In Mittelhausen, a small Alsatian farmyard is home to one of Europe’s largest processors of garlic and spices. Behind this rural facade a discreet empire of flavors has been built.
It all started in the 1960s, when Albert Colin installed a hop dryer on his farm. In 1966, his son Georges dehydrated parsley there for, according to the family, and sold his cows to launch into aromatic herbs.
From the farmyard to the Colin spice group
Sixty years later, Éric Colin summarizes the growth of the Colin Épices group: , he exults, interviewed by France 3 Régions.
He remembers the courtyard covered in green leaves: , he says, before recalling his identity:
A global spice network born in Mittelhausen
The international dimension was built with the agronomist Benoît Winstel he met in 1994: , remembers Éric Colin, before describing their network:
All these spices then arrive in what the group calls: , he explains. With nearly 10,000 references tested blindly, Éric Colin smiles again, in front of a wall of .
How Colin became the European leader in garlic
On its land and with its European partners, the family grows garlic, chives, mustard and leeks: summarizes Éric Colin. The acquisition of Rochias, an Auvergne SME created in 1872 which processes 800 tonnes of garlic and 600 tonnes of shallots per year, today gives the group three sites, around 350 employees and 114 million euros in turnover, and places it as the European leader in processed garlic.
Despite this power, the Colin name remains discreet on the shelves, the company working mainly for industry and catering. For , Éric Colin keeps quiet about his customers and assumes: Three “Georges Colin” stores and a visiting area in Mittelhausen nevertheless tell the story of this peasant origin born in a simple farmyard.
Who founded the Colin Épices group?
The group was created in the 1960s by Georges Colin, a farmer in Mittelhausen.
Where is the Colin Épices group based?
The headquarters and main workshop are located in Mittelhausen, in Kochersberg, near Strasbourg.
Why is Colin considered the European leader in garlic?
With the acquisition of Rochias, a garlic specialist in Issoire, Colin became the leading European processor.
