Four years after his birth, the Reunion brand of high-end arranged rums, made in the purest tradition, moves from Guillaume Saint-Paul at the end of the year to take possession of larger premises which will allow it to develop. Because the demand is there, in Reunion and export. In view of its new ambitions, Arrangé Blard promises to be one of the most beautiful adventures in local production in the years to come.
Making a luxury product from the most vibrant lontan tradition in Reunion, arranged rum from the maceration of fruit in traditional molasses rum : this is the brilliant idea that Grégory Blard was able to bring to life. But not just any arranged rum. From the first sip, we know we are in the presence of an exceptional spirit, of a culmination of the great art of simplicity and naturalness, the most difficult of all. The goldsmith in this matter is called Josian Blard, father of Grégory Blard. It is its know-how that sublimates the brand. The idea came to the mineral chemistry engineer Grégory Blard in Vienna, in Austria, while working at Wienerberger, world leader in the sector of terracotta building materials. In his business travels across Central and Eastern Europe, he took home-made rum to maintain contact with Reunion Island, but also to give it to his interlocutors and gather their impressions. “The first time : and Croatia », he remembers. And everywhere the same question, unanimous : where can you buy it ? “I said to myself that there was an opportunity to seize to make real arranged rum known throughout the world., with a high-end positioning. » Today the idea has become reality, Grégory Blard likes to remember the beginnings of this challenge which was nevertheless well calculated and prepared. In the meeting, he relied on the experience of high-end marketing acquired at Hennessy by his cousin, Cléa Deliron. A market study on spirits as gifts confirmed his intuition : 12% of those questioned said they were ready to pay €100 or more for a rum. Gregory, his father, Josian, his cousin Cléa : the Arrangé Blard team was born. The first bottles were available from September 2021.
The magic of the product
Just like an Arrangé Blard is unlike any other arranged rum, the carafe of an Arrangé Blard is unlike any other. Magnifying the colors of mixtures, it gives the products the look of a giant perfume bottle. This is what makes the beauty of the product. This is a 70 cl Italian carafe model., made in Spain. And the logo, with its baroque and solar golden line, pays homage to nature and its fruits and adds an aristocratic touch to the product. Its author is a professional graphic designer, Guillaume Caroupin, friend of Cléa Deliron. There is complete harmony between the container and the content. Hence immediate success : in 2021, the brand puts its first 800 bottles on sale. Result : 400 pre-sales and sales in three months ! The magic of the product works in particular on the general director of Covino, David Cailleux, also master franchisee Nicolas in the Indian Ocean. Benefiting from the advice of this wine and spirits specialist, Arrangé Blard joins the Réunion network of Nicolas cellars. It’s the foot in the stirrup. The Arranged Blard effect can radiate.
Demand greater than supply
Arrangé Blard made its first profit in 2022 by selling 2,000 carafes. More than 3,000 in 2023. Exponential takeoff is confirmed in 2024 : at the end of the year, Arrangé Blard will have doubled its production and turnover. The brand has 60 points of sale in Reunion Island. Duty free at Roland-Garros airport is its second local customer behind Nicolas. Corporate gifts are another outlet for the brand. But the Reunion market will sooner or later have its limits, and Grégory Blard has seen from the beginning the main export potential of the product. The brand took its first steps into the big world. Having abandoned direct online sales, it has resellers specialized in e-commerce in Reunion and France including Factory 25. In physical commerce, Arrangé Blard products have resellers in Poland, in Mauritius and the Antilles (Guadeloupe and Martinique). Distribution in Mexico, in Belgium and Taiwan is under discussion.
The adventure is only just beginning
Grégory Blard anticipates, within five to ten years, a market of 100,000 to 150,000 bottles ! “Our new premises will allow us to do this”, he explains, specifying the basis on which Arrangé Blard intends to develop while retaining its identity.. “We did not seek to obtain medals, but our customer satisfaction rate has been 100% since the beginning. Our customers trust us in our ability to maintain our level of excellence. We will grow while remaining faithful to complete handmade : cutting fruit, the first mixture of fruits with pei honey, the second mixture with the pei spices, the dressing. Outside the vat where we store our rum, we do not use any machines. We don't have a freezer, our fruits are used within two days after arrival. They are grown in Reunion and organic. Our rum comes from a local distillery. Our arrangements contain no added sugar, only fructose from fruits and honey. We market them after at least two months of maceration.. We found our model between manual production, communication and commercial prospecting », concludes Grégory Blard. New proof of this will be given by the innovation of the splendid first limited edition Arranged Blard for the holidays : a rum flavored with Bourbon pointu coffee ! To be discovered very soon.
