Audio description

Packaging & Shipping

Hello, my name is Gérard and I handle shipments. Once the products are packaged, they are stored at room temperature.

Our products are then distributed through our own stores in Beaune and Dijon, via our online shop, and through specialized channels, gourmet food shops, and mass-market retail outlets. A portion is also exported, notably to Japan and Canada.

Filling and decoration — audio description

Hello, I’m Indaletta; I’m the artist of the house.

I’m the one who fills the gingerbread with orange marmalade and decorates the traditional gingerbread.

Using hand-cut candied fruits, I bring life and color to gingerbread creations—such as the *pavé dijonnais*, *sabots*, *galoche*, and *couronne*—as well as all our other Easter and Christmas novelties. It’s very meticulous work, but I have all the designs in my head.

Baking and nonnettes — audio description

Hello, I’m Jonathan, the team leader.

Cooking is my specialty.

We use several types of ovens, depending on the products.

The *pavés* are baked in our traditional ovens, the figurines in a rotary oven, and the famous *nonnettes* in a tunnel oven that you can see through the large window.

Speaking of *nonnettes*… The dough is placed into a rotary machine that cuts it into circles. After passing through the tunnel kiln, an operator checks the quality and sets aside any non-conforming items. They will be turned into breadcrumbs or sent for methanization.

Next, they are injected with jam and then lightly glazed. They then dry in a tunnel and finish cooling on the spiral before being wrapped in perfectly airtight film to ensure proper preservation.

Next, we carry out labeling that must comply with regulations.

The rolls then pass under a metal detector and are weighed using a checkweigher.

Next, we pack them into cartons and place them in stock before shipping them to our customers.

Hello, I’m Indaletta; I’m the artist of the house.

I’m the one who fills the gingerbread with orange marmalade and decorates the traditional gingerbread.

Using hand-cut candied fruits, I bring life and color to gingerbread creations—such as the *pavé dijonnais*, *sabots*, *galoche*, and *couronne*—as well as all our other Easter and Christmas novelties.

It’s very meticulous work, but I have all the designs in my head.

Traditional manufacturing — audio description

Hello, my name is Thomas, and I am going to talk to you about traditional manufacturing.

In this workshop, we produce, among other things, the iconic 6 kg *pavé*—sold by the slice in our shops and particularly prized by chefs.

To make it, we first roll out the dough with a traditional rolling pin, then place it directly into the mold by hand.

The block is then marked using a die-cutter.

This thick cut of meat is going to cook for more than two hours.

In this workshop, we also make other gingerbread products as well as figurines such as pigs, owls, fish…

To do this, the first step is to cut the dough and place it into the dough divider to form individual dough pieces.

Next, the dough is rolled out in a dough sheeter—essentially a mechanical rolling pin.

The dough is then cut, placed in molds, or deposited onto a baking sheet.

Cooking time ranges from a few minutes to nearly an hour. Once baking is complete, we will let the gingerbread rest for a while in the room before it is decorated or packaged.

Making *pâte braquée* — audio description

For the stiff dough, I have a smaller mixer.

First, I cut up the mother dough—and that takes some muscle, because after resting for several weeks, it is very solid.

I weigh it and put it into the mixer. Next, I add the spices, the leavening agents, and the egg yolks.

To comply with the code of practice for gingerbread, the fat content must not exceed 3%; that is why we do not add butter or any other fat. After kneading, the dough is ready to be used.

Making the mother dough — audio description

Hello, my name is Jonathan, and I am the dough specialist.

The first step in making gingerbread is preparing the mother dough. This essential step is part of the customary way of handling gingerbread.

Mix the sugar and honey, and add the flour.

For the kids

Throughout the year, the Gingerbread Factory offers activities for young and old alike!

During school holidays, children can participate in our gingerbread decorating workshops, held on Wednesdays and Fridays. Themed guided tours are also offered during major annual events, such as Valentine’s Day or Easter.

