Our region has talent: Taillens bakery

Did you grow up here or did you choose to live here later on?
Nicolas: We’re lucky to have grown up here. My sister joined the family business straight away, while I enjoyed years away doing my own thing before I came back to my roots.

What are your interests? Are they closely or distantly related to your job?

Sylvie: They’re linked to the region and the many possibilities here, and to my children. Whether in terms of sport, which these days my children do more than me, and in terms of people, the mix of cultures and languages that we come into contact with every day.

So you work for Taillens bakeries. What brought you there? What makes you passionate about what you do?

Sylvie: We fell into it when we were little, because we always helped out. Also, seeing our parents working with such passion over all these years made us want to join the family business. Personally, I particularly enjoy the contact with our clients, who are a range of ages and classes.
Nicolas: I left at 15 to pursue my own professional and human experiences, and when I was 28, I returned to my roots. It’s not always easy, but this company is really exciting because of the variety of activities: bakery, pastries, confectionary, from the shop to the tea room, via outside catering, not to mention the back office. One thing is for sure, there’s never a dull moment!

What is special about your business? What do you think makes you different from others?

Sylvie & Nicolas: We’re a family business, it started with our grandparents in 1943. Several family members have joined over the years. The company has grown, diversified, and each of us has been able to add our own touch. We currently have more than 100 employees, and have four shops in Crans-Montana and one in Lens.

What is the story behind your products?

Sylvie: The origin of the ingredients of our famous ‘Couronne Reine Berthe’ tells the story of Taillens: it is in the shape of a traditional Grisons crown, and it’s a reference to Berthe, our grandmother. The wheat from Vaud, is a tribute to our grandfather Oscar, and the Valais rye celebrates when they met, and their love which developed in Valais. It’s important for us to keep the ancestral recipes that tell the story of our company.
Nicolas: The creative aspect is very important to us: each new creation adds another page to our story, adding our own personal touch. It’s important that together, through each other’s experiences, we continue to write the story.

What are you trying to bring to your customers through what you do?

Sylvie: With each bite, we try to bring happiness, pleasure and the desire to return.
Nicolas: And that’s why it’s important for us to continually offer quality products and to manage to surprise people with our products!

How has this very peculiar Covid period been for you? Did it directly affect you? How did you have to adapt?

Sylvie: During the first period, we set up a delivery service which was very much appreciated by our customers. Despite new difficulties with the current situation, one good thing has come out of it: teamwork and learning to work differently, which has forced us to be even better organised. As for our customers, they had to learn to wait, which was sometimes difficult in high season.

What motivates you to work in Crans-Montana? In your eyes, what are its strengths?

Sylvie: It’s the most beautiful place in the world! Thanks to the wide range of activities, the diversity and culture, Crans-Montana offers an exceptional working environment.
Nicolas: We’re lucky to live in a resort that is open all year round, and what’s more, in a much nicer environment than the city!

What’s your favourite place in Crans-Montana, your secret spot?

Sylvie: Our family ‘mayen’ (mountain chalet) at Aprily. It’s a magical place, overlooking the resort with a superb view, quiet, and perfect to relax with all the cows around it.

What’s your best memory in Crans-Montana, something that has marked your relationship with this region?

Sylvie: I had a month off during the 87 World Championships. I spent it on the slopes in a magical atmosphere!
Nicolas: For me, it’s the Omega European Masters, an event that unites Crans-Montana in a festive atmosphere for 4 days. It’s so beautiful to see and experience!

What would you like to see develop in Crans-Montana?

Sylvie & Nicolas: Thermal baths, projects that sustain year-round life, and which protect against seasonality, offers that are successful in bringing people to the resort in January/March as well as in the high season.

For more information about Taillens Bakery, visit their website boulangerietaillens.ch

And you'll find a list of bakeries in the Crans-Montana region here.