Meet the founders
A cast iron partnership
In 1925, two Belgian industrialists met at the Brussels Fair — one, a specialist in enamelling; the other, an expert in casting. Jointly they 'cracked the code' to enamelling cast iron and brought colour to the kitchen.
Together, Le Creuset’s founders ushered in a new era of cookware.
After their first meeting, Armand Desaegher and Octave Aubecq agreed to collaborate, and together they defined the basic production process of the enamelled cast iron cocotte that we still use today. Once they created a working prototype in 1925, Le Creuset was born.
The pair went on to establish a foundry in the village of Fresnoy-le-Grand, about two hours north of Paris. Our factory site stands at a transportation crossroads, making it easier to source the iron, coke and sand needed for production.
Inspired by the fiery orange colour of molten cast iron inside the foundry moulds, Desaegher and Aubecq’s first enamel colour — Volcanic — has become our signature hue.
Streamlined for the jet age
Raymond Loewy has been referred to by many names, not least ‘the Man Who Shaped America’, ‘the Father of Streamlining’ and ‘the Father of Industrial Design’. But few people know about his connection to our iconic cookware. The official designer of our 1958 Coquelle, Loewy restyled the traditional Le Creuset round casserole to appeal to post-war tastes for minimalist design.
Our colours
And it was all yellow
The colour that captured the heart of a star...
The 1960s saw the launch of Le Creuset's Elysee Yellow, adored by 1000's including none other than Marilyn Monroe herself.
Later in 1999, Marilyn's collection was auctioned off at Christies in New York for an incredible $25,300! With new colours all a flourish around this time a new blue was also inspired by Elizabeth David, famed for popularising Mediterranean cooking in the UK. David was pleased — she went on to stock a huge range of Le Creuset products in her specialist London cookware shop, helping to perpetuate Le Creuset’s association with good food.
Creating design icons
Generations of flavour
Today’s cookware is tomorrow's heirloom.
A modern classic, our cast iron casseroles are the product of nearly a century of refinement. Passed down through generations, they get better with age.
Explore the range
