It all started more than fifty years ago with a cement mixer in the courtyard of a farmhouse in Alsace back in 1971! That was the year when Georges Chiavazza began the artisanal production of his first mixed spices and created the brand La Case aux Epices for his new company, Société Alsacienne de Conditionnement Moderne (SACM). These are the very first foundations of the history of Idhéa. The cement mixer and the farmyard were soon replaced to meet demand from Buitoni, which needed packets of spices for its couscous and paellas.
In the Nineties, based on its in-depth experience producing individual doses, SACM branched out into making single-dose sauces. To do so, it purchased sauces from a neighbouring company, Maechler , which became Saveurs & Sauces a few years later. The first buildings on the current site were erected in Hochfelden in 1998. Up until then, La Case aux Epices had rented a former hops shed that had been modernised over the years. However, the company needed more space to start producing its sauces itself and then packaging them.
The year 2001 saw another turning point in the company’s history: The pioneering spirit that was already a well-established aspect of La Case aux Epices came to the fore again with the launch of the first sauce “stickets”; small single-dose portions in the form of sticks. In 2013, after various movements of share capital, its partner Saveurs & Sauces acquired La Case aux Epices. The two companies merged in 2014 under a new name: Idhéa. With an “h”, as in Hochfelden.
In 2016, Migros Industrie became interested in Idhéa’s expertise and versatility, seeing an opportunity to bring together the production of all its cold sauces at a single site. Shortly thereafter, ELSA-Mifroma bought the company’s entire share capital. From 2017 onwards, it began investing in the Elix project, which became the starting point of the transfer of ELSA sauces to Idhéa; a vast project that continued until the first quarter of 2019. Since then, the story of Idhéa has been a real whirlwind. Wonderful projects proliferated, all undertaken with support from Migros Industrie, whose expertise enabled Idhéa establish a significant position within Segment II and resume the conquest of its historical market in France. Some examples: Setting up a lean strategy, industrial investment to relaunch a series of more sustainable Migros-brand salad dressings, the launch of the La Fraîch’ Touch brand for French hypermarkets and supermarkets, the relaunch the historical brand Saveurs & Sauces, and the acquisition of the iconic Swiss brand frifrench.. In summary, although Idhéa is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding brand La Case aux Epices, it is fair to say that there will probably be plenty more jubilees in the decades ahead.
