his attachment to the Lion brand pepper pots.
Tell us a little about yourself...
I am Christophe Marguin and I am the president of the chef's association Les Toques Blanches Lyonnaises. I am the 4th generation of chefs in my family. We have been restaurant owners since 1906 – so I was born into this profession. I did a classic training course with a degree and for about ten years I worked for other chefs, before taking over the family business which was in a small village in the Ain (middle east of France) called Les Échets. Today, we are in Lyon, and our restaurant, bought 5 years ago, is called Le Président.
Tell us a little about yourself...
I am Christophe Marguin and I am the president of the chef's association Les Toques Blanches Lyonnaises. I am the 4th generation of chefs in my family. We have been restaurant owners since 1906 – so I was born into this profession. I did a classic training course with a degree and for about ten years I worked for other chefs, before taking over the family business which was in a small village in the Ain (middle east of France) called Les Échets. Today, we are in Lyon, and our restaurant, bought 5 years ago, is called Le Président.
What is your history with pepper? Is it an ingredient that you liked right away?
Pepper is an ingredient that I discovered when I was learning to cook. Although I was born into the profession, it was during my training that I truly learned.
A pepper is totally different depending on its origins. I have a crazy memory about this: one day, I went to China, to different regions and I went to Szechuan. I've never tasted peppers as fine as they are there. This quality is not available to us, even today. This discovery was extraordinary and changed my view of pepper. So, from the moment we buy it, we take a lot of care: we taste it, we smell it, we also crunch it to try to feel the flavours, depending on the dish we want to make.
It's funny that we're talking about this today because last week, with my chef, I mentioned the idea of reviving a great classic of French cuisine: the pepper steak. Indeed, it is a dish that has disappeared from the menus today, even though it is a classic and people like it. So, we have to make it again.
What is your favourite utensil for using pepper?
Well, it's not out of chauvinism, nor to please you (laughs) but my father always taught me that when you buy a pepper mill, it must be a Peugeot. And that's sincere! Its reliability has always been recognised by previous generations – and still is today. It's a working utensil which is important in the kitchen. If you have a pepper mill that constantly goes wrong, it's complicated. You need something very reliable, something solid. Of course, it is the mill itself that makes the pepper, but the feel of the wood is also important. When you're in the kitchen, if you have a material that slips or gets stained, it's no good. You really need a specific material like wood.
As a chef, what advice would you give for using pepper in everyday cooking?
The first thing is to adjust the grinder with the knob above the mill: the tighter the knob, the finer the grind, and vice versa. To do this, you need to know how you like your pepper. Some people like it fine, others coarser. Indeed, our palate reacts according to the way the pepper is ground: if it is fine or if it is coarse, the taste will be different. As cooks, when we take a pepper mill, even if it is the one we use regularly, we always give a quarter turn of the mill in our hand to see how the pepper comes out. Because if someone else has used it in the meantime, it may not be to our taste.
The second thing you have to pay attention to is the origin of the pepper. You should not hesitate to invest in pepper. If it's expensive, it doesn't matter how much you use each time. We, the restaurant owners, adopt the same philosophy with coffee. We buy coffee beans. Low quality coffee costs 15 euros, good quality coffee costs 30 euros. We only put 7 grams in a dose of coffee, so we prefer to buy good quality coffee, because the price difference is minimal. It's the same for pepper: for one or two turns of the grinder per person, you have to buy good pepper... and a good pepper pot!
Would you have an original, unusual combination of pepper with another food to recommend?
For us cooks, the main use of pepper is really seasoning. We don't mix much with pepper.
Nevertheless, if I improvise an original taste association with pepper, I think that a roasted apricot, browned and caramelised in butter and sugar, deglazed with a little Beaumes de Venise (red wine, Côtes-du-Rhône) would certainly welcome a good turn of the pepper mill to spice up the dish.
Nevertheless, if I improvise an original taste association with pepper, I think that a roasted apricot, browned and caramelised in butter and sugar, deglazed with a little Beaumes de Venise (red wine, Côtes-du-Rhône) would certainly welcome a good turn of the pepper mill to spice up the dish.
A Peugeot pepper mill at the foot of the Christmas tree?
Pepper mill, salt mill or, why not, chilli mill: this is an excellent gift idea for Christmas!
Treat yourself to a pair of mills for the festive season, and take advantage of a 15% discount from 100 euros onwards with the code XMAS15
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Treat yourself to a pair of mills for the festive season, and take advantage of a 15% discount from 100 euros onwards with the code XMAS15
