Our story

As a young father working for myself, I left everything behind after a long journey through Peru from August to late December 2012. I spent several weeks living alongside communities in the Amazon rainforest, an experience that changed me. It was a few dozen kilometres from Pucallpa that I found my calling, after a career as a technician and sales engineer.

When I returned in 2013, I took the leap and faced my fears. I wanted to do something that excited me: take my time, experiment, and bring my experiences and skills together in a venture that reflected who I was. I thought: “That's it! I could sell spices and explain how to use them: share reliable information with a smile, show people authentic products so they can recognise quality, and explain exactly how to make the most of each spice's many uses.” How could anyone resist being swept away by the aromas of spices from around the world?

I worked with ADIE on a plan to apply for a microloan and support for young entrepreneurs. I bought a van, built a wooden stand on wheels and filled bowls with spices chosen through friends and contacts around the world. That was how my fine food business began.

My first event was a Mother's Day promotion at Auchan in Mont-Saint-Martin, near the border with the Benelux countries. It was 15 days of tireless work, and the response gave me hope for a promising future in the spice trade. From there, I went to the Cora shopping arcade in Sarrebourg, the Chateaufarine shopping centre in Besançon, the European Fair in Strasbourg, the Metz Fair and Luxembourg.

In 2014, I sponsored France's largest cookery class at the Egast trade show, with my logo displayed at the front of the stage. That was when I decided to register Citron Safran as a trademark. The fairs and trade shows brought me into contact with so many people, including Babette de Rozière through her Salon de la Gastronomie des Outre-Mer.

Selling spices from around the world and tea gives me enormous pleasure, especially when I see people's faces light up. My stall is full of colour and aroma, with everything sold loose. Using long-handled tools, I reach into the jars, invite people to smell the spices, and talk with them about these wonderful products.

Passionate about my new profession, I like to think I stir emotions through food. I offer more than spices: a whole world that adds flavour to life itself. It is a pleasure to savour and share. A little spice or tea, just a pinch of seeds or herbs, can brighten a dish and bring its own story to the table. I see my future in travelling in search of these spices.

In 2016, I opened my first fine food shop in Strasbourg while continuing to travel to events across France. It soon became a gathering place for people eager to discover flavours from around the world.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought fairs and trade shows to a halt, but we kept going. Unable to travel, we focused on developing our existing website and began dispatching far more orders. This helped us reconnect with many customers who had come to know and trust us at fairs, while greatly expanding our online customer base.

Today, Citron Safran has two shops, one in the heart of Strasbourg and the other in Schweighouse-sur-Moder, as well as an online shop that delivers to metropolitan France. More than 400 products await you, from pure spices and handcrafted blends to exceptional teas and gift sets, all chosen with the same passion and high standards that have guided us since 2013.

Thank you for being part of this adventure.