Ô filles de l’eau: a mobile fishmongers, helping protect and preserve French fisheries

Laurie DUÉE and Susie BATALLA

Co-founders of Ô filles de l’eau

Mobile fishmongers in and around Reims

Opening a fishmongers was my dream, and the Accès+ programme allowed up to access a bank guarantee and a grant , which really gave us the boost we needed to get off the ground.

Ô filles de l’eau: a mobile fishmongers, helping protect and preserve French fisheries

Reims (Marne)

A mobile fishmongers

Ô filles de l’eau is the result of two entrepreneurs coming together: Laurie and Susie.

Laurie is 24, and is passionate about fish. She started working at the fishmarket with her father at the age of 16, while she was still at school. It gradually became clear that this would be her career. She took her exams to become an apprentice fishmonger and got valuable work experience in supermarkets and restaurants. For greater independence, to promote sustainable fishing, and to be able to choose the products she sells, she decided to start up a mobile fishmongers.

It was at this point that she met Susie. She was helping her mother, who had just switched jobs to become an organic market gardener. At 29 years old, Susie had been working in corporate management and human resources in a few different companies, but wasn’t enjoying her work.

It was only natural that they pooled their skills to found “Ô filles de l’eau”, a mobile fishmongers that visited various communes around Reims. They also offer catering services, providing an “oyster bar” service for weddings and corporate events. Lastly, they sell monthly fish baskets and are starting to provide home deliveries.

They want to bring a fresh new image to the fishmonger’s trade: dynamic, young, feminine, and in support of certified, labelled French fish.

They discovered France Active when they started up their project, recommended by a friend and the banks that they spoke to. “The Accès+ grant from France Active gave us a little more cash to help launch our project, the cashflow training made us more comfortable managing the company, and the bank guarantee was a real push in the right direction. Without this guarantee, we might not have had our loan.”

They are open from Tuesday to Saturday in the markets in and around Reims, offering their products for a year now. New projects are already in the pipeline, in particular sharing their expertise by taking on an apprentice, and even one day getting a workshop so they can develop new products and expand their range.

Focus on the Inclusion Programme for Independent Workers: In March 2021, France Active responded to a call for project launched by the Ministry for Work, Jobs, and Integration. France Active took the opportunity to enhance their Creation Pact with new support modules for the most vulnerable entrepreneurs, based around 4 key themes:

Financial education (managing cashflow, maintaining good relations with your bank, dashboards and management tools, crowdfunding, and financial analysis and management),
Protection and security (risk prevention, social and legal protection, civil liability, cyber-risks),
Digital awareness (finding new clients, building a brand, etc.),
Awareness of the commitments that come with building a business.

And, for young people from 18 to 30 years old, a €3,000 grant.