I do love a biscuit! One of my French favourites is ‘Le Petit Beurre’ made by LU. They look quite plain but they have a very buttery taste – the clue is in the name!

These biscuits were created in 1886, in Nantes, by Jean-Romain Lefèvre and his wife Pauline-Isabelle Utile whose combined initials formed the company name ‘LU’,

The appeal of these biscuits was in their simplicity, being made of flour, butter, milk and sugar. They won the Grand Prix for biscuits at the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris and are still considered to be one of France’s favourite biscuits.

In 1897 a famous actress of the time, Sarah Bernhardt, is said to have declared: “What is better than one Petit Beurre LU? Two Petits Beurres…”

The original concept was to create a treat that could be eaten every day. The notion of time was represented in the product design.

  • the biscuit initially measured 7cm in width, 1 cm for each day of the week.
  • its 52 ‘teeth’ around the edges represent the number of weeks in the year
  • 24 small holes on the surface signify the hours of the day
  • The 4 ‘ears’ or corners represent the 4 seasons

The video below, produced by a teacher, explains in clear and simple French the story behind Petit Beurre biscuits.

You would think that LU Le Petit Beurre biscuits would be easy to find in Castelnaudary – not the case! There are certainly lots of other LU biscuits available, but I couldn’t find the Petit Beurre anywhere! Perhaps the supermarkets had sold out because of their popularity?

On a recent trip back to the UK, what should I find in Sainsbury’s? Yes, Petit Beurre! They are on top left of the photo below:

Of course I had to buy some!

When I return to France the search for LU Petit Beurre biscuits will continue, especially as May 29th is National Biscuit Day, in the UK!

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