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French brand of biscuit or cookie
Lefevre-Utile
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Lu_logo_2011.svg/100px-Lu_logo_2011.svg.png) |
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Ancienne_Usine_LU.jpg/220px-Ancienne_Usine_LU.jpg) LU factory in Nantes, pictured in 2011
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Formerly
| Lefevre-Utile Biscuit Co.
|
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Company type
| |
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Industry
| Food
|
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Founded
| 1846
; 178 years ago
(
1846
)
|
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Founder
| Jean-Romain Lefevre
Pauline Lefevre-Utile
Louis Lefevre-Utile
|
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Fate
| Acquired by
Danone
in 1986, then other owners
|
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Headquarters
| Nantes
,
|
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Area served
| Worldwide
[2]
|
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Products
| Biscuit
|
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Brands
| |
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Parent
| |
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Website
| snackworks.com//lu
|
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Lefevre-Utile
, better known worldwide by the initials
LU
, is a French
manufacturer
brand
of
biscuits
, emblematic of the city of
Nantes
. The brand is now part of US confectionery company
Mondel?z International
since 2012, after splitting of its previous owner
Kraft Foods Inc.
,
[3]
which had acquired it as part of its acquisition from
Groupe Danone
in 2007.
[4]
The
Petit-Beurre
biscuit remains the flagship product alongside the
Ladyfinger
, Champagne,
Petit four
,
Prince de LU
, Pim's, Paille d'Or, etc.
[
citation needed
]
History
[
edit
]
Lefevre-Utile was founded in Nantes, in 1846 by Jean-Romain Lefevre.
[3]
[5]
Originally he sold biscuits from the English factory
Huntley & Palmers
and then he began his own production. The name comes from Lefevre and his business partner and wife,
Pauline-Isabelle Utile
.
[6]
Their initials were first utilized by
Alfons Mucha
for an 1897
calendar
ad for the "Lefevre-Utile Biscuit Co." That same year the company hired
Firmin Bouisset
to create a
poster
ad. Bouisset, already noted for his work for the
Menier Chocolate
company, created
Petit Ecolier
("the Little Schoolboy") which incorporated the LU initials. Bouisset's poster was used extensively and the image was embossed on the company's Petit Beurre line of biscuits. Within a few years, the success of the logo resulted in the company becoming known as LU.
[7]
The founder's son, Louis Lefevre-Utile, took over the company and eventually it was acquired by Generale Biscuit S.A., which in turn was acquired by
Groupe Danone
in 1986.
[
citation needed
]
Although an international brand today, LU products are primarily distributed in
Western Europe
, and in 2005 represented nearly half of the sales for Danone's biscuits and cereal division.
[7]
In July 2007, LU was sold to Kraft Foods (now
Mondelez International
).
[8]
[4]
Gallery
[
edit
]
-
Petit Beurre biscuit, 1886
-
Advertisement for LU Champagne Biscuits, Alfons Mucha, 1896
-
Advertisement for
Biscuits Lefevre-Utile
, Alfons Mucha, 1897
-
A display of various LU biscuits
-
La Bretonne
, painted by
Hippolyte Berteaux
upon request of Lefevre-Utile
-
A postcard showing a painted sign for LU biscuits in the background of this Paris street scene with a statue of inventor
Claude Chappe
, 1908
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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Brands
| Nabisco
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Cadbury
1
| |
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Chocolate
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Gums and candies
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Other brands
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Former brands
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Related
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- 1
Manufactured by
Hershey's
in the U.S. under licensing agreement
|
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International
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National
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Other
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