Jean Hénaff and his two partners (A. Gantier and J.S. Moreau de Lizoreux) set up a pea and green bean canning factory in Pouldreuzic.
In 1907, Jean Hénaff set up a vegetable canning factory in the heart of the countryside, in Pouldreuzic (29) “to bring a little prosperity to the Pays Bigouden”. Jean and his sons soon sought to launch a less seasonal product to keep the business going all year round: the invention of Pâté Hénaff in 1915. Jean Hénaff was not a pork butcher, so he didn’t do anything by the book. He had pigs and a canning factory. He put all the pieces of the pig in the can! This went against the grain of the charcuterie industry, which was to make the most of the noble cuts before making pâté and sausages with the lesser cuts. Over the course of the 20th century, the company developed its canned food business, preserving vegetables, fish, fruit, meat, etc. It withstood two world wars, although not without difficulty (the business was halted for several years due to steel requisitions in particular). Pâté Hénaff has survived the generations with an unchanged recipe. So much so that in 1980, Jean Hénaff became a single-product company, prompting Jean-Jacques Hénaff (3rd generation) to use whole pork with its best cuts: Hénaff Sausage was born in 1995! With no preservatives or colorants, it contains only pork, salt and pepper! Like Pâté Hénaff, it’s made with local pigs (raised less than 150km from Pouldreuzic). In just 15 years, this sausage, with its avant-garde composition, has established itself as Brittany’s favorite sausage. This unique, century-old know-how in the transformation of whole pork into Pâté Hénaff or Saucisse Hénaff was recognized in 2016 by the state label “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant”, which distinguishes exceptional know-how. Today, Loïc Hénaff (4th generation) has once again expanded the company’s activities (organic products, seaweed, vegetable and fish return, Space Food, etc.) to keep in step with today’s expectations. Committed to preserving its territory since 1907, the company is now implementing a responsible approach with a positive impact: BeGood 2030.
“Very attached to this land, I can’t bear to see my compatriots forced into exile or begging”. Jean Hénaff To find a local outlet for his vegetable crops, and thus support his fellow farmers in the Pays Bigouden where he was born and lives, Jean Hénaff founded a vegetable canning factory in Pouldreuzic. In 1907, the first tins of peas were produced. Vegetable production being seasonal, Jean Hénaff was soon looking for an activity to keep his workers busy all year round. He turned his attention to the pigs raised in the neighborhood. Pure pork pâté, known as Pâté Hénaff, made its grand appearance in 1915, with its inimitable taste and unique recipe. In 1919, Jean Hénaff decided to make the most of another local resource and bought a fish canning factory in Audierne.
From the post-war years to the4th generation
By the end of the 60s, two local resources were drying up: vegetable crops, which were disappearing, and sardines, absent from the coast at the time. Jean-Jacques Hénaff decided to stop growing vegetables and fish in 1970. He had to develop Pâté Hénaff to compensate for this loss of activity and extend consumption to the whole of France. For this reason, the company expanded its range of pâtés and rillettes in the 1980s. Hénaff didn’t stop there, however, and continued to diversify, developing the unmissable Saucisse Fraîche Hénaff in 1995. This required 10 years of research and development: it uses all pork cuts, salt and pepper, and is of course preservative-, color- and nitrite-free. By persisting in developing a fresh sausage without additives at a time when additives were not being singled out, Jean-Jacques Hénaff was ahead of his consumers’ expectations! In 2007, to mark its 100th anniversary, the company inaugurated its museum, La Maison Hénaff, in Jean Hénaff’s former farmhouse in Pouldreuzic.
Hénaff in the 21st century
Hénaff Horizon 2030: Three years after the company’s 100th anniversary, Loïc Hénaff takes the helm. Like his great-grandfather, he looks to the land. His vision is of a company that must look to its future, and therefore to future generations, as much as to its profitability. So, to meet the major challenges facing his company, the Be Good 2030 positive-impact responsible approach was launched in 2019. It takes into account the challenges of sustainable development and incorporates long-term, measurable objectives.
