When night comes, the baker from Saint-Chinian shares his life as an artisan on social networks

Dans son atelier, Jordan Lecestre vient de terminer ses viennoiseries. Midi Libre – RENE FERRANDO

Bakeries are an essential business for communities. "Midi Libre" invites you to discover some of them during the month of January. Third stop, Saint-Chinian where Jordan Lecestre has been based since July 2021. The 29-year-old baker became known in 2017 after having made a rant on his Facebook page against those who buy their baguettes in big surface. Six years later, Jordan Lecestre is still angry against mass distribution and does not hide his pessimism about the future of artisan bakers. 

"There are no bakers in your neighborhood ? There are no bakers in your village ? Buy your baguettes at Super U, Marie Blachère, Carrefour, no worries but in twenty years, when you say to yourself “Hey, I'm going to buy a cake to celebrate my little one's birthday”, well no, the baker will no longer exist because you will have killed him." October 2017. Jordan Lecestre has just done his shopping in a supermarket near Montauban in Tarn-et-Garonne. He is angry. At the checkout, just behind him, the young baker noticed two people who had simply bought a baguette. His blood only makes one circuit. As soon as he gets into his car, he logs on to his Facebook page and posts a video in which he rants against those who buy their bread in supermarkets. His video is going viral.

"The bakers of small villages are doomed to disappear"

Six years later, Jordan Lecestre is established on his own in Saint-Chinian, at the bridge which spans the Vernazobre. "I arrived in July 2021, just after Covid. In summer, at the end of the year holidays and in January, it's the peak. Then it settles down a bit. I run a village bakery. I have a loyal clientele made up of retirees and foreigners who own a residence in Saint-Chinian,” explains the baker. At 29 years old, Jordan Lecestre remains angry against mass distribution and displays a certain pessimism about the future of his profession: "I'm a craftsman, it's not for releasing frozen products like some do it. The job no longer attracts. We do not emphasize learning. Bread is France and it’s getting lost." The doorbell rings. A customer enters the bakery. Jordan joins the store to serve him then returns to his bakery. "The bakers in small villages are doomed to disappear, he says. There is no one to take over. And when we want to sell, we have to sell off businesses." There is no shortage of examples. "Look! When I passed my professional certificate, in 2015, there were two of us candidates throughout Hérault. I was obliged to spend it at Lézignan-Corbières in Aude, and there, there were seven of us: two Héraultais and five Audois."

He goes from the oven to the counter

With the back of his hand, the craftsman chases away the ambient pessimism and recognizes: "It's good that some people have the balls to settle down to prevent the profession does not disappear." He is making his contribution to this fight. From 3 a.m., we find him in his bakery where he makes breads and pastries. "I produce 150 pieces per day, almost as many in pastries. In summer, it increases to 300 pieces. Until 1 p.m., he goes from the oven to the counter, juggling batches and welcoming customers. ;"Currently, I don't pay myself, he admits. I am very present on TikTok where I post videos. People like my Southern and rugby humor. I earn income from it. At night, when I'm working, I'm live. When I make my breads, my croissants, I interact with my subscribers." With it, the bakery offers itself a showcase on social networks.

The craftsman keeps hope

But the young baker remains committed to defending his profession. Last January, he did not hesitate to close his business for three days to go to Paris to demonstrate against the increase in energy prices. "Some bakers are experiencing an increase of 4 to 6 times the usual price. The right price for the baguette should be between 1.8 € and 2 €. Some understanding customers are ready to pay the right price but others are much less so, he confided to "Midi Libre". Today, he specifies: "We talk about electricity but it's a whole. Here, I work with fuel which runs my oven. When fuel prices increased, it impacted my business." Despite everything, Jordan Lecestre remains hopeful: "Last year, people came from Béziers to buy my galettes des rois because they had heard about them on the social networks." He hopes that the experience will be repeated this year.

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