Customer testimonials
Pulses & development: the CTCPA supports Madame Beans in her project to go to industrial scale!
15
Jan

Published on: 15/01/2025
"The CTCPA has been an essential step in our journey, the first step to enable us to grow, structure ourselves and launch industrialization. We see our partnership with the CTCPA as a long-term one, and we're very satisfied with the support and expertise we've received so far."
Introduce us to Ms Beans
Hello, I'm Charlotte BLIN, and I'm Lucie LAJOUX. We graduated as agricultural engineers from ESA (École Supérieure d'Agriculture) in Angers a little over two years ago. The Madame Beans concept was born during our last year of studies, as an innovation project based on legumes. Our aim was to create innovative products to make these foods more attractive.
Today, we promote local pulses (lentils, chickpeas), sourced mainly in the Pays de la Loire region, to support farmers and help develop the French industry, which is still heavily dependent on imports.
We have developed two main products:
- Bas'atout, a ready-to-cook culinary base made from French green lentils and chickpeas. It facilitates the preparation of pulses, which is often considered tedious because of the cooking and soaking times involved. These constraints can also affect texture (overcooked or undercooked) and digestibility. Our pulses are ready-to-use and can be incorporated into a wide variety of recipes, from starters to desserts. They can be used as vegetarian substitutes for dishes such as minced meat, bolognese or lasagne. They can also replace flour or fat in sweet or savory pastry recipes. The idea is really to offer a versatile product. We're mainly targeting the foodservice sector: school canteens, company restaurants and medical-social establishments.
- LEGG'EAU, an innovation that adds value to our manufacturing by-products. This product can be used to create foams and emulsions, like egg whites whipped into snow, or egg yolks to make sauces like mayonnaise.
We favor respectful production, with clean-label products that are minimally processed and composed solely of legumes. We have obtained "Simple Ingredients" certification and are in the process of converting to organic production.
How did you come to contact the CTCPA? What were your needs? What were your objectives?
We contacted the CTCPA to help us scale up our manufacturing process. Our project was conceived at ESA, in a research laboratory dedicated to small-scale R&D. Thanks to a partnership with ESA, we continue to benefit from this space for our day-to-day R&D.
However, with a view to commercialization and larger-scale production, we wanted to take an intermediate, pilot and semi-industrial stage before moving on to industrial production. It was with this in mind that we approached the CTCPA to help us make this transition.
We had several specific needs. As one of our products is sterilized, we had technical questions concerning both the manufacturing process and the packaging. The CTCPA stepped in to provide its expertise and guide us through this phase of preparation for production. What's more, certain stages of our manufacturing process, which worked on a laboratory scale, could not be directly transposed to an industrial scale. Thanks to the CTCPA's support, we were able to obtain advice on available equipment, pressure treatment and other technical aspects required for this transition.
Why did you choose the CTCPA? How did you hear about the CTCPA?
We discovered the CTCPA when we entered the Cap Protéines Challenge competition in 2022. As part of this competition, we benefited from mentoring, and our mentor was a person working for the CTCPA. This mentoring system enabled us to identify points of alignment between our agri-food business and the CTCPA's expertise. When the question of scaling up arose, it seemed obvious to us to call on the CTCPA.
In addition to their technical expertise, the CTCPA has a good deal of experience in supporting projects financed by regional subsidies or national support schemes. In this way, we were able to benefit from the CTCPA's support when applying for funding to set up a business.
A little side note: our mentor, Gilles BERTHEAU from the CTCPA, was also present at one of the production days in Beauvais, along with our change-of-scale support manager, Yann GUYOT. It was quite an amusing moment to bump into him in person, after having seen him mainly on video during the competition.
How did the support go?
The support went very well, with Yann in charge of the file. The process was relatively long, lasting several months. From the outset, we were well taken care of, in particular with the definition of specifications to clearly define the various issues. We had a complex project, with many points to address, and we were very well guided.
Carla LUCET also helped manage the project with Yann, putting us in touch with the right CTCPA contacts at each stage of the project, depending on the various issues involved. For example, we had to validate a whole aspect of packaging before we could consider industrializing the products, in particular to study their aging and conservation. On this subject, we were able to meet another CTCPA expert, David ALLAIN.
We felt well looked after every step of the way. Whenever we had a question, we could count on a qualified person to answer it, which was very much appreciated. This support continued even after we had received the final file, to fine-tune the final details and deal with unforeseen circumstances, such as finding laboratory slots during the busy end-of-year period.
In the end, we worked with the FoodLab in Beauvais, although we had originally planned to transfer to the CTCPA site in Nantes, which was shared with ONIRIS. After the service, we had a problem with our packaging, and we were able to return to the CTCPA for advice on the suppliers we had found. We always received appropriate answers and advice. This constant follow-up, from start to finish, and even after the service, was very pleasant.
What is your assessment today? How do you see the benefits of this support?
The results of this support are very positive. Our main objective was to prepare for industrialization, and this support enabled us to highlight certain points to watch out for in this phase. For example, we were able to refine our specifications to adapt them to different production lines. It also gave us a better grasp of production rates and enabled us to optimize our manufacturing process.
To sum up, the support we received fulfilled its objectives perfectly, enabling us to prepare for the next stage and launch the marketing campaign under the right conditions. It gave us a more precise and secure vision for the rest of the project.
What are your next goals or announcements?
Our next objectives are mainly focused on marketing and industrializing our product. We have recently launched Bas'atout, a culinary base, on the market, which is generating a growing need for production. We are currently working on this, and have recently responded to the Ker Inno Végétal call for projects to be supported by the Jean Henaff group. It's a great opportunity for us.
At the same time, to speed up marketing, we'll be present at the next edition of SIRHA, from January 23, 2025, where we'll be exhibiting for all 5 days of the event. This show represents a key moment for us, and we're looking forward to showcasing our products.
The CTCPA was an essential step in our journey, the first step in enabling us to grow, structure ourselves and launch industrialization. We still have many R&D projects underway, and we're in the process of structuring them for 2025. If specific issues arise that the CTCPA can address, we won't hesitate to call on its expertise. We see our partnership with the CTCPA as a long-term one, and we're very satisfied with the support and expertise we've received so far. So there's no reason not to continue this collaboration.
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CONTACT MADAME BEANS :
Charlotte BLIN (co-founder): charlotte.blin@madamebeans.fr
Lucie JAJOUX (co-founder): lucie.lajoux@madamebeans.fr
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/madame-beans/?originalSubdomain=fr
CONTACT CTCPA :
For a startup project? Contact Carla LUCET : clucet@ctcpa.org
For all other inquiries : contact@ctcpa.org
For more information: https://www.ctcpa.org/