Today we’d like to introduce you to Christophe Dugas.
Christophe, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began my career in food science and flavors in the South of France, in the birthplace of fragrance, the town of Grasse on the Cote d’Azur.
I was always interested in spices and extractions, working during the summers harvesting fruit and studying bio-chemistry in college. I moved to San Diego 20 years ago after I met my wife, a native “So Cal” girl.
During the past twenty years, I fell in love with San Diego as well, and this town has been very good to me. I have worked with a variety of start-up companies in the food science industry, and been blessed to be associated with many wonderful people.
A little over two years ago, the perfect opportunity presented itself.
I was part owner of a small caramel manufacturing company based in San Diego, which produced caramel based on techniques and recipes used in France. Shortly thereafter, I was given the chance to associate with a major, family-owned Caramel and Flavor/Extract company. This company, Metarom, has been based in France for several generations and has affiliates throughout the world. We have now expanded our business in San Diego by building a Food Research laboratory in Kearney Mesa, we supply the Food Service Industry (Restaurants and Hotels) as well as all types of Food Manufacturer all over the USA. We offer a full range of Caramel products, from a classic Caramel cream for Ice cream to Carmel bits for Chocolate manufacturers. We have grown our business to provide many flavors and extracts, such as Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and lemon…
Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing comes easy!
When you create great products, the clients do come along. But, this meant that we needed to spend a significant amount of time, capital and energy up front to create our products. I’m happy to say we are now seeing the fruit from our investment.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Metarom USA and Cara’Sens – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We create great taste for our clients!!
We specialize in caramel products for the food industry, namely caramel cream, syrup, toppings, bits, powder and specialty caramels used in food and beverage. Our biggest market for caramel is chocolate manufacturers, dairy, bakery and beverages.
With respect to flavors, we are well known for our authentic flavor profile, that is to say, our orange tastes just that — like an orange. Our Company is a very people oriented company. This shows, first, in how we treat our clients: we are proud we spend our time and effort on R & D, and we don’t have a sales force. We develop our products individually, with the client and our R &D team working hand in hand to meet the client’s flavor need. This sets us apart from others in our industry. Our people first orientation also shows in the respect and concern we show toward our employees and their families,
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Best: San Diego is growing into a city with a more and more discriminating palate. In the past twenty years I’ve watched the explosion of the craft beer industry, the growth of more farmer’s markets, and restaurants that serve locally grown foods.
Least: We have not yet tapped into our potential as a city known for the food industry. We are known for biotech, but there is no reason we can’t grow into a “foodie” leader.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4211 Ponderosa Avenue,
Suite B
San Diego, CA 92123 - Website: www.metarom.com/en/ and www.carasensusa.com
- Phone: 858-300-0484
- Email: info@carasensusa.com
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
