Sourcing and Processing
Expertise - Quality - Reliability
800
RAW MATERIAL REFERENCES
400 m²
CRUSHING ZONE
2,000 m²
FROM THE STORAGE WAREHOUSE
200 m²
OFFICES IN AUBAGNE
– Gilles Talrich, CEO of LHG.
LHG Sourcing: 100% Natural Spices and Herbs
Quality Control and Traceability of Our Raw Materials
Our top priority is to provide professionals with authentic, consistently high-quality, and 100% natural raw materials. Upon each delivery, our batches of spices and herbs are rigorously inspected and approved.
Since our founding, LHG has been building lasting relationships of trust with spice producers and suppliers of medicinal plants around the world. This long-standing close relationship and loyalty allow us to guarantee our customers:
- Impeccable, certified product quality
- Consistency in the product line and reliability of supply
- Complete assurance regarding volume, even for specialized crops
- Eco-friendly and Fair-Trade Supply Chains
Our long-standing involvement in the organic pepper industry in São Tomé and Príncipe perfectly illustrates our philosophy. We are actively committed to developing supply chains that support the local economy and protect the environment, ensuring production that is both socially and environmentally responsible.
The Organic Pepper Industry in São Tomé and Príncipe
A commitment to people and sustainability since 2007
The development of our organic spice industry in São Tomé and Príncipe is a human and technical adventure that we have been passionately pursuing since 2007. Called upon to help establish sustainable agriculture on this 1,000 km² volcanic archipelago located in the Gulf of Guinea, the Laboratoire d’Herboristerie Générale (LHG) has made a long-term commitment.
Gilles Talrich, CEO of LHG, is personally involved alongside 350 farmers organized into a cooperative, who cultivate 90 hectares of farmland. With operational support from the NGO Agrisud, we work directly on-site to train producers in best agricultural practices. This on-site presence ensures a high level of traceability and strict adherence to organic certification standards (AB label).
Volcanic soil and exceptional grape varieties
Far from any pollution and blessed with a unique equatorial climate, the island’s terroir ensures the optimal development of the finest aromas. We grow two main varieties of Piper nigrum there, selected for their exceptional flavor and high yield: thethe Singapura variety, the Paniur variety, and many others.
Thanks to this climate, the island produces pepper year-round, with each plant yielding an annual harvest. To ensure the long-term viability of the industry and the individual income of each farmer, new plantings are now strictly limited in order to focus on consolidating and maximizing yields from existing plots.
Traditional and meticulous processing expertise
The exceptional and consistent quality of our pepper is due to a unique processing facility, where each type of pepper undergoes a rigorous, artisanal process:
- Black Pepper: Harvested 7 months after flowering (when the berries are green and the peppercorns are firm), it is de-stemmed, blanched, and then spread out on racks in solar dryers.
- White Pepper: Harvested as soon as the first yellow and red berries appear, it is soaked in running water for 10 to 12 days before being washed and sun-dried.
- Red Pepper: A rare product, selected grain by grain (only intact berries), dried exclusively during periods of intense sunshine.
Guarantees and Visibility for Our Business Partners
Thanks to a virtuous model of pre-financing production, our partner clients reserve their volumes annually. This system ensures price stability, secures employment for local families, and offers French manufacturers total exclusivity, as France is the sole destination for this limited-production crop. We regularly organize field trips with our partner clients to visit the plantations and the processing center, in order to provide a firsthand understanding of the purpose and values of this exceptional industry.
A Smooth Transition in Aubagne
Natural 100% Flavor Preserved
At LHG, we process and package spices, herbs, medicinal plants, teas, cocoa beans, and more at our own facility in Aubagne. Located a few kilometers from the commercial port of Marseille, our facilities include 2,000 m² of warehouse space, 400 m² of production area, and 200 m² of office space.
«We have invested in our production facilities and are working on every aspect of the manufacturing process. We are also focusing on our people; we have hired new employees, reorganized our operations, and provided training to strengthen our employees» skills.”
– Pascal Boschini, Chief Executive Officer
Download the catalog
Browse our complete professional catalog
All of our products, packaging options, and specifications in a single document
Our catalog lists all of our spices, herbs, and medicinal plants, along with their various sizes and related technical information.
Our clients in the food and beverage, cosmetics, and drugstore industries attest to the consistency of our supply, the rigor of our traceability system, and the reliability of our processes.