As a family, explore the museum with our “Museum Investigation” booklet: an adventure to solve together, between parents and children, throughout the visit.

And to extend the experience at home, discover Maude Liotard’s book, *Les secrets du pain d’épices* (The Secrets of Gingerbread): featuring delicate pastel illustrations, a magical world, and a story inspired by our Factory… You might even recognize a few places!

You can find our full schedule at the reception desk, and please don’t hesitate to ask our team for advice.

Temporary Exhibition : packagings

Welcome to the Factory lobby!

This space was once the storage area for our raw materials.

We have currently put up an exhibition there featuring vintage labels and graphics—found on boxes, chromolithographs, or other visual materials—once used by the Mulot & Petitjean firm.

Over the centuries, packaging has become much more than a simple means of protecting the product: it tells a story, conveys a world, and reflects the evolution of tastes and eras.

The early days of packaging: protecting, informing, then enticing

In the early 18th century, packaging served primarily a practical function: protecting, transporting, and preserving products.
Gradually, it also became a tool for differentiation, making it possible to identify a brand and inform the buyer. In the 19th century, with the rise of department stores and consumer society, packaging evolved: boxes made of wood, paper, or cardboard gradually replaced the sale of goods in bulk and became objects that reflected the tastes and fashions of their time.

Boxes: from simple container to precious object

In the 19th century, the boxes became genuine decorative objects, adorned with gold lettering, emblems, or refined illustrations. They no longer serve merely to protect the product: they tell the story of a house.

At Mulot & Petitjean, certain vintage visuals continue to inspire our current packaging. Once kept and reused in households, these boxes have become true family keepsakes.

Have fun exploring the different styles of boxes in our shop!

At Mulot & Petitjean, we continue to draw inspiration from this graphic heritage by revisiting iconic elements of our identity—such as angels, fruit, flowers, and vintage decorative motifs.

Some historical packaging and trade cards have even been preserved almost exactly as they were—such as the famous gingerbread strips and half-strips, which have become true hallmarks of the House.

The beginnings of advertising

In the mid-19th century, advertising experienced a real boom in France. New means of communication are emerging: illustrated posters, newspaper advertisements (as you saw in the Office).
Shopkeepers also distribute small, colorful advertising cards known as *chromos*.

Chromolithography: a revolutionary printing technique

Chromolithography emerged in the 19th century, making it possible to print in color. Posters, catalogues, advertising cards, and packaging are adorned with brilliantly colored images: figures and decorative patterns. These images enhance the product and make it easier for the customer to recognize their favorite brand.

Chromos: collectible images

Chromos enjoyed great success, particularly among children who had fun collecting them. They can depict humorous scenes, tales, games, animals, landscapes, events linked to the seasons and festivals, and major historical events.

Today, these small images have become genuine collector’s items, sought after by enthusiasts at garage sales and flea markets.

In the shop, you can see several gingerbreads featuring a decorative picture: the owl, the field mouse, Pompon the bear, and—at the end of the year—Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus!

A closer look at typography

The evolution of packaging also involves the evolution of the lettering used.

As early as the 19th century, letterpress printing made it possible to reproduce texts and patterns using raised characters that were inked and then pressed onto paper or cardboard.

Every era has its own style:

In the 19th century, Victorian influences favored highly decorative lettering, featuring elaborate ornamentation and intricate serifs.

At the end of the century, Art Nouveau introduced more fluid forms inspired by nature, featuring curved lines and floral motifs.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Art Deco established elegant, modern, geometric forms.

In the mid-20th century, simpler, more streamlined typefaces emerged, associated with an image of modernity and legibility.

Have fun looking at the various Mulot & Petitjean logos; they reflect the evolution of graphic styles and trends over time.

The Jacquelines

La Jacqueline, a treat inspired by Dijon’s history

Do you know the story of the Jacqueline? Behind its name, this delicious Dijon confection conceals a wonderful story linked to one of the city’s iconic landmarks.

