RESURRECTION, the concept of food upcycling. Interview with Marie Kerouedan, founder of RESURRECTION

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Since 2018, RESURRECTION has been offering crackers and tortillas from grains from the manufacture of beer, apple grounds from the manufacture of cider and soy okara from the manufacture of vegetable milk. The company is based on an innovative concept, that of food upcycling. It manufactures all its organic and eco-responsible products in the South-West of France with at least 85% French ingredients. Now available in no less than 900 points of sale in the territory, the start-up continues to grow. On the principle of “Nothing is lost everything is transformed” back on the development of RESURRECTION with the founder Marie Kerouedan.

How did you get started on the RESURRECTION adventure?

Before founding RESURRECTION Marie Kerouedan already had a great experience in the business world. Indeed, she already has 12 years of experience as an entrepreneur in the sustainable food sector. This year of experience, have inevitably made him aware of this subject. And for good reason, at home, she produces her beer and makes a statement about the co-products. Co-products are unavoidable materials that result from the manufacturing process of the main product. So how to value these materials that are at first sight intended to be discarded. According to Marie Kerouedan, there is something to be done. The material is palatable, it smells good. After further research, it even turns out that it is nutritionally interesting.

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Crackers like no other…. – RESURRECTION photographs

“I became aware of the waste deposits called co-products. It was a shame to leave these materials untapped.”

From the, Marie Kerouedan, carries out tests in her kitchen. With these co-products, she makes tasty biscuits. And little by little the idea of RESURRECTION materializes in particular in the search for other exploitable co-products.

Committed and greedy

“We had the idea to focus on all kinds of organic and plant-based co-products”

In 2018, RESURRECTION was born and specializes in food up-cycling to offer cookies from co-products. Thus, the biscuits are made from grains from the manufacture of beer, apple grounds from the manufacture of cider and soy okara from the manufacture of vegetable milk. RESURRECTION’s desire is to use only organic and plant co-products from local producers in the South West.

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Marie KEROUEDAN, the founder of RESURRECTION

From now on, RESURRECTION offers about twenty references of biscuits. The brand is distributed in 900 points of sale in the territory. The products are available mainly in specialized organic networks at organic retailers such as Bio C Bon or Naturalia or in bulk grocery stores. In its RESURRECTION strategy also includes co-branding with La Vie Claire. In parallel, it has also developed a brand, La Biscuiterie Bordelaise for distribution in supermarkets.

How and where do you collect co-products?

For the manufacture of its products, RÉSURRRECTION therefore uses organic and vegetable co-products from local producers. The startup is in a dynamic of territory.

“We do not need to pick up the co-products 5000 kilometers away we prefer only the local”

If RESURRECTION is looking for local producers, the logic can also be reversed. Indeed, some producers are also entering into a process of valorization of co-products and call on the startup. Following this, RESURRECTION is responsible for collecting the co-products, stabilizing them as ingredients and finally incorporating them into the products. 75% of the ingredients that make up the products come from Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Thus, year after year, RESURRECTION innovates to offer ethical but also gourmet products. The next step for the company is to obtain the IFS Global Markets Food which assesses the safety of standardized foods for private label products. This will make it possible to go further in terms of quality and in the safety of processes and productions.

The activity, which has developed strongly, has allowed you to acquire a factory. What are the next projects to continue this development?

Before acquiring the new plant in Canéjan, RESURRECTION only produced crackers in a partner factory in the Dordogne. Now faced with the growth in demand, RESURRECTION has a 1400 square meter factory to internalize production. This new plant is the culmination of more than a year and a half of research and work. Based in Canéjan, this plant integrates the R&D division, the offices and the production, packaging and stabilization of co-products. Today, RESURRECTION produces 2 tons of products per month. To meet the demand, at the end of the year, the goal will be to produce 5 to 6 tons per month. In this context, the company has invested 700,000 euros in order to have a high-performance production tool that must meet agri-food production standards as well as AB Ecocert specifications.

An R&D laboratory at the heart of RESURRECTION’s development

In a logic of innovation and development, RESURRECTION relies on its R&D laboratory and its R&D service delivery activity “Le bon Lab”. Indeed, Le Bon Lab also supports other productions of different agri-food brands in order to support them in the development of a range of products from co-products. In parallel, new products are underway such as a new spreadable reference that will be added to guacamole without avocado.

In addition, by 2023 RESURRECTION plans to export its products beyond the borders of the territory.

What do you think of the state of mind of consumers today?

For Marie Kerouedan, with RESURRECTION the idea is to produce biscuits, good, gourmet and respectful of environmental values. The brand wants to make it clear that with upcycling, organic and local it is possible to eat well and have fun. A vision that seems to be supported by consumers who are increasingly sensitive to the local dimension. Every month the demands increase. A craze that is also supported by the affordable side of the products. Indeed, for Marie Kerouedan, eating well should not cost more.

“We sell our products at an affordable price without making concessions”

Thus, RESURRECTION products are at the same prices as some private label products to the delight of consumers. A proof that eating ethical, organic and healthy is within everyone’s reach.

Sources:

BORDEAUX Business interview with Marie Kerouedan, President Resurrection SAS, June 21, 2022

“RESURRECTION sets up its own organic biscuit production plant locally!” RESURRECTION, press release of May 27, 2022

The RESURRECTION website

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