The Value of Integrity and Le Creuset's New Colour

A lump started to form in my throat last Monday evening, as Jeanne and I sat at supper, and I listened to her describing the events of the day. I’ll come back to this in a jiffy, (and because every good story benefits from a little suspense) meanwhile Le Creuset have graced us with yet another new colour in the form of Nuit, which if you've done French at school, won't be surprised to hear is a dark midnight blue.

Now back to Jeanne and the tale that rather stopped me in my tracks. She’d had a call from an online customer who had just placed an order for £1800 worth of Demeyere (in my opinion, still the Rolls-Royce of stainless-steel cookware), and who was asking if she could have a further discount, quite understandable as she was spending a tidy sum. Jeanne explained with all the charm for which she is known, that the brand was already discounted by 20%, so there was no room for any more. However, this is where things got interesting, as the conversation developed she was able to identify that the customer, who was buying this little lot for her daughter as a house moving in present (lucky girl), was in fact buying too much and in sizes too large. By the time she put the phone down with the customer, she’d reduced the number of pieces and the sizes, saving the customer about £300 in the process. She did this not because she had to, or because it was a company policy. She did it because it was right.

If you’ve been a customer of ours for more than five minutes, you may well be unsurprised to hear this. But it reminded me strongly of a conversation that my wife Babette and I had had probably 25 years ago, and a story that I actually put on the website in our “company history”.  What I had to say was this.

“…I will always remember her (Babette) coming home one Saturday evening gleefully saying how she had talked to a customer who had come in for a stove top coffee maker. After talking with her for some time he wanted to take an electrical one at 10 times the price. She refused to let him buy one as she wasn’t sure if it was the right thing for him. The story still makes me chuckle when I think of it.

 I remember being very proud of her for taking such a stance and although we have other ways now of safe guarding our customers purchases against making poor decisions (two rather unusually generous guarantees), it does make a definite statement that says quite clearly we want our customers to buy the right thing for them, and not just the item with the highest price tag.”

You can probably imagine how proud I am of Jeanne, who, like her mother before her, sells with integrity. She helps people buy what they actually need, proving yet again that the most valuable thing that we can offer isn’t always the most expensive. I mention this because obviously I’m proud of her and her level of integrity and in this case her level of product knowledge, but you will get a similar reaction from any of our sales people. They, like the example of Jeanne, are in this for the long haul.

Babette 4^th Anniversary

Yesterday was the 4^th anniversary of Babette’s death, so we foregathered at home, my children and I, to celebrated her life. We started with Champagne and posh hors d'oeuvres, continued with Confit de Canard* with sautéed tatties and green beans (onions sautéed in a frying pan, and the beans added later), which incidentally, was a stand out evening meal that Babette and I had in Carcassonne on our honeymoon 32 years ago.

We finished with Jeanne’s brownies, that are legendary, half of which have cognac-soaked raisins in them (for me), and to this we added ice cream, over which we poured a modest glug of Baileys**……….   

So now, having dried my eyes, I better get on and tell you about Le Creuset’s new colour.

*Thank you to Madeleine and Hervé Nicola (my sister and brother-in-law), for lugging two rather large tins of the stuff over in their hand luggage a few weeks back… That’s love!

**Babette loved Baileys and when she died there must have been four or five bottles in their various incarnations left over, which we’ve been slowly working out way through ever since

One description that I came across the other day describes Le Creuset’s new colour thus. “It’s called Nuit — a moody, deep midnight blue that will look particularly brooding next to a roasted celeriac or a lamb shoulder, cooked low enough to make a grown man weep”

I rather liked this preposterous poetic prose. 

And in some way, you could say it sums it up beautifully, conjuring, as it does for me, an autumnal night full of strong rich flavours washed down with a good Medoc ….. yes I know,  I have a vivid imagination***… But seriously, I do rather like the colour.

Would I buy it.

No, but only because my current favourite colour is Chambray, which, in its own very quiet way, is just mouthwatering.

*** And, if you think I've a vivid imagination, then you may be amused to read what Le Creuset's marketing department have to say about it.  "An elusive hue that is hard to capture in its truest depth, like a moonlit ocean or a glint of shimmering light amidst the darkest night sky." ..... read the complete product of their over stimulated imagination here  

So, what’s on offer in Nuit?

• Casseroles that'll last you a lifetime and are ideal for slow-cooking, braising, stews, soups, roasting, and even baking bread. The cast iron casseroles come in multiple sizes that will cater for 2 to 8 people and are in three shapes round, oval and shallow.

• A frying pan of modest proportions. well-suited for searing, browning, and frying a wide range of foods. Unlike non-stick pans, it can be used at higher temperatures, develops a natural patina over time for that gives a semi non-stick finish, and delivers easier browning and so, flavour. Its even heat distribution and excellent heat retention make it versatile for both stovetop, BBQ and oven use.
• A cast iron Grillit (grill pan) excellent for searing and charring meats, fish, or vegetables while creating attractive grill lines - either on your stove, in the oven or outdoors on a BBQ.
• Three sizes of rectangular dish for baking, roasting, and serving. They're ideal for lasagne, gratins, roasted vegetables, desserts, or marinating meats. The added bonus is that your food also looks better when served in your favourite coloured Le Creuset dish.

• Mugs in 4 sizes from Espresso to Grande Mug.  Everyone seems to have very specific preferences for how they take their coffee nowadays, Le Creuset have you covered as they have 4 different sizes of mugs available in a variety of colours, and now in Nuit. 
• Plates and Bowls in six forms, bring a deep, sophisticated tone to your table. It's not just the looks though, they're durable stoneware dishwasher safe construction resists chipping, cracking, and staining, while retaining heat to keep food warm for longer.
• And an eclectic assortment of ramekins, petite casserole, spoon rest, trivet and a spatula. I may have missed the odd thing out, but you get the drift.

And talking of offers, you may be delighted to know that for this weekend, (I use the term loosely, it finishes Friday 15th August at midnight,) you can have 25% off when buying 2 or more pieces from the range. Please tell us who you are when coming into either shop, or use code NUIT25 if you’re buying from us on the website.

Lastly, I’m indebted to Jeanne for taking over the reins last week, and writing an extraordinarily good, from the heart email. And thank you if you were one of several people who sent her encouraging messages of support, they were really lovely to read.

And now, I’m sure you’re dying to know how my escape to Missenden Abbey and model trains went last week. Aren’t you? Well, the photos below should give you an idea, and yes after about two years of “on and off modelling”, I got a working locomotive out of it, complete with sound and suspension! All I need to do now, is spray it and add some coal, water and some crew, and it’ll be ready to go!

No where to run it yet, but all good things come to he who waits.

Great Western Railway 1854 class saddle tank allocated to Yeovil Pen Mill shed in 1922	1854 ... showing off it's shiny dome
Apres-modeling, Chris and Tim laughing politely at my joke	Scattered amongst the group, a retired RAF bomber pilot and a naval surgeon
Overall view of the Abbey itself	The modern extension built on a beautiful curve

I trust you have a pleasant and peaceful weekend. 

Warm regards,

Andrew