Opening an artisanal cannery: Sylviane Galéa, restaurateur testifies!

After 37 years in the restaurant business, Sylviane GALÉA decided to open her own canning factory to diversify her activity. Before launching her business, Sylviane followed several training courses at the CTCPA: leading a canning activity, foie gras, dry sausage making, jams, cookies... She comes back with us on this support.

"What I like about the CTCPA is that there is always someone to answer me. The support does not stop after the training. It's a long-term exchange."

Tell us your story, how did the desire to create a cannery come about?

I have always been in the restaurant business. I obtained a hotel technician's certificate and then worked in different establishments. In 1999, I created my first restaurant. Since then I have created two others, including Le Grain de Sel, a restaurant I have been managing since 2014.

I have been thinking about making my own preserves for several years now. At first, I combined this activity with the restaurant. Eventually, I plan to make my canning business my main activity! I love to cook so with the canning business I have a lot of fun experimenting to find the best recipe to get the best taste and texture.

Why did you call on the CTCPA?

Before starting to manufacture canned food, I absolutely wanted to train myself. The DDPP (Direction Départementale De La Protection Des Populations) directed me to the CTCPA.

I was looking for a complete training to know the particularities of the job. Being a canner is not something you can learn by yourself! So I followed several trainings at the CTCPA :

• Running a canning business (Auch - April 2021). This complete training allowed me to clarify my project, to answer questions that remained unanswered.

In order to diversify my offer and my field of competence, I chose to follow other trainings. As I love to cook, I would like to offer a wide range of products and baskets for parties for example!

• Develop a cookie production activity (Auch - March 2022)
  Being a cookie maker is yet another job and it can be learned!


• Foie gras: control of the raw material (Auch - September 2022)


• Dry sausage (Mont-de-Marsan - September 2022)


• Jam making (Avignon - September 2022)

How far along are you in your canning project?

After the "Running a Canning Business" training, I acquired the equipment I needed for my laboratory. I worked a lot on my recipes to get the ideal tastes and textures. I only work with good products from local producers. I want the product to be sublime.

Before launching the activity, we also took care with the CTCPA to map the autoclave and to set up the heat treatment scales on 25 recipes. Vincent MORET, technology project manager on the site of Auch / Mont-de-Marsan took care of it.

For several months, I have been selling my canned goods in my restaurant Le Grain de Sel in Mirepoix (09). In the future, I want to make my canning business my main activity. I intend to open an e-commerce site!

Tell us about your recipes!

I currently offer 25 recipes of canned dishes. They are mainly cassoulet and local dishes made with beef, veal, chicken... My main recipes are the daube, the sauté of veal, the blanquette of veal.

I also trained to make jams, foie gras and dry sausages. I would also like to offer dry aperitif cookies made with local cheese.

I take a lot of time cooking my recipes and optimizing them for sterilization. I cook and produce on my own so when one of my customers tells me that they don't feel like they are eating a canned dish, that is the highest compliment they can pay me!

To conclude, how did your collaboration with the CTCPA go?

To make preserves as a restaurant owner, you have to learn to cook differently. Recipes are not worked in the same way!

Without the CTCPA, I could not have started! The job of canner is not something you learn on your own. It is a set of knowledge, skills and rules to respect in order to make good, healthy and safe products.

What I like about the CTCPA is that there is always someone to answer me. The support does not stop after the training. It is a long term exchange. I thank in particular Vincent MORET, Fabien AUPY, Michaël BELLER, Corentin CALVO-CALVO...

After each training, we leave with a summary booklet. It is very useful!

From a technical skills point of view, thanks to these trainings, I have learned a lot about the technology of food products.

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Contact LE GRAIN DE SEL
Website : Home - (legraindesel-conserverie.fr) - Facebook
Contact : Sylviane GALEA - restaurantlegraindesel@orange.fr

Contact CTCPA
Vincent MORET - Technology Project Manager - vmoret@ctcpa.org

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To create your artisanal cannery and before starting your activity of canner (foodstuffs of animal or vegetable origin), you must take into account several parameters such as

• Current regulations


• The development of your products


• The organization of your workshop


• The choice of material adapted to your products


• Knowledge of the critical points of the canning process


• The definition of heat treatments


• The development and validation of scales


• The controls to be carried out


• Training to be carried out


• Labeling of your products (see our sheet on labeling)

The CTCPA (Technical Center for the Conservation of Agricultural Products) as CANNING REFERRAL CENTERhas identified a certain number of elements (non-exhaustive list) to help you create your own artisanal cannery.