Pillivuyt France Celebrates 200 Years of Porcelain

The iconic cookware brand’s surprising Minnesota connection.

For two centuries, Pillivuyt France has been manufacturing its high-quality, durable porcelain cookware, favored by professional chefs and home cooks around the world. This year marks the French brand’s 200th anniversary, making it one of the last manufacturers to maintain a 100-percent French production.

(Courtesy of Pillivuyt USA)

Founded in 1818 by two Swiss brothers, Jean Louis Richard and Charles Pillivuyt, the company was first established in the town of Foëcy in the Sancerre region of France. In 1853, Jean Louis Richard’s son Charles decided to install a new plant in Mehun-sur-Yèvre, where it flourished, gaining an international reputation and becoming the choice of many royal households.

Despite its grand history, the Pillivuyt brand has a surprising local connection. For the past 15 years, Excelsior has served as the unlikely home base for Pillivuyt USA, the company’s U.S. distributor. (It imports and warehouses its entire U.S. inventory near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.) Pillivuyt USA is run chiefly by Alice Title, who began as a sales rep with the company. Her involvement—and distribution center in nearby Wisconsin—was central to the decision for the brand to open a distribution branch within the U.S.

“Pillivuyt is really popular in Scandinavian countries, especially Denmark,” says Title. “Every homemaker has to have their Pillivuyt dishes because the bakeware is outstanding and the dinnerware is very durable.” The porcelain is easy to clean; oven-, microwave-, grill-, and dishwasher-safe; and favored for its heat distribution and classic look.

Over the years, the brand has innovated while staying true to its heritage. In 2005, the brand introduced Pillienium, a stronger and more versatile porcelain recipe, and developed flame-proof and induction versions of cookware, plus new glazes, colors, and contemporary shapes for today’s market.

To celebrate their bicentenary, the brand is re-releasing some of its most iconic products for 2018 in limited editions, such as the filter coffee pot, as well as several new creations within a collection dubbed the “Ephémères.” Each will be stamped with “200 ans” in homage to the bicentenary.

Find Pillivuyt in the Twin Cities at Williams-Sonoma as well as select Lunds & Byerly’s stores and online.

(Courtesy of Pillivuyt USA)
(Courtesy of Pillivuyt USA)
(Courtesy of Pillivuyt USA)

The iconic cookware brand’s surprising Minnesota connection.

For two centuries, Pillivuyt France has been manufacturing its high-quality, durable porcelain cookware, favored by professional chefs and home cooks around the world. This year marks the French brand’s 200th anniversary, making it one of the last manufacturers to maintain a 100-percent French production.

(Courtesy of Pillivuyt USA)

Founded in 1818 by two Swiss brothers, Jean Louis Richard and Charles Pillivuyt, the company was first established in the town of Foëcy in the Sancerre region of France. In 1853, Jean Louis Richard’s son Charles decided to install a new plant in Mehun-sur-Yèvre, where it flourished, gaining an international reputation and becoming the choice of many royal households.

Despite its grand history, the Pillivuyt brand has a surprising local connection. For the past 15 years, Excelsior has served as the unlikely home base for Pillivuyt USA, the company’s U.S. distributor. (It imports and warehouses its entire U.S. inventory near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.) Pillivuyt USA is run chiefly by Alice Title, who began as a sales rep with the company. Her involvement—and distribution center in nearby Wisconsin—was central to the decision for the brand to open a distribution branch within the U.S.

“Pillivuyt is really popular in Scandinavian countries, especially Denmark,” says Title. “Every homemaker has to have their Pillivuyt dishes because the bakeware is outstanding and the dinnerware is very durable.” The porcelain is easy to clean; oven-, microwave-, grill-, and dishwasher-safe; and favored for its heat distribution and classic look.

Over the years, the brand has innovated while staying true to its heritage. In 2005, the brand introduced Pillienium, a stronger and more versatile porcelain recipe, and developed flame-proof and induction versions of cookware, plus new glazes, colors, and contemporary shapes for today’s market.

To celebrate their bicentenary, the brand is re-releasing some of its most iconic products for 2018 in limited editions, such as the filter coffee pot, as well as several new creations within a collection dubbed the “Ephémères.” Each will be stamped with “200 ans” in homage to the bicentenary.

Find Pillivuyt in the Twin Cities at Williams-Sonoma as well as select Lunds & Byerly’s stores and online.

(Courtesy of Pillivuyt USA)
(Courtesy of Pillivuyt USA)
(Courtesy of Pillivuyt USA)

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