In 1892, a confectioner from Alsace, Eugène Weiss, tied his name to the reputation of Saint-Etienne, the city of chocolate. This involved the creation of a factory, the opening of 2 stores, and, 124 years later, the creation of Les Ateliers Eugène Weiss (the Eugène Weiss Workshops), which opened in Fall 2016 in Saint-Étienne.
Nowadays we would call this a success story in the past, a wonderful human adventure. That of a high-end chocolate pioneer, a discoverer. He invented that art of praline and blending, as well as the Napolitain, a small rectangle of chocolate, recognised throughout the world as an accompaniment to a coffee and a relaxing break.
Since then, the reputation of Weiss chocolates, acquired over generations of confectioners, has been undeniable on an international scale. All the more reason to reveal the secret of the Saint-Étienne company's expertise within Les Ateliers Weiss.
Full of Discovery
Designed as a lively place, Les Ateliers Weiss, the architecture of which plays with glass and steel, is based over two levels and 530m², in the very heart of the original chocolate factory. From there, there is a stunning view of the production workshops of the famous Nougastelles, crunchy nougat squares filled with almond and hazelnut praline and almond powder.
These workshops were created with three areas:
- Permanent and Temporary Exhibits A permanent museum on the rich chocolatier past of Saint-Etienne combined with a guided tour of the Weiss workshops by an employee of the Weiss establishment. There you will discover the different stages of chocolate manufacturing: the coating, the decoration, and more.
- Boutique Where you will choose the ingredients of your bar before having it made by a master chocolatier.
- Restaurant With a menu created by the Michelin starred chef, Christophe Roure, a Lyon restaurant owner.
More generally, the ambition of Les Ateliers Weiss is to encourage the meeting of chocolate fans and master confectioners, passionate about their profession and wanting to reveal their expertise to all the fans of the famous sweet food.
By France.fr
The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…
