Story 
Another day for Julien & Donatien at the Pier 19 office...
Many
people don’t know that the San Francisco Bay Area has a large French community
which is 50,000-member strong. All are here for different reasons, but a strong
draw is that California is very similar to Provence - the French's much beloved
Southern region, best known for its striking natural beauty and casual way of
enjoying life. Many of the Bay Area “Frenchies” shun Parisian snobbery to
live "Provençal", gathering impromptu to enjoy the company of
friends, loud conversation, good wine and food.
One
day at one of these get-togethers things got a little serious. Donatien and
Julien (founders of life in Provence) had an idea:
they could show Americans the warmer side of France through a line of speciality
foods that would communicate the essence of “Life in Provence”. Food is
woven into the everyday fabric of life in Provence. The soil is rich, the sun is
warm and there is an abundance of good things to eat. The range of fragrant
herbs one will encounter in the wild is simply staggering (thyme, sage, savory,
lavender, rosemary...), not to mention the figs, melons, berries, truffles,
eggplant and olives that naturally thrive in the region.
Donatien and
Julien hope that by sharing their passion for the relaxed and refined Provençal
lifestyle through their foods, everyone will find the Provençal in themselves.
To Donatien and Julien, being Provençal means knowing what's important…
living in harmony with the land… not taking things too seriously… relaxed
sophistication… it's a lifestyle, not a place, and everyone can be Provençal.
The “life in
Provence” product line is made in Provence. Everything about the products is
authentic, from the traditional recipes to the people who select and prepare the
food. The product line includes vegetable dishes such as ratatouille and sautéed
eggplant; vinaigrettes, aïoli and rouille; as well as tapenade, olive oil and
Niçoise olives. A recent addition to the product line is Provençal jams and an
herb collection.
Co-Presidents
Julien and Donatien have combined their understanding
for business with their passion for food. Donatien was formerly a manager for
Danone International Brands in Malaysia and Thailand, where he worked on such
brands as Evian water, LU biscuits, Lea & Perrins sauces and Maille
mustards. Donatien holds a BA in law from Paris II University and international
diplomas in marketing and business administration from UC Berkeley. After
spending three years as a derivatives trader for Société Générale bank in
Tokyo, Julien joined the management of several Bay Area high-tech start-ups,
where he became involved in two Microsoft acquisitions. Julien holds a BA in
International Trade from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris and Kobe
University (Japan), and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
