A man has become head of the bakery and pastry section of an Auchan supermarket only with a vocational certificate that he obtained while working, and now his salary is double what it was when he started in the company, back in 1987. This food manager currently earns around 2,875 and 3,313 euros, plus monthly and annual bonuses.
Christophe Grevendal, 55, has been ensuring that everything runs smoothly in his department for 38 years, running “a small company within a company.” This is how this Auchan manager considers his job, as he carries out both the team management work and the production and sales monitoring work on a daily basis.
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He has currently been leading the bakery and pastry department at the Noyelles-Godault store in Pas-de-Calais for three years. “I always wanted to be a pastry chef,” says Christophe. Since he was 14, he was already helping out at the home of some of his parents’ baker and pastry chef friends in Roubaix.
It started only with a professional certificate
With only his professional certificate in pastry, chocolate, confectionery and ice cream, he started in 1987 working with an artisan before trying to dedicate himself to baking. But a flour allergy forced him to quit. Everything changed in October of that same year, when he saw a job offer as a pastry chef for the end-of-year holidays in Auchan Leers.
“At that time, large-scale distribution was a bit denigrated in schools. But I wanted to form my own opinion. Three months later, they offered me a permanent contract,” Christophe recalls.
Since then he has remained linked to the Auchan brand. From pastry chef he became head of the workshop in 1990 at Auchan Roncq, and in 1993 he was already second in command, directing around twenty people. Over time he continued to rise until he became head pastry chef in the year 2000, in the same store.
“I took a nine-month training course to learn management, without stopping working,” he says. Throughout this journey he has gone through different departments: butchery, catering, snacks… changes made possible thanks to internal training. “Auchan trains us when we change departments: we can train among colleagues or in other stores,” he explains. That versatility has always kept him within the world of food, “where I feel useful and close to the sector,” he emphasizes.
That connection with the field is what motivates him every day. Although he can no longer be directly exposed to flour in the workshops, Christophe does not detach himself from his work. He personally ensures that the entire supply works well. “I arrive from 7:00 am and finish around 6:00 pm, but my schedule changes constantly.” It adds up to about 45 to 50 hours per week.
And if there is something unforeseen in the team, he does not hesitate to put on the robe. “I can start at 3 in the morning if necessary. I help with packing and installation. I am a manager, but I am still a hands-on person,” Christophe reminds us.
His management style is approachable. “Our job is also about helping people grow. We train them, we support them. We are business leaders on our own scale.” From his small space of 18 square meters of sales area, he directs 38 employees who prepare more than 80 types of bread a day, following production sheets designed to meet billing objectives.
He has gone from charging 1,690 euros to 3,313 euros
Regarding salary, the evolution has been clear. A starting pastry chef earns about 26,000 euros gross per year (around €1,690 net per month). A junior manager, about 40,000 euros gross (about 2,500 euros net). In more experienced profiles, like Christophe’s, the figure can reach between 46,000 euros and 53,000 euros gross per year, or between 2,875 euros and 3,313 euros net per month. Added to this are bonuses, profit sharing, health insurance, the Waaoh card with discounts of 10 to 15%, restaurant vouchers and the works council.
Now that retirement is beginning to loom on the horizon, Christophe is clear: he wants to finish his career at Auchan. “I am thriving in my position. I do not rule out moving, perhaps to the butcher shop, but always within my region,” he concludes.