Beautiful tins
Going back as far as we can, we can still see the iconic image of a shepherd sharing a yearning look and complicit smile with the shepherdess as he offers her some Anis. They are sitting closely on a bench, by a fountain, with sheep wandering by.
You may have noticed that, while the looks and behaviour of the pair have changed, the changes have been slow enough as to pass almost unnoticed. Their courtship moves at its own pace: at the outset, they remain a chaste distance from one another, before gradually coming much closer together to share their treasure.
All of these engravings and illustrations are from the Abbey’s archives, and were each designed by the successive generations of Les Anis de Flavigny® manufacturers.
By the Fountain of the Recluse, eternal love springs forth with a tin of Anis…
A beautiful love story…
Les Anis de Flavigny® are sugar candy sweets, and like all such sweets they symbolise future happiness and fertility for newlyweds, much like the rice or confetti thrown at weddings (confetti means sweets in Italian).
In this way, sharing a sweet with a hidden aniseed at its heart is symbolic of love itself.
… told on cardboard sleeves and oval tins.
The first packs of Les Anis de Flavigny® were long cardboard sleeves. But when Jean Troubat started to sell Anis in vending machines in the 1950’s, he needed something more robust to withstand the fall from the rack. This heralded the arrival of the first metal tin – first round, and later oval.
The very first oval tins of aniseed, mint and violet sweets were then shipped to motorway service stations; these were gradually followed by new flavours of coffee, cinnamon, jasmine, orange blossom, rose, liquorice and vanilla between the 1970’s and 2005.
In 2006, a new collection of tins for the original range was designed, illustrating the love story of our shepherd and shepherdess. Coffee and blackcurrant joined the collection in 2016, making a grand total of 9 varieties!
In 2016, we redesigned the oval tins for our organic Anis. Spot the difference between the old and new illustrations…
In 2013, a new addition: younger generations know the oval tin, while their grandparents will recognise the long sleeve from their childhood. This little sleeve is the perfect, wallet-friendly travel companion, slipping discreetly into your pocket. Catherine Troubat, the third generation at the helm of the company, simply brought back her grandfather’s cardboard sleeve and modernised the design a little.
Since 2009, our shepherd and shepherdess have been spreading love throughout cafés, hotels and restaurants with our taster sachets.
Little children are always coming to the factory, asking our confectioners for some Les Petits Anis®. They enjoy them by the handful! “Nobody had ever thought to put Les Petits Anis® in a little pack… Now they can be enjoyed everywhere, not just in Flavigny.“ Catherine Troubat.
Triman is a new label, designed to inform consumers about how to recycle the packaging, and about the products themselves. You can download our information sheet which will tell you about each item of packaging for Anis de Flavigny ®, and whether to throw them away or recycle them. If you have any hesitation about what to do with your packaging, just take a look.
Les Anis de Flavigny ®
4 rue de l’abbaye
21150 Flavigny-sur-Ozerain – France
Tel. +33 (0)3 80 96 20 88