Trending. How did Le Creuset cocottes become stars of the kitchen and TikTok?

On TikTok, videos by Le Creuset fans regularly rack up millions of views . And Prince Harry's wife Meghan's Netflix series has just given it a new global showcase. Limited-edition Star Wars casseroles, Pokémon ... the French household classic, celebrating its 100th anniversary, is getting a new lease of life on the international scene, influencer style.

@thatmixedchicknyc WITH LOVE MEGHAN is making me want to host a dinner party with fruit picked from my own trees 😩 #meghanmarkle @Le Creuset ♬ original sound - Veronica

Yet it all began far from digital and glamour, in Fresnoy-le-Grand, a modest town in the Aisne region, in the historic Le Creuset factory, founded by two Belgian industrialists in 1925. While it was still in decline, the brand was bought in 1988 by Paul van Zuydam, a British man of South African origin.

Under his leadership, the group has boosted its global presence and firmly positioned itself in the high-end segment. Beyond "volcanic," its famous original orange shade, Le Creuset now boasts around a hundred colors in its palette. The group remains secretive about its sales and profits, but more than 95% of its products are sold abroad, in over 80 countries.

While enameled cast iron "made in France" remains its core business, with prices reaching several hundred euros, Le Creuset has diversified into more affordable products made abroad, such as ceramics made in Thailand. The group has 575 stores worldwide, and its online sales, which have exploded since the pandemic, continue to grow strongly.

"The brand is doing very well, almost everywhere in the world," and "we're making progress in each of our distribution networks," assures Marie Gigot, Le Creuset's director for France and Benelux. The United States is a key market for the group. Is there any reason to be threatened by increased US customs duties? For Nick Stene, an analyst at Euromonitor International, the brand's customers, wealthy households, "are the last to suffer" from a price increase.

@fenloninteriors_ Le cresuet at bicester village unfortunately did not have the blueberry but the aubergine and garlic 🍆🧄 @Le Creuset UK @Bicester Village #bicestervillage#bicestervillagehaul #bicestervillagefinds #lecreuset#lecreusetcollection ♬ original sound - Fenlon Interiors

"The household goods category has grown by 4.5%" annually worldwide since 2019, "and in this sector, Le Creuset has been one of the best performers," confirms the analyst. "Well-being is the main underlying trend driving growth in the home sector," he notes. A notion that supports Le Creuset, whose flagship products avoid pollutants like PFAS.

“For many social media users, proving their culinary expertise involves owning a Le Creuset product and then demonstrating […] that they know how to use it properly,” observes Nick Stene. Le Creuset even has a “Trending on Social Media” collection on its website. And for a brand, “there’s nothing quite as effective as having your customers become your ambassadors and your marketing team.”