Philibert Chambre: the voice of food

HOW DID BUSINESS OF BOUFFE COME TO BE?

After four years at Maison de Savoie, identified as an entrepreneur who 'tries to shake things up,' I created a consulting business in 'food' and began supporting small organizations, then larger ones. However, I quickly realized that I wasn't very good at marketing myself. As a good marketer, I sought to create something to get known and attract new clients. It was 2019, and my associate at the time and I were listening to podcasts… This format was just starting to take off in France, but it was already booming in the United States. We thought it would eventually arrive in France. A particularly interesting conversation with the founder of Biocoop convinced me to create a podcast to share this kind of inspiring dialogue. Based on an idea from my associate, referencing the American media 'Business of Fashion,' which dissected the fashion industry, we came up with the name Business of Bouffe. I didn't cook much, so I didn’t see myself taking a recipe angle. The business angle suited perfectly.

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN YOUR SUCCESS?

We chose to take a long-term approach. It was certainly a bit risky at first because one could wonder who would want to listen to 2-hour interviews. But in a competitive landscape where traditional media couldn't produce this type of interview, we took that gamble, convinced that we needed to offer original content. I’m not a trained journalist, but I am incredibly curious and care about quality. As a result, I put a lot of work into preparing my interviews in advance, and I believe I know how to create a rhythm, avoiding dead air. The attention given to the guests does the rest. The initial format has hardly changed in five years.

WHEN DID THE PODCAST REALLY TAKE OFF?

We started at the end of 2019, right before the arrival of Covid, which brought our consulting business to a halt. We were in lockdown, unsure of what to do, and on the other side, professionals — grocers, chefs, wholesalers, restaurateurs — who had to reinvent their work were eager to have a voice. So, we found a technology to record remotely, and during the two months of confinement, we produced one episode per working day. Meanwhile, we had an audience that had the time to listen to us... By the end of the lockdown, we had become the leading independent food podcast in France.

HOW MANY LISTENS DO YOU HAVE TODAY?

The advantage of podcasts is that they have a lasting impact. Our interviews are timeless and can be listened to over the long term. Listens are therefore consistently evolving, but on average, a Business of Bouffe podcast is listened to between 10,000 and 15,000 times. I don’t reach millions of people, but with around 30,000 subscribers across all audio platforms, I have an engagement rate of 50%, which is significant compared to social media statistics, where rates are around 3%. Our listeners are entrepreneurs, chefs, restaurateurs in the broadest sense, and farmers. So, it's a quality audience for advertisers.

WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS MODEL SINCE WE'RE TALKING BUSINESS?

Like traditional media, I charge advertisers that interest my audience. The podcast format generates real enthusiasm from the public and is one of the media that creates the most engagement. So, it involves direct advertising, to which I add sponsorship by imagining content that is broadcast and financed by a partner. This is similar to the dairy industry and the podcast 'France terre de lait,' for which we produced two seasons, totaling eighteen episodes.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE PODCASTING EXPERIENCE?

I learn a tremendous amount. I love history with a capital H, and I am passionate about discovering people, making them speak, and understanding who they are. The experiences of others are rich in lessons. We often find that periods of failure ultimately serve as the fertile ground for great successes. Listening to these stories allows me to change my perspective. Over time, I have expanded my address book and have had the chance to build connections with some of the greatest chefs and entrepreneurs. That is fantastic.

MATURITY

Today, I have reached a point of maturity, and my challenge is to increase my number of downloads per episode and grow my audience to have a greater impact. However, I don’t want to produce twice as many episodes per month, as that wouldn’t be more profitable. For me, the real growth lever is to think about reaching more people, for example, by creating a secondary show that would have a greater impact on the main podcast.

REVISITING PARIS

To develop Business of Bouffe, I am leaving Annecy to return to Paris. I want to surround myself with people and create events. Last year, a production company offered to put Business of Bouffe "on stage." I was eager to take the audio out of its format, so I accepted. We recorded an episode in a theater in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The experience was so positive that I want to repeat it in 2025. I would like to organize the recording of podcasts in front of a live audience, this time allowing the attendees to interact and ask questions directly to the guest.

THE OTHER PODCAST…

Les baladeurs (The Others) is a great podcast because there’s more to life than just food! I love these stories of adventures in the great outdoors.

MY THREE FAVORITE TABLES

Le Boomer
14 rue Sommelier
74000 Annecy

Alaïa Café
4 rue de Budapest
44000 Nantes

L’Arpège
84 rue de Varenne
75007 Paris

BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas
I’m a guy who runs around everywhere, so I don’t have as much time as I would like to read, but the most recent book I've read is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

By Christophe Jeanjoseph