From the kitchen to the cutlery
Théo Grellier took over the helm of Farol, the well-known manufacturer of sea knives in La Rochelle, in October 2022. The young man explains simply how he came to buy the company from its founder, Sylvain Berthommé. "I had until recently restaurants, which I sold. Shortly after, I learned that Sylvain wanted to sell Farol. I was a knife user in the restaurant business, I also sail, so I knew right away it was for me!"
A profession of know-how
Since its creation in 1996, Farol has built a good reputation, with a solid recognition of artisanal cutlery. The company employs 8 people, not including the manager. Between 5,000 and 6,000 knives are produced each year in the workshops located in La Rochelle. It is on this know-how that Théo Grellier intends to build: "It's a product that speaks to me. We are a Living Heritage Company. There is a link with the ocean and boating and I want to keep this DNA of a marine knife. Everything is made in-house, the blades, the wood for the handles, but also the leatherwork for the cases."
Responding to the demands of seafarers and maritime professionals
If he already wants to take his marks and continue the work of his predecessor, Théo Grellier also has some ideas for the development of Farol knives. The former chef wishes to continue to enlarge the range of table knives, but also to develop the offer of folding knives, in its shapes and materials. "We released this late 2022 a knife with a stainless steel damask blade. This rare material gives a very good resistance to the blade, especially in the marine environment."
The new manager of Farol also wants to organize the company to meet the demand of the professionals of the sea, as he explains in conclusion. "I want to highlight our professional products that appeal to fishermen and oyster farmers, but also to boating pros. We need to be able to better respond to demand for example our rigging knife, with the splicer and de-splicer."