Hénaff and space: Since 1907, we’ve been working continuously to enhance our agri-food expertise. Our USDA approval and partnership with CNES are proof of this. Since 2011, Hénaff has been participating in the “Special Event Meals” program alongside CNES and Chef Alain Ducasse’s teams. This program provides meals for Space Station astronauts on special occasions. Thomas Pesquet, in particular, enjoyed these festive dishes during the Proxima (2017) and Alpha (2021) missions. ”
Our expertise consists in perfectly crimping the cans to guarantee absolute airtightness, and applying just the right amount of heat to preserve the nutritional and taste properties of the recipes, so that astronauts can rediscover the flavors of Earth and the pleasure of taste. The other challenge is to guarantee flawless microbiological safety. Loïc Hénaff, CEO of the Jean Hénaff Group.
Photo Credit: Antoine Bonnefille-Roualet
Jean Hénaff and his two partners (A. Gantier and J.S. Moreau de Lizoreux) set up a pea and green bean canning factory in Pouldreuzic.
The company launches production of the famous Pâté Pur Porc Hénaff. This production fills the gap during the low season, with a slaughterhouse still in operation today (one of the smallest in France). Pigs have been purchased locally for over 100 years.
Jean Hénaff takes over a fish canning factory in Audierne.
Jean Hénaff retires to make way for the 2nd generation: Jean-Marie, Corentin and Michel, three sons of Jean Hénaff !
Electricity replaces steam engines, but the Hénaff family wants to keep control of the water and builds its own water tower, before adding a wastewater treatment plant 6 years later.
The famous little blue and yellow box gets a makeover from designer Raymond Loewy’s team.
Jean-Jacques Hénaff ran the company from 1972 to 2010, accompanied by his brothers Michel and René and his sister Germaine.
The company abandons vegetable canning production and closes its Audierne fish canning plant.
This approval enables the company to export its meat products to the USA and even beyond.
The brand expanded its range of pâté and rillettes, becoming market leader in 1989.
After 10 years of Research & Development, the company built a new workshop entirely dedicated to fresh products and launched a range of fresh sausages. A forerunner, Hénaff wanted it to be preservative-, nitrite- and colorant-free.
To mark its 100th anniversary, the company inaugurates its museum, La Maison Hénaff, in Jean Hénaff’s former farmhouse in Pouldreuzic.
After joining the company 5 years earlier, Loïc Hénaff succeeded his father as CEO.
Hénaff is taking part in the “Special Events Meals” program alongside CNES and chef Alain Ducasse, which provides astronauts on the International Space Station with meals for special occasions. These festive dishes, made at Hénaff, are delivered to all members of the ISS, including Thomas Pesquet during the Proxima (2017) and Alpha (2021) missions.
The Jean Hénaff company is committed to an organic pepper production chain on the island of Sao Tomé, in the Gulf of Guinea. This commitment is very important for Hénaff, as pepper is a key ingredient in the famous Hénaff Pâté and Sausages recipe.
Jean Hénaff SAS has been awarded the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label. This state-awarded label distinguishes French companies with exceptional human know-how.
Hénaff expands its range and launches an organic version of Pâté de Porc Hénaff, using organic and local pigs.
Hénaff launches its Mergueizh. Merguez + breizh = Mergueizh!
Hénaff is participating in the development of the ” Be Good 2030 ” positive-impact initiative, whose ambition is to become a leader in positive innovation in Brittany.
Hénaff enters the aperitif market with its Apéros du Monde range of meat spreads.
Hénaff continues its conquest of the aperitif with its range of vegetable spreads, ApéroSuprises and ApéroClassics.
After meat and vegetables, Hénaff has added a range of fish spreads to its aperitif range: Aperos Marins.
Hénaff is awarded the Bretagne 26000 label, certifying its CSR approach. It is one of the first group of companies to obtain this label, supported by Produit en Bretagne.
To satisfy all consumers, Hénaff launches Pâté Hénaff -25% salt, which uses pigs from the Bleu-Blanc-Cœur network fed on flax and alfalfa.
Hénaff continues its conquest of the aperitif, with new products: Crushed olives, artichoke and rosemary – Roast chicken with Espelette pepper – Thai-style pork!