Our History

7th generation SABAROT

A Rich and Long History

In 1819, Jean-Pierre Sabarot settled in the Haute-Loire. He bought a mill there, founding the Sabarot company. At first, the company was devoted solely to the manufacture and sale of bed linen. Jean-Pierre Sabarot soon diversified into the manufacture of milling. À sa mort en 1854, son fils Charles reprend les rênes de l’entreprise et la modernise. Il achète de nouvelles machines plus performantes, qui permettent à Sabarot de pratiquer le barley and oat hulling.

In 1900, Joseph Sabarot began sorting sorting the A.O.P. Green PUY Lentil.. The fourth and fifth generations have made Sabarot a leader in its sector, thanks to direct purchasing from producers and the use of state-of-the-art techniques.direct purchase from producers and the use of cutting-edge techniques..

In 1960, Sabarot fully automated the packaging and labeling of lentils. In 1972, the company expanded its activities to include all quality pulses as well as trade in wild mushrooms and snails and broadened its range of canned goods. At the end of the 20th century, Daniel Wassner established Sabarot’s grain and dried vegetable operations at its new site in Chaspuzac.

In 2016, Antoine Wassner became CEO of Sabarot, perpetuating the ancestral know-how of the family business while enabling it to adapt to today’s consumer expectations. Driven by the plant market, the company has more than doubled its sales in ten years, from 30 to 75 M€ in 2023.

In 2023, after five years of work and 20 million euros of investmentthe company was proud to inaugurate its new new facilities allowing it to further support the democratization of the consumption of legumes, cereals, and mushrooms. This event marked a turning point for the company and strengthened its position as an innovative player in the plant-based food industry.

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Today, through Antoine Wassner, the 7th generation is at the helm of the family business. the family business, perpetuating its ancestral know-how.

1958 Sabarot factory historical photo Haute-Loire

Bagging line. Sabarot, 1958.

Advertising postcard of the new Sabarot-Wassner company, late 1980s.

Sabarot, the specialist in cereals and legumes.

Sabarot has been a specialist in pulses and cereals since 1819. Exported all over the world, A.O.P. Lentille verte du Puy and Petit Épeautre du Velay are its emblematic products. It is also a specialist in woodland mushrooms and the European leader in canned snails. Based in the Haute-Loire since its beginnings, the family business is now represented by Antoine Wassner, the 7th generation.

Offering products that are good, healthy, and natural is at the heart of its commitments.

In order to meet the demand for more vegetarian meals, Sabarot, as a seed-spotter, has enriched its range of vegetable products in recent years, and invests ininnovation on a daily basis. As a result, Sabarot is now one of Europe’s leaders in I.Q.F. technology, a process that enables dried vegetables and cereals to be precooked and deep-frozen. The products are thus ready to use, and are perfectly suited to the needs of manufacturers who use them as a base for tabbouleh, salads or pan-fried vegetables.

To meet the demands of foodservice professionals and consumers alike, the company also offers a very wide range of dry and canned products in different formats.

Making it easier to eat pulses and cereals is one of Sabarot’s core commitments. To encourage consumers to include pulses on their plates, the company offers a “quick-cooking” range requiring just 8 minutes of cooking time, compared with the 20 to 90 minutes usually needed for “classic” pulses. Another example is Petit Épeautre du Velay, which can be cooked in 10 minutes, compared with 40 minutes for traditional petit épeautre. To keep up the momentum of innovation, Sabarot has developed and marketed preparations for making vegetable galettes and dahls. These dry preparations, based on legumes and cereals, are made from natural raw ingredients, without salt or additives. Once rehydrated, they become healthy, gourmet dishes, ready in just 8 minutes.

Sabarot also gives pride of place to its range of woodland mushrooms, working to dust off their image and consumption.

In 2020, Sabarot became one of the first mission-based companies in France, and its commitments remain those that have been anchored in its DNA since its creation: offering good, healthy and natural products, supporting the food transition, committing to employee well-being, supporting local cultural heritage, protecting the environment and encouraging sustainable agriculture. The PME + label underpins these commitments.

PME+ is the CSR label for human-sized French companies that supply the distribution sector and are committed to more ethical and responsible practices. The PME+ label is awarded after an annual audit conducted by Ecocert Environment, based on a framework derived from the ISO 26000 standard.

In addition to these commitments, Sabarot Agriculture, our 100% French subsidiary, provides daily support to partner farmers. The aim of this hand-in-hand work is to improve their crops and help them make the transition to organic and HVE farming. This proactive approach has always been at the heart of the company’s DNA, and has enabled the maintenance and development of local supply chains.

In a few words, Sabarot is the standard-bearer for a more gourmet, more joyful plant-based cuisine that’s more respectful of health and the environment.