In 1682 Louis XIV, the Sun King, ate a bun so tasty he promptly employed the cook, Charles Dalloyau, as his official dish bearer. Four generations of Dalloyau’s heirs stayed in royal service until the French Revolution brought an end to the monarchy — and the family’s jobs. The Dalloyaus went private and started a luxury catering business that served the most refined dishes to affluent French families.
This week the business was sold after teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. The Dalloyau firm is said to have provided France’s first takeaway meals in 1802 and is also credited with inventing the legendary opera cake in 1955, but it saw its annual revenue drop from €72 million in 2013 to €11 million a decade later..