Cardell

About us

Welcome to Cardell, a group of French companies specialising in apple production, which has its roots in a large, century-old family business.

Ideally located in four major growing regions (Provence, Languedoc, Deux-Sèvres and the South-West), we work actively with our local partners to enhance production and develop new varieties, while respecting the environment and the consumer. We produce and market our goods in France, Europe and the four corners of the world and are active in all market segments (supermarkets, wholesalers, catering, etc.) thanks to our wide range of brands and star varieties.

Cardell is a team of seasoned professionals whose goal is to serve its clients all year round with beautiful, healthy, high-quality fruit that consumers love. Responsive to its clients’ tastes and concerns, CARDELL has established quality certification and pursued the development of club varieties such as Pink Lady®, Joya®, Juliet®, Honeycrunch®, LoliPop®, Zingy® and Choupette®.

Our businesses

Production :

Our production is located in the major production areas of four leading growing regions (Provence, Languedoc, Deux-Sèvres and the South-West). Our production process is controlled to guarantee the exemplary quality and traceability of our fruit while implementing agricultural techniques that respect the environment.

The wide range of varieties that we produce together with our know-how mean we can offer our clients an excellent choice of apples all year round. It is our priority to guarantee a healthy, high-quality product that is certified from production to marketing.

Grading:

Grading involves sorting apples by size, colour and quality. First of all, the fruit is sorted and any apples with defects or which do not comply with our clients’ specifications are discarded. We then carry out quality control on the fruit to check the sugar content and firmness of the apples. This stage allows us to determine which apples end up on the consumer’s table and which go to the food production industry to make tarts, cakes, compote and juice.

Packaging:

Our packaging stations make use of the latest equipment to ensure optimum quality control and processing times. The facilities are constantly updated to cope with changing company projects, markets and consumer demands.

We regularly improve our equipment to allow:

  • - enhanced quality control
  • - better traceability
  • - improved response for export and major retailers
  • - a reduction in our environmental impact

Our story

1918 : Jean CARDELL opens a wholesale fruit and vegetable business in Lunel in the Hérault department of the south of France. Over time, the company grows.

1957: Jean’s son Michel CARDELL takes over and after a few years decides to join forces with other companies to specialise in import-export. This means that CARDELL acquires the strength of a group. Investment is made in packaging stations in Lunel, Marsillargues and Mazières-en-Gatine (in Deux-Sèvres department) and a sales office is set up in Cavaillon in Provence for production in the south-east of the country.

1981: The group becomes a producer when it acquires Mas de Mourgues with 150 hectares of cultivable land.

1995 : The company launches Pink Lady®.

2000 : In the 2000s, the group refocuses its activities on its core product: apples.

2004 : Cardell joins the POMANJOU group, now INNATIS, another heavyweight in the apple sector, in order to diversify its production areas and further expand.

2008 : Cardell embarks on developing and marketing new club varieties, such as Juliet®, and continues its certification process, becoming a pioneer of the IFS process.

Our engagements

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