Meet The Culinary Entrepreneurs: Ariane Daguin
Foie gras. Pâté. Offal. These niche food items may be familiar to us today, but in 1985, these products were unknown to many Americans. That is, until Ariane Daguin launched D'Artagnan, an inspired idea that became one of the largest and most trusted specialty meat distributors in the country. In celebration of the company's 30th anniversary, we recently invited the visionary founder and CEO to ICE as part of our Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs series.
Born in the Gascony region of France to a family with a seven-generation culinary legacy—including a chef father with 2 Michelin stars to his name—it was clear from early on that Ariane had inherited a passion for the food industry. Yet, Despite growing up with this gastronomical heritage, her original career ambition was to become a journalist, a dream she pursued by enrolling as an undergraduate at Columbia University.
During her summers off from school, Ariane worked the retail counter at Les Trois Petits Cochons, which was—and still is—one of New York's finest French pâté producers. When she suggested to the owners that they should sell their products wholesale to the city's fine food shops, amazingly, they presented her with the opportunity to develop this concept within their existing business.