We were desperate to have a few words from the Le Duff group one day about the bakery factory project it is carrying out in the town of Liffré, very close to Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine). Criticized by some for its environmental impact and its water consumption, the Bridor brand project is at the same time applauded by local elected officials who praise Le Duff’s industrial know-how and the creation of 500 jobs. Recently, state agents came to the defense of the project, explaining that it had “greatly evolved” from an environmental point of view. But opposition has formed locally.
Regularly solicited, the empire of industrial Viennese pastries “à la française” had never responded to our requests. He finally chose to express himself by means of a simple press release, which he first sent to the two heavyweights of the Breton press. In this text, the sulphurous boss Louis Le Duff reveals his impatience with the delay in his factory. “Despite the start of the project in 2017, there will be no opening before 2027 at the earliest! We cannot afford to wait ten years for our industrial projects to come to fruition! “Launches the founder of the group, who adds that his German competitors “take two years to build”.
The boss knocks out candidates for the elections
To explain the long time of this establishment, the influential Breton boss even provides his own explanation. “The political and ideological struggle in Brittany since the last two elections has blocked the start-up of the Bridor factory in Liffré. In an asterisk, he even dares to give names. According to him, the challenge to the project was born of a fight “between Thierry Burlot, candidate defeated in the regional elections in Brittany supported by LREM, and the EELV candidate Claire Desmares-Poirrier, against the socialist president of the region, Loïg Chesnais-Girard “. The latter, former mayor of Liffré, has indicated that he was in favor of the project but is discreet in supporting it. The other two are against it.
Faced with growing demand from four- and five-star hotels for its industrial pastries, the Le Duff group has acquired two sites in the United States and Portugal. He is building a third in Germany. “With these three acquisitions, Bridor will have a production capacity that will allow it to meet demand for the time being”, specifies the group, which still hopes to open its Breton factory in 2027. Present in more than 100 countries around the world, In 2019, Bridor represented almost half of the two billion euros in turnover of the Le Duff group, which also owns the Del Arte, La Brioche Dorée and Le Fournil de Pierre brands. It employs over 35,000 people worldwide.