And we are celebrating the day! As you may know, D’Artagnan is founded and owned by a woman, the inimitable Ariane Daguin.
Ariane was born into a world of great food. Her father, Chef André Daguin, is famous throughout France for his artistry with foie gras and other Gascon specialties. Ariane was expert at deboning ducks, rendering duck fat, preparing terrines and cooking game birds by the time she was ten.
A career in food might have seemed natural, but there was no place for a woman in the strict culinary hierarchy in France. Instead, Ariane decided to pursue an academic degree at Columbia University. While working part-time for a New York pâté producer, Ariane was in the right place when the opportunity to market the first domestically produced foie gras presented itself. She and a co-worker pooled their financial resources to launch D’Artagnan in 1985 as the first purveyor of game and foie gras in the U.S. She hasn’t looked back.
Devoted advocates for natural, sustainable and humane production, Ariane and D’Artagnan have been at the forefront of the organic movement in America, pioneering organic, free-range chicken (years before the FDA allowed the word “organic” on the label), and humanely-raised veal. She continues to find ways to bring innovative products to the market, all while staying true to her mission.
Ariane has always been an advocate of women in the kitchen, having broken the stainless steel ceiling herself. And she is quick to mentor and support women in every walk of life. Here are a few photos from the archives of Ariane with some pretty incredible women.
We celebrate the accomplishments of women everywhere today – and every day.