Jean-Antoine Brutus Menier (May 17, 1795 – December 19, 1853) was a French entrepreneur and founder of the Menier family of
chocolatier
A chocolatier ( ; ; ) is a person or company that makes and sells chocolate confections. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other raw ingredients. Chocolatiers work artisanally with pre- ...
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River. In 2019, it had a population of 610,079.La Flèche Military Academy where he studied the composition of
pharmaceuticals
Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...
. The following year the 17-year-old served with the medical staff of
La Grande Armée
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
*"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...
in
Napoleon's invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign (), the Second Polish War, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 (), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the continent ...
. In 1813 he was employed at Val-de-Grâce military hospital in Paris.
In 1816, Antoine Brutus Menier married Marie-Edmée Virginie Pichon. With her sizeable
dowry
A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage.
Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...
he was able to go into business and he established the Menier Hardware Company in the Marais district of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. Although not certified as a
pharmacist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...
, Menier began preparing and selling a variety of powders for medicinal purposes. This aspect of the business grew rapidly and in 1825 he began an expansion through the acquisition of a second production facility on land on the banks of the
Marne River
The Marne (; ) is a river in France, an eastern tributary of the Seine in the area east and southeast of Paris. It is long. The river gave its name to the departments of France, departments of Haute-Marne, Marne (department), Marne, Seine-et-Ma ...
at
Noisiel
Noisiel () is a commune in the French department of Seine-et-Marne, administrative region of Île-de-France. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris.
The commune of Noisiel is part of the Val Maubuée sector, on ...
, then a small village of less than 200 inhabitants at the outskirts of Paris.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods.
Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...
was used as a medicinal product and was only one part of the overall business. Success led to a modernization of the Noisel facility in 1830 that made it the first factory in France to have a mechanized mass production process for chocolate. By 1832 Menier's company offered a wide range of medicinal powders and began publishing a catalog detailing its product line. Following the development of solid chocolate, Menier introduced a block of chocolate wrapped in decorative yellow paper.
Antoine Brutus Menier's success earned him considerable recognition throughout France but soon brought with it criticism for his lack of certification as a pharmacist. However, his skills were such that in 1839 he passed the necessary exams and received his diploma. For his contribution to the growth of the economy of France, in 1842 the government awarded him the
Legion of Honor
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
.
In the spring of 1853 Antoine Brutus Menier suffered a stroke that left him paralysed and management of the business was assumed by his son Emile-Justin Menier in a year that saw the company produce more than 4,000 tons of chocolate. Antoine Brutus Menier died in December at his home in
Passy
Passy () is an area of Paris, France, located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, on the Rive Droite, Right Bank. It is adjacent to Auteuil, Paris, Auteuil to the southwest, and Chaillot to the northeast.
It is home to many ...
. He was buried in the
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world.
Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...