In 1382, Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, defeated the Flemings at Courtrai. He then presented the people of Dijon with the automaton clock installed at the top of the Church of Notre-Dame in Dijon.

In the 16th century, to break the solitude of the automaton named “Jacquemart,” the people of Dijon decided to give him a companion—Jacqueline—and later, two children: Jacquelinet and Jacquelinette.

A few centuries later, in 1926, the Dijon pastry chef Anthonin Michelin created a new confection he named “Jacqueline”—a delicious tribute to Jacquemart’s faithful wife.

To this day, the Jacquemart family unfailingly strikes the hours, quarters, and half-hours, and the Jacquelines remain one of the symbols of Dijon’s culinary tradition.

The Jacquelines are handmade, one by one. They require two days of preparation.

The heart of the Jacqueline is cut out using a cutter, then dipped in royal icing and subsequently dried in the oven.

The next day, the soaking and drying process is repeated for the second side.

In 2003, production was taken over by the firm Mulot & Petitjean, which has kept the recipe and craftsmanship of the *Jacquelines* alive.
Three flavors are available: Praline, Nougatine, and Coffee Nougatine.

FACTORY ARCHIVES

What is the future outlook for the factory?

THE FACTORY TODAY

Around fifty employees currently work for Mulot & Petitjean across various departments: sales staff for our six physical stores (in Dijon and Beaune), as well as teams handling sales, administration, quality control, maintenance, shipping, and—of course—production, where the workforce is bolstered by seasonal staff starting in August to prepare for the holiday season.

Product quality and long-standing expertise are recognized by several labels:

A Living Heritage Company since 2012,
PME+ since 2018,
Quality Artisan Producer since 2018,
A House of excellence and craftsmanship since 2024.

What is the R&D lab for?

The R&D lab is where we develop new recipes or improve existing ones. Every new product undergoes testing in this laboratory—such as shelf-life and flavor evolution tests—before entering production in our manufacturing facility.

It is in the R&D laboratory that our master gingerbread maker crafts bespoke creations. These include, for instance, our shop window displays—such as a gingerbread bicycle for the Tour de France, Advent wreaths, gingerbread houses, and giant Christmas trees—as well as special customer requests, like pyramids of mini *nonnettes* or decorated gingerbread blocks.

This is where the magic happens…

Gingerbread bicycle

Designed and crafted for the Tour de France.

Fir tree decorated with sugar icing

Gingerbread heart

Created for Valentine’s Day.

The workshop — audiodescription

Now welcome to the reconstruction of our “artisanat” factory. All the machines and all the equipment that you will see have been used to make “pain d’épices”. We have looked after them carefully all these years.

First of all, before going in, the rules of hygiene must be followed. All jewelry should be removed, overalls, hair nets, shoe protectors, and a beard net, if you need one, must be worn and hands washed well.

Now, let’s head off to meet the team who will show around their workstations and tell you a bit about the craft here at “Mulot et Petitjean”.

We’ll see you at the end of the tour for a taste testing session. Enjoy your visit!

audiodescription

Jam and filling

Plain “pain d’épices” tastes great, but over time, recipes have changed according to the taste of the consumers. The variety of “pain d’épices” available has grown and today you can find it in many different forms: for example the *nonnettes* and mini-*nonnettes*, which are filled with jam, and the *lady’s fingers* coated with a thin layer of suger glaze, typical of Dijon.

There is an extensive choice of jams in the nonnettes. In front of you, you can see the range of fruits from which our jams are made.

Candied fruit are added to the doughs, or are used as decoration.

audiodescription

Spices

Wheat flour and honey are not the only ingredients that we add to this recipe. There are also a number of spices, which bring their own flavors to the final product. At Mulot et Petitjean, we add essence of star anise into the traditional Dijon “pain d’épices”. You can get a whiff of if by lifting the lid of the pots on the table in front of you.

