Robertet

Overview

Robertet is a French fragrance and flavour house founded in 1850 and headquartered in Grasse, the historic centre of French perfumery. It is the only major F&F group to claim global leadership specifically in natural raw materials, controlling the full chain from agricultural sourcing through extraction, composition, and finished fragrance. Publicly listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: RBT) and still steered by the fifth generation of the founding Maubert family, the group employs around 2,200 people across 15 manufacturing sites and has a presence in over 50 countries.

History

The company's origins lie in Grasse in the mid-nineteenth century, where a factory treating Provencal flowers and plants was established by Francois Chauve under the name 'A La Confiance'. In 1875 Paul Robertet acquired and renamed the business, installing a new factory designed by Gustave Eiffel; the quality of its naturals production earned a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1900. Jean-Baptiste Maubert, recruited as perfumer and distiller in the 1870s, became the driving force behind the house, and his family has controlled it ever since.

Through the early twentieth century the Maubert family pushed technical innovation in naturals extraction. Maurice Maubert, son of Jean-Baptiste, introduced 'Colorless' essences in 1935 and the 'Butaflors' process in 1950 - new methods of obtaining natural essences that won recognition from leading Parisian perfumers including Guerlain, Chanel, and Patou. In 1883 the company had already relocated its head office from Paris to Grasse to be closer to the source of its raw materials.

The third generation, Jean and Paul Maubert, expanded into fragrance compositions and food flavours from 1961 onward, opening subsidiaries across Europe, America, and Asia. Robertet listed on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1984, cementing its independence. The 1986 acquisition of Jay Flavors established its US natural-flavours business, and in 2007 the group acquired Charabot - another Grasse institution - as part of a long-term commitment to maintaining a Grasse presence.

Philippe Maubert assumed the presidency in 1993 alongside his brothers Christophe and Olivier, leading a period of sustained growth and international expansion that continued into the twenty-first century. Key milestones include the acquisition of organic-agriculture specialist SAPAD in 2007, the Belgian flavourist PAB in 2001, natural health-ingredient firm Bionov in 2016, raw-materials distributor Astier Demarest in 2021, UK natural flavouring maker Omega Ingredients in 2022, and a move into India via Sonarome in 2023. In 2022 the group appointed an external CEO, Jerome Bruhat, while Philippe Maubert remained non-executive Chairman - preserving family ownership and independence.

Signature & specialties

Robertet's defining position in the industry is vertical integration in naturals: the group controls every link from seed and harvest through extraction, blending, and finished fragrance - a model it calls Seed to Scent. It claims a 25% global market share in organic essential oils and catalogues over 10,000 natural raw material references, sourced from sites in France, South Africa, Madagascar, Turkey, Brazil, China, and elsewhere. The raw-materials division is itself a trading operation supplying third-party perfumers, not just an internal procurement function.

Grasse origins give Robertet direct access to the region's signature flowers. The house is a specialist in centifolia rose and jasmine absolutes - two of the most costly and sought-after naturals in fine fragrance - and its Grasse extraction facilities have been operating continuously since the nineteenth century. The 2007 Charabot acquisition reinforced this position, bringing an additional Grasse-based naturals house into the group.

The fragrance division composes fine fragrances, personal care and home-care scents for brands worldwide, with a particular reputation for compositions built on an unusually high loading of genuine natural ingredients rather than synthetic approximations. The group's naturals expertise has made it a preferred supplier for fragrance houses and consumer brands seeking traceable, high-quality botanical raw materials as demand for transparency in the fine-fragrance category has grown.

On the innovation side, Robertet has invested in green chemistry processes including CO2 extraction, a 'CleanRScent' solvent range, and upcycled ingredient streams. In 2023 it launched Villa Blu, a start-up accelerator dedicated to naturals and sustainability, cementing its stated mission of 'futuring naturals' - positioning the group at the intersection of traditional craft and forward-looking botanical science.