Agricultural Transition
(Agriterra-group Partner) Arthur and Marie-Victoire Viot set up their ice-free fish shop at the St Germain market in Paris. Beyond their stall, they aim to transform the entire fish industry, with a real focus on the quality and preservation of fish. Comparable to the concept of aged meat, the ice-free fish shop is a discovery in terms of taste excellence; it also allows for better preservation of fish under improved sanitary conditions, avoids the development of bacteria found on ice beds, and saves water. They have developed a whole concept, from the relationship with the product and the customer, to the design of the fish shop, to specific refrigerated display cases and equipment. They created Avencio, a holding company that will enable them to continue attracting consumers, training colleagues, and convincing the industry to change paradigms by adopting their techniques and equipment in fish shops and beyond.
At the Viot fish shop in the St Germain market in Paris, if it doesn’t smell like fish, it’s because they do things differently! There is no ice, but refrigerated cabinets that control cold, temperature, and humidity, blowing cold air to better preserve the fish and display them hanging by the tail, in a frozen beauty reminiscent of still lifes that Battista might have painted. This technique requires better cleaning and avoids bacteria found in the viscera, and better preparation by systematically scaling, removing fins, gills, and the head to keep only the useful flesh, which nearly doubles the preservation period.
With a demand for excellence and product quality, Arthur and Marie-Victoire ensure the fishing or farming techniques used for the fish, which extends throughout the supply chain. Their offering allows customers to discover new products and guides them toward sustainable fishing and smoked products and other preparations. Their range is complemented by shellfish, which they systematically shell and prepare to facilitate consumption, and homemade preparations such as taramasalata, rillettes, soups, and other gastronomic curiosities prepared by Marie-Victoire.
Avencio is a strategic partner of Agriterra, and Agriterra has become an important shareholder, working with Arthur and Marie-Victoire to help promote this paradigm shift, by opening new fish shops, of course, but also by converting other industry players whom they train and support in adopting their techniques and equipment, which they market. There are many projects, including the opening of a processing laboratory to serve top Parisian chefs and an upcoming fish restaurant with a Japanese chef at St Germain (Paris). The reflection of Arthur and Marie-Victoire on their profession and how they evolve it are examples for the new sectors that Agriterra supports and with which they also foster real synergies.
Avencio establishes a powerful link between global ecology, with a strong societal dimension and paradigm shift, and agriculture. It perfectly embodies the commitments of Micellium.
Micellium is proud to be a shareholder of Agriterra and to be able to influence its strategy to continue supporting great partners who give meaning to their profession and change paradigms.