Our story: the birth of La Parisienne

An adventure born in Sonvilier

La Parisienne’s story began completely unexpectedly.

When we arrived in Sonvilier, opening a bakery was not the plan. We had simply come to settle in the village, partly to be closer to Neuchâtel, where Mélodie was continuing her studies in medical biology. David, meanwhile, was looking for work as a baker.

At the time, we had only just finished our studies. We did not have much money or financial security, but we had one essential thing: a huge desire to work, move forward and build something genuine.

A closed bakery, but an opportunity worth taking

It all began during a conversation with the owner of our future home, Tatiana TANNER. David asked her whether there were any opportunities for a baker in the area.

That was when she told us about a bakery in Sonvilier that had been closed for several months. She probably did not expect it to go any further, especially since the owner of the premises was not particularly enthusiastic about renting them out again.

But David did not see a closed bakery. He saw a place that could be brought back to life.

Starting with little, but a great deal of determination

We then contacted the owner of the premises, Carlo Zoni. At the time, we could not even afford the deposit. Yet he agreed to listen to us, trust us and believe in our project.

That trust was decisive.

GMSA, our mill, also believed in us from the very beginning. Thanks to their support and bank loan, we were able to make the opening possible. Without that help, La Parisienne would probably never have come to life.

Those gestures of trust left a deep impression on us. They gave us a chance, and we wanted to earn it every day through our work.

15 October 2024: La Parisienne opens its doors

After a great deal of effort, paperwork, doubt and, above all, hard work, La Parisienne opened its doors in Sonvilier on 15 October 2024.

Our goal was simple: bring a village bakery back to life and create a warm, artisan place close to the local community.

From the beginning, we wanted to build a bakery that reflected who we are: sincere, hardworking, family-minded and committed to quality. Every loaf, every viennoiserie and every pastry had to reflect our love of the craft and our respect for the product.

A bakery that also belongs to the village

La Parisienne is not only our story. It is also the story of the people who supported us from the very first days.

Your encouragement, feedback, ideas and loyalty have helped the bakery grow. We have always wanted to listen to our customers, understand what they want and develop our offer together with them.

For us, a village bakery should be more than a shop. It should be a lively place where people stop by to buy bread, have a coffee, chat, discover something new or simply share a moment.

From Sonvilier to Courtelary and Corgémont

Founded in Sonvilier in 2024, La Parisienne has gone through several stages. The adventure also took us to Saint-Imier and Bienne, two addresses that are no longer part of our points of sale today. In September 2026, we opened in Courtelary and then Corgémont, while Sonvilier remains our historic shop.

Through all these changes, our foundation has stayed the same: artisan work, carefully prepared products and genuine attention to raw materials. For our breads, we use, among other things, flour from GMSA in Granges. We want to remain true to what has mattered to us from the start: quality, proximity and love of the craft.

A story that continues

Today, La Parisienne continues to write its story, day after day.

We know where we come from. We also know that none of this would have been possible without the people who believed in us, the customers who support us and all the hours of work needed to keep this project alive.

La Parisienne was born from an unexpected opportunity, limited means and enormous determination.

And we want to keep building this story with you.