The company is based in Fresnoy-le-Grand in Northern France and the cast iron Dutch ovens are the most famous item, which date back to the conception of the company. The hardy enamel and lifetime guarantee has made the products family heirlooms, and are known to outlive their purchasers.
But now, an entire kitchen can be decked out with Le Creuset only, for fans with deep enough pockets. For example, an entire pallet of 157 pieces can be bought in the US for $4,500.
Plates, pans, gravy boats, cake tins, spoons and kettles are just some of the items made by the company which has weathered a 20 per cent dip in sales caused by the post-pandemic cost of living crisis.
Nick Ryder, Le Creuset’s managing director, said in the company’s annual reports last year: “In the post-Covid world, with changing spending patterns and a backdrop of increasing prices and interest rates, the market we operate in has seen a decrease in spend.”
But while people may normally struggle to condone paying hundreds of pounds for a pot when much cheaper imitations are available, the weekend rush for discounted Le Creuset items shows the company is still held in high esteem by the English middle classes.