Mauviel – Seven Generations of Fine Copper Cookware

Mauviel is a French business which makes exquisitely beautiful copper cookware and other specialist copper products such as champagne buckets and bowls.  The company is based in Villedieu Les Poeles, Normandy in the Northwest of France.

In an age of takeovers, buyouts and consolidations it is fascinating to discover that this company which was started as a family business is still, seven generations later, a family business.

It was in the 12th century that knights returning home from the Crusades passed through the area and introduced the craft skills necessary to produce copper products including cookware.  The concentration of the copper industry in this area has lead to the people of Villedieu Les Poeles being referred to as  Sourdins from the French sourd meaning deaf.  In years gone by, many of the people involved in making copper products became deaf from the noise of hammering the metal into shape. 

Since the 12th century the area has built an enviable reputation for the production of copper products and in 1830 Ernest Mauviel founded a business to produce fine cookware for the restaurant and hotel industries.

The business still produces its products locally and many of the manufacturing processes are carried out by hand.  One of the most beautiful products in the Mauviel range is the copper champagne bowl with its beautifully polished surface and riveted brass handles.  An elegant alterative to the traditional champagne bucket.

As the reputation of Mauviel has spread across the World, Mauviel cookware has become the cookware of choice for many top professional and amateur chefs who enjoy the benefits of the high conductivity of copper and the beauty of the products.