The journey of a man of convictions

From Germany to the south of France Thomas Wicke has always harboured a deep love and respect of the Earth. Born in Germany, after finishing his secondary school education, he undertook an apprenticeship as a nursery gardener. Very soon left unsatisfied by this course, he decided to come to France in 1979 to perfect his knowledge of organic farming and environmental protection. In 1982, after obtaining a diploma as an agricultural technician, he chose to move to the Aude department. The choice of this traditionally agricultural region met with two deep convictions:     - To create local employment and commercial exchanges in an economically underprivileged area     - To acquire fallow land suitable for the creation of an organic smallholding in a region protected from all industrial pollution. As early as 1984, all of Thomas Wicke’s fruit, vegetable and cereal productions were certified as organic in their totality.

From the garden to the kitchen

It is not possible to be passionate about the land, without being partial to what it offers up to us. His own taste for cooking and combining savours led Thomas Wicke to elaborate "homemade" vegetable pâtés and the opinion of all those friends who came to feast at his table was unanimous: Thomas’ vegetable pâtés were unique and exceptional... Those close to him encouraged him to market them.

The thought of creating a range of vegetable preparations appealed to him but on one condition: they should be radically different from all the other industrial preparations available on the organic market, these being too often nutritionally unbalanced with too many unhealthy fats and too little vegetable based protein content.

Pragmatic, Thomas worked with renowned nutritionists to elaborate his recipes according to a unique concept founded on 3 principals:

 And ... Thomas Wicke became Thomas le Jardinier®

In 1996, Thomas Wicke launched onto the market a range of 100% organic vegetable pâtés, unique in Europe: REGAL VEGETAL®.

    - A complete nutritional balance based on vegetable proteins, good carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins and minerals.

    - Health protection resulting from recipes all of which are exempt from brewers yeast and palm oil and naturally gluten free.

    - And of course; taste! Due to a culinary preparation favouring the expression of savours.

In the light of the success Thomas Wicke's vegetable preparations met with, he officially registered the Thomas le Jardinier® brand in 2000.

His unique know how makes him the specialist in 100% organic vegetable pâtés, Vegetable Tartars, conserves and chutneys.

Ever heedful of his faithful and growing clientele, and rich from experience, Thomas le Jardinier® innovates every year, creating new products. Today he proposes 3 tasty ranges, for the pleasure of true gourmets, fitting for every occasion :

 · REGAL VEGETAL® (registered brand) : 18 different vegetable pâtés
 · CONSERVES AND CHUTNEYS: 6 accompanying sauces
 · VEGETABLE TARTARES: 2 new references created in 2006
 · SEAWEED TARTARE : available as of 2007