French Papi Willepotte’s Sauce making a Shropshire comeback
A lost family sauce which originated more than 300 miles away in Northern France is making a comeback in Shropshire.
Raymond Willepotte began making Papi Willepotte’s Sauce in his butchers shop in Lille, France in the 1960s with up to 500 kilogrammes being made per week.
The 80-year-old stopped making the sauce – which goes well with roast joints and cold meat platters – when he retired more than a decade ago.
Teenage grandson Jack Willepotte, from Middleton Priors, near Bridgnorth, has now dusted off the old recipe and resurrected the family business.
Papi Willepotte’s sauce, made in the teenager’s family kitchen, is already on sale in local butchers.
The 17-year-old sold out of jars at the Burwarton Show earlier this month.
He said: “The sauce became popular with my grandfather’s customers who used it to make steak tartar and to accompany roast joints and cold meat platters.
“He eventually sold the butchers shop but continued making and selling the sauce in the north of France until his retirement 12 years ago.
“None of his three sons wanted to continue the family business and the sauce recipe was returned to the kitchen drawer, only making an appearance at Willepotte family gatherings, where the plates were always licked clean.
“I have grown up loving my Papi Raymond’s sauce. I can’t imagine a family barbecue without it. Now, I have decided it is time to dust off the recipe, put on my apron and have a go myself.
“He has helped me learn how to make the sauce so that I can share it with you. Now that I make my own, there is no stopping me.”
Production of the sauce started in 1965 and it continued to be made by Mr Willepotte and his wife Gabrielle at home until 2000.
That year, it moved to a larger premises in Wavrin, outside of Lille, due to an increase in demand.
Papi Willepotte’s sauce is stocked in Bridgnorth’s Beaman’s Butchers, Mike & Sarah’s Family Butchers, Keith Alderson Butchers and Paddy Ryan’s Butcher’s in Much Wenlock. Jack wants to keep expanding and get it into more Shropshire shops.
He added: “I have it with everything; burgers, chips, roasted veggies and have even found that it is delicious with a traditional English breakfast, not bad for a French recipe.
“I got my Food Safety Certificate in 2016 and my mum couldn’t believe it when I told her we had to have a kitchen inspection as part of the registration process for setting up a food business.
“I use only natural ingredients and free range eggs.”
He said it was a true family business with sister, Mathilde, designing the labels.
“Papi likes my sauce but says I need a few years of practice before it will be as good as when he made it,” he said.
Jack is making sure that the family recipe stays a closely guarded secret.
