Cécile Soulier

“I love the colours of fruit and life”

She and her partner Julien Rubicondo have set up a small business creating table arrangements of cut fruit to give as gifts or to brighten up large-scale events.

Hope Award

“I’ve done many different jobs. Medical secretary, switchboard operator, sales Rep. little jobs to big jobs in the luxury hotel industry, and all these experiences now help me run my business”, says Cécile Soulier. This Côte d’Azur woman and her partner had an idea while working for a private jet caterer: “Julien was working for a rival company at the time. He told me he thought it idiotic that you could only find sliced fruit in jets. And that’s where it all began. We figured that together we could create our own business! We left our well-paid permanent jobs in March 2019 and launched our company in November.” Both partners are very complementary in this business: Cécile Soulier prepares the sliced fruit arrangements, and Julien Rubicondo attends to stock management and references the Bouquet de Fruits website with pinpoint accuracy. “I’m not a good cook, and I had no idea I had this artistic streak in me. And yet, when customers call me and explain what they want, bouquets pop into my head with the greatest of ease! That’s also how our new products come about,” she continues.Knowing how to bounce back

Julien and Cécile worked from home at the outset, then bought a small business in Rue Barla before moving on to a 60m² production laboratory with a cold room. The COVID-19 crisis was also part of the couple’s adventure: “We had gone home, but the phone kept ringing, and I told my partner we had to go back there. We had just invested in a delivery truck, and people ordered birthday bouquets or bouquets to boost their morale.” Company life is also about continuous adaptation: “We used to have eight people, but with the war in Ukraine and inflation, we had to reduce our workforce and are now down to three. It’s not always easy as it means I’m back in the kitchen, but it’s also our life choice. After working 24 hours a day and sometimes being given a rough ride by our bosses, we opted for a family-run business. We provide breakfast and are flexible about working hours, which our employees have always appreciated. For Easter, for example, one of our employees created an arrangement now available to buy. We can please many more customers by working together; they have been our best advertisement.

Bouquet de fruis

We are used to bringing flowers, wine or dessert when invited. Cut fruit bouquets are designed for placing in the middle of the table. Pineapple, grape, kiwi, passion fruit, grapefruit, or mandarin arrangements. Strawberry and apricot arrangements with chocolate or even roses. Arrangement prices range from €39 for two people to €250 for a large one. The love box comes in a black hat box, the adoration box, and a Santa Claus bouquet with pecans. The company works with individuals and many B2B clients, including conference centres and event agencies.

Création : 2019

Localisation : Nice

Activité : Alimentation

Dirigeante : Cécile Soulier

Effectifs : 3