For about 30 years now, Jardin des Papes, a family business based in Carpentras (Vaucluse), has been producing strawberries, melons and grapes (Muscat, Lavallée and Apyrene varieties) on almost 180 hectares. Two years ago, a subsidiary was created, specializing in the production of nectars and anti-waste juices, called 'Jardin des Papes Jus'. Jeanne Nouveau, the 2nd generation to work in the company and the person behind the initiative, talks about the reasons behind the project.
Strawberry nectar, peach nectar, apricot nectar, pear nectar, apple juice, grape juice, heirloom tomato juice and gazpacho - the entire Jardin des Papes juice range is available in 25cl and 75cl sizes. Available in supermarkets and in the HoReCa segment.
Nectars and fruit juices
In recent years, many fruit producers have been developing a range of juices in order to add value to their entire production by giving a second life to the fruit with a few defects. "We used to pay to throw away around 500 tons of fruit every year, because we had no commercial outlet for the so-called 'jam' fruit, which has to be marketed very quickly because of its ripeness," explains Jeanne Nouveau, who set up the project in just 2 weeks. The goal here is twofold. Jardin des Papes Jus processes its own production and "also helps other producers in difficulty by buying back fruit above the market price." Alongside strawberry and grape juices and nectars, the company offers peaches, pears, tomatoes, apples and apricots. "But depending on climate problems, other products may be added to the range."
Marine and Jeanne at Fruit Attraction 2024
Jeanne's plan is to "develop the business to fully support the growers who need it by absorbing all their production volumes. At the moment, I can only buy what I can sell, because it is vital that the business remains economically viable. Eventually, I would like to become the benchmark solution in the PACA region for supporting farms affected by climate disasters. My main obstacle today is the selling price, which is higher than average, because I need to maintain sufficient margins to guarantee the financial stability of the business. I anticipate a reduction in these margins as sales volumes increase.
Although Jardin des Papes Jus currently uses the services of a subcontractor (Saint-Andiol factory), the recipes are devised by Jeanne herself. To process her fruit, Jeanne is planning to build her own workshop in the not-too-distant future.
For more information:
Jardins des Papes Jus
2001 Avenue Dwight Eisenhower
84200 Carpentras
Phone: (+33) 06 08 98 09 13
[email protected]
Phone: (+33) 04 90 67 39 97
[email protected]
www.jardindespapes.com