The origins of the “sablé” dates back to the beginning of the 18th century in Normandy. It was then defined as “a sought-after sort of pastry which crumbled like sand when eaten”. Around 1870, Littré included the word “sablé” in his dictionary, where he defined it as “a type of biscuit from Normandy”.

More than a century ago, in the small Normandy village of Lonlay l’Abbaye, Virgile Fouilleul, the baker, in between batches of bread, used to gently cook shortbread in moulds made by the village carpenter. They were either sold locally or sent to soldiers on the front.

When he died, his son-in-law, Georges Lautour, took over his business. Georges was then mobilised during the Second World War. On his return, he decided to start manufacturing Normandy shortbread to compensate for his loss of customers due to his prolonged absence… His wife, Hélène, extracted her recipe from her notebooks…

The Sablé de l’Abbaye was born.