You only need a few drops of this essence to flavor the dough. Each “pain d’épices” has its own recipe, and as such, the quantity of each flavouring used can vary between the different doughs.

We also add egg yolks and raising agents such as bicarbonate of soda and ammonium carbonate. These allow the “pain d’épices” to rise and give it its distinctive texture during the baking process.

Today, tastes have evolved, and “pain d’épices” is no longer as spicy as it used to be. In some regions and certain productions, other spices ar added, such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, or ginger which have more powerful flavors and are only used in special recipes. All these spices are used in places like Alsace and Germany.

Cereals — audiodescription

Flour, but not just any old flour! Do you remember Marie-Thérèse’s story? In Dijon, “pain d’épices” is made using flour made from common wheat.

Common wheat is a tender wheat, different from the hard wheat used to make things like pasta and couscous. It is grown in our region and arrives as ground flour. For a long time, the flour used to arrive in sacks—like those you can see in front of you. Tody, it is stored in a silo, which offers much better protection.

We also get requests for special orders made with rye flour, but this, of course, isn’t Dijon’-style gingerbread’s famous “pain d’epices”. Rye is a cereal grain which is just as suitable to make bread or “pain d’épices”, but is favoured in the north of France. During the war, wheat flour was requisitioned, so we had to use rice flour instead to make “pain d’épices”.

Nowadays, we get a delivery every week, which goes straight into the silo. To make a 6kg batch, we use just all the 3 kilos of the flour, but you will find more about this later on.

THE DOCK — AUDIODESCRIPTION

Honey

Honey arrives in large quantities, because it is such an important part of our recipe. The honey we use is not made from one single type of flower, so that the flavor of “pain d’épices” is more subtle.

When you think that one single bee produces only 7g of honey per season, imagine the number of bees that it would take to produce our supply. Take a look in the barrels to find out more.

THE DOCK — AUDIODESCRIPTION

Discovering raw materials

Sylvie Bonnard: Hello everyone. We’re going to learn about all the raw materials needed to produce “pain d’épices”.

This area here is divided into several different zones.

First of all, in front of you, are all the flours.

On your left, is the honey.

Over on your right you will find the spices.

Then in the wooden boxes, you can see the candied fruits and the jams.

Please don’t hesitate to get up close to each zone to get a better look at these ingredients.

When you’re finished, please make your way through the factory door to find out more about the manufacturing process of our “pain d’épices”.

Shops & points of sale

vintage advertisements

The beginnings of advertising

contact_support

Did you know?

Do you know why there are angels on our logo?
In 1796, Barnabé Boittier was the only one making gingerbread in Dijon. Faced with emerging competition, he chose a distinctive emblem: two angels surrounding his initials, proclaiming the quality of his gingerbread.

A closer look at molds

Gingerbread has always accompanied the great moments of the year.

From Easter to Saint Catherine’s Day—taking in Saint Nicholas Day and Christmas along the way—it graces our tables in step with the rhythm of holidays and culinary traditions.

Over time, and to mark significant events, the Mulot & Petitjean firm has devised new creations, as evidenced by the numerous molds on display in this room.

contact_support

Did you know?

During the First World War, to boost morale, children played with war-related toys, such as wooden weapons or lead soldiers. Today, it might seem surprising, but at the time, it was a way of showing support for the soldiers.

THE OFFICE — AUDIODESCRIPTION

The story begins

Catherine Petit-Jean: Hello, Marie-Thérèse. Could you tell us about Margaret of Flanders and Philip the Bold, who are depicted here?

Marie-Thérèse Garcin: Hello Catherine, and hello everyone. Margaret of Flanders and Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, were married in Ghent on June 19, 1369. Together, they worked to improve wine quality, notably by banning the planting of Gamay grapes on limestone and clay-limestone soils. Legend also has it that she was responsible for the origin of the Charolais cattle breed. She had the streets of Dijon paved and installed heated ranges in the ducal kitchens there. It was she who laid the first paving stone at Champmol on August 17, 1383.

