Les DouceSoeurs is an eco-friendly travelling café inspired by two sisters, in the form of a vintage scooter bike capable of producing an espresso as well as good hot chocolate.
We offer hot, fresh, and iced drinks as well as tea from plants of the forest of Fontainebleau. The travelling café moves around Fontainebleau and its surroundings for events and cultural events during the whole year, if the weather permits.
The travelling café may be hired for weddings and birthdays... it is an idea that people increasingly enjoy!
This concept also incorporates a strong environmental and societal awareness, as it promotes fair trade raw materials.
But above all, it's an autonomous concept that does not create pollution.
It's really a bike, so there is no exhaust pipe in sight and no emissions into the air!
Interview de l'éco-acteur
Laura Fouquier
I was immersed in nomadism since childhood, my parents were mariners. They carried goods on their barge, and we sailed river channels. This is a period of my life that is quite unusual, which led me to be imaginative, push my curiosity about everything around me, but also to be tenacious. I subsequently grew up with more stability, in a house near the forest. I had a more common route until I became bachelor. The rest of my life has been more oriented to my desires, ambitions, and dreams. The travelling café is in part inspired by this, a nomadic heritage with one foot on the ground and a touch of originality.
What do you offer your customers ?
I offer hot, fresh, and iced drinks on a vintage scooter bike.
Since recently, I now also prepare my own tea recipes with plants that I try to procure closer to my city.
Coffee remains my flagship product, as I promote the use of real, good coffee. It's quality coffee that differs from the espresso coffees of the house. It is a unique solution with local organic and fair-trade coffee beans.
For me, the spirit of the travelling café goes hand in hand with the spirit of flexibility. I often concoct recipes adaptable to customers on the spot, or modify my menu according to their desires, needs, and the weather !
What made you join the Biosphere Ecotourism Engagement Charter ?
Thierry Jessenne, Manager of Auberge Traiteur and signatory of the Engagement Charter told me about the concept, and it fit well with my values and the idea of launching my project.
Exchanges with the other signatories of Biosphere Ecotourism who are more experienced on environmental issues allow me to enhance my own thoughts and bring me ideas that I will try to develop over time!
The idea of starting my activity with a pillar in the field of sustainable development could have only been beneficial, as by experience, consumers are sensitive to the concept of "certification", and it not only shows a moral commitment, but also a formal and professional one.
In concrete terms, in what ways can your practices and missions contribute to increased environmental preservation ?
The purchase of some of my products are organic, so they are better for your health and better for the planet. I also offer GMO-free, deforestation-free "milk" recipes from Europe (France, Italy and Austria) with a limited amount of water for the harvesting of raw materials, in partnership with WWF*.
I have garbage bins dedicated to on-site garbage collection, with a sorting system thanks to the purchase of recyclable and compostable products.
My approach also aims to promote local and regional products; for example, one type of coffee bean that I use comes from a Fontainebleau roaster.
I offer coffee that I buy locally, fair trade; this is a source of pride for me, because ecology also involves the social and consolidated economy.
What do you think has changed in your practices and customer relations since you joined the charter ?
Through its support and advice, the charter helped me a lot in choosing my products.
This fuels my curiosity about their origins, such as their production and composition.
The precision and detail that I bring to my products create a more interesting relationship for the customer; it provokes discussions and points of view that motivate me!
Are you planning to collaborate with other providers in the Ecosphere Ecotourism network ?
I have in mind the preparation of home-made wellness teas and fresh infusions of edible plants from the Fontainebleau forest.
There is a conservatory of aromatic plants in Milly la Forêt (also a signatory of the network!) not far from my home, which is the perfect opportunity to work as a network!
Biosphere Ecotourism is a big potential in the local economy!
What is behind DouceSoeurs ?
Since my childhood, my family has always had an entrepreneurial culture, and the subtlety of the name allowed me to give a nod to my sister. While using a play on words, sweets are irresistible little products, and the DouceSoeurs are the invention and creativity that make this recipe a product filled with all things good.
* WWF or World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to the protection of the environment, and strongly committed to sustainable development.
