Ready-made seafood products
“Quality, novelty, natural goodness”
Specializing in ready-made seafood dishes, particularly with scallops, the NICOT Group’s seafood branch has two production sites, one in Châteauneuf-du-Faou and the other at Saint-Hernin near Carhaix.
Youinou markets its fresh and frozen products under three brands: Youinou, Kercelt® and Pêcheurs de Saveurs®. Nicot frigorifique, dedicated to storage, freezing and IQF deep-freezing on demand and Dipral in Locminé, a major player in wholesale food product distribution, both reinforce the group’s potential across the value chain. Our aim is to become one of Brittany’s leading ready-made seafood dish producers.
History of the Nicot Group
The Nicot Group is a family firm founded in 1934.
- In 1934, Pierre Nicot started trading in Melgven, in the Finistère department, selling seeds to local farmers.
- In the 1950s, with his son Pierre-Henri, Pierre Nicot set up a chain of seven stores across western Brittany. imultaneously, he branched out into other areas, investing in the fishing industry, cold storage and the wholesale frozen food trade.
- En 1973, Nicot opened a 2,000 m² garden center in Quimper.
- In 1991, Pierre-Henri Nicot took over as group CEO after having worked alongside his father for 40 years.
- In 1999, the group set up a ready-made seafood dish production: Savormer.
- In 2002, Pierre-Yves Nicot took over as CEO, representing the third generation of Nicots to head the family firm. That same year, the group opened a new 6,000 m² garden center in Quimper, and took over Dipral, illustrating the company’s diversification and continuity.
- In August 2010, the group acquired the “Andouillerie du Château” in Châteauneuf-du-Faou. The company specializes in hand made, traditional “andouilles de Guéméné” (chitterling sausages) on a 2,000 m² site.
- In June 2013, the Nicot Group took over Youinou, with the aim of becoming a market leader in ready-made seafood dishes. By merging production resources, the group has been able to establish a solid R&D team in charge of innovation. The aim is to offer new products suited to different market demands.
The group as it stands
The group has a staff of 240 and sales amounting to €40 million. Our business covers a range of activities, including:
- Youinou, a company specializing in ready-made seafood dishes, particularly with scallops. It produces over 40 million scallop products annually. Produce caught by French and more particularly, Breton fishing boats are always preferred, market conditions permitting,
- The Andouillerie du Château in Châteauneuf-du-Faou, producing traditional Guéméné and Vire “andouilles” (chitterling sausage), smoked pork tongue and other delicatessen products, all made in the traditional manner,
- Nicot frigorifique, dedicated to storage, freezing and IQF deep-freezing on demand, • and Dipral, in Locminé, a major player in wholesale food product distribution for the catering sector.
More than 40 million scallops per year
Ready-made scallop dishes, a carefully-guarded family secret !
Our ready-made scallops have proved a tremendous success with consumers over thirty years. With Youinou products, every sauce is made according to the art of traditional cooking, and every recipe is a well-kept secret. Youinou’s knowhow and sense of tradition have made them one of the market leaders.
BRETON-STYLE scallop nuggets
A traditional dish with only the finest ingredients: milk, lobster bisque, mushrooms, onions, butter, shallots…and a light touch of brandy. The dish is sprinkled with bread crumbs and garnished with a pure butter puff pastry crescent.Our scallop nuggets are cooked in a vegetable broth and fish stock, to bring out all the flavors and preserve the quality of the tasty scallop nugget flesh.
NORMANDY-STYLE scallops
Large scallop nuggets with their tender coral, carefully nested by hand. Finely garnished with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and a pure butter puff pastry crescent. All the flavors of Normandy in a single seafood dish! Tasty fresh cream sauce, with chopped shallots and a dash of Calvados apple brandy!
Ready-made oyster dishes exceptional sensations to be enjoyed all year round!
A real oyster presented in its own shell (frozen food section) or in a stoneware shell (fresh food section), cooked with exceptional ingredients. An up-market food product, very high quality and sophisticated, perfect for receptions and dinner cocktails.
Customers can enjoy ready-made oyster products all year round, getting the full benefit of the oyster’s delicate, tasty flesh and all nutritional benefits (iron, magnesium…) that this noble shellfish can offer.
Always on the look out for new ideas, Youinou has imagined several recipes for this product:
- Oysters with cider
- Oysters with champagne
- Oysters with parsley butter.
Scallop nuggets with PINK ONIONS from BRITTANY
An original recipe full of subtle flavors!
Our cooks reduce the onions to get a creamy pink Brittany onion sauce. In the sauce, the onions become less aggressive, their texture is more creamy and their fruity taste is enhanced.
The scallop nuggets are from French origin Pecten maximus scallops fished in the north-east Atlantic. The quality of their flesh, their size and their delicate aroma make this cooked scallop a delicacy, ideal for festive occasions.
Pink Brittany onions are a native Breton produce which are easily recognisable by their fruity aroma, their color and their texture.
The sauce is prepared according to a traditional recipe, with simple, natural produce: cream, milk, butter, flour, white wine, salt, pepper and parsley.
ROYAL scallops
60%, pure scallop nuggets
A gourmet delicacy highlighting the nobility and the richness of the ocean: 60 % of scallop nuggets. A must for special occasions! The scallop nuggets are cooked in a smooth sauce, with a drop of cream, a dab of parsley and shallot, and a dash of brandy.
Scallop nuggets with coral, DELICATESSEN style
“Delicatessen style” scallops are generous scallop nuggets presented with their tender coral. The nuggets are carefully placed by hand and garnished with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and a pure butter puff pastry crescent. A creamy, tasty, gourmet delicacy!