On February 12, 1389, the King of France, a guest of the ducal couple, stayed at Germole. The following day, the King was received at the ducal palace in Dijon, where the reception was particularly lavish. The meal was magnificent:

Voice: Black purée soup with strips of bacon – Verjuice broths – Poultry hochepots – Lark pies with lamb and kid offal sausage – Young rabbits with mint – Confit of young wild boar – Stuffed suckling pigs – Swan and small pike pastries – Hares and rabbits with mustard – Fish *pôchouse* with *piquette* sauce – Oven-roasted fawns and fallow deer – Hens in *blanc-manger* – Airy elderflower fritters.

And for sweets: filled pastries, fennel tart, darioles, medlar crêpes, confit rissoles, green wheat, and boichet.

Marie-Thérèse Garcin: It’s the *boichet* that interests us, as it is a cousin of our gingerbread. Marguerite brought it back from her native Flanders.

Catherine Petit-Jean: Did the *boichet*—the ancestor of gingerbread—originate in Flanders?

Marie-Thérèse Garcin: Yes and no. Gingerbread arrived on European tables thanks to the Crusades of the Middle Ages; Crusaders set off to defend Jerusalem on the other side of the Mediterranean and brought back many things—numerous spices, and gingerbread. Spices were a precious commodity and a sign of wealth. For a long time, spices served as a form of currency—to the point of giving rise to the French expression “payer en espèces” (to pay in cash).

Gingerbread originated in China as “Mi-Kong.” Used as a combat ration by Genghis Khan’s cavalry, it spread throughout Europe.

Catherine Petit-Jean: Marie-Thérèse, you’ve taken us on a journey—but why did Dijon become the capital of gingerbread?

Marie-Thérèse Garcin: You heard Barnabé Boittier correctly. Reims initially played the role of a gingerbread city.

The tradition of Dijon gingerbread emerged only after the Revolution. It is distinct: while rye flour was used in Reims, Alsace, and abroad, Dijon bakers used wheat flour—much like the *boichet* of Margaret of Flanders. There was no gingerbread makers’ guild in Dijon, making it easier to set up business there.

Catherine Petit-Jean: Thank you, Marie-Thérèse, for this journey across the world and through time. I invite you to continue to the next room, where you will meet Sylvie, the manager of the production site.

230 years of history

For over 230 years, the story of Mulot & Petitjean has been, above all, a family adventure, evolving from generation to generation. As you move through this room, meet the men and women who built this House and discover how their passion has preserved a level of craftsmanship now recognized with the *Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant* (Living Heritage Company) label.

raw materials dock

Spices

The Tour

Packaging & Shipping

Throughout the year, the Gingerbread Factory offers activities for young and old alike!

Welcome to the Factory lobby!

The early days of packaging: protecting, informing, then enticing

Boxes: from simple container to precious object

The beginnings of advertising

Chromolithography: a revolutionary printing technique

Chromos: collectible images

A closer look at typography

Every era has its own style:

La Jacqueline, a treat inspired by Dijon’s history

Product quality and long-standing expertise are recognized by several labels:

Jam and filling

Spices

Honey

Discovering raw materials

The beginnings of advertising

Do you know why there are angels on our logo?
In 1796, Barnabé Boittier was the only one making gingerbread in Dijon. Faced with emerging competition, he chose a distinctive emblem: two angels surrounding his initials, proclaiming the quality of his gingerbread.

During the First World War, to boost morale, children played with war-related toys, such as wooden weapons or lead soldiers. Today, it might seem surprising, but at the time, it was a way of showing support for the soldiers.

The story begins

230 years of history

raw materials dock

Spices

The Tour

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arrow_forward Room 1 : The office keyboard_arrow_down

arrow_forward Room 2 : the Dock keyboard_arrow_down

arrow_forward Room3 : the Workshop keyboard_arrow_down

arrow_forward Room 4 : the Shop keyboard_arrow_down