Valentine manufactures 100 deep fat fryers for commercial kitchens every week at its production facilities in the small town of Romanel-sur-Morges in French-speaking Switzerland. The top-selling model costs between CHF 6,000 and 6,500. Depending on the features, the price can rise as high as CHF 10,000. Valentine fryers are 100 percent ‘Swiss made’ – a label that CEO Christophe Paris considers crucial to the success of the family-run business, which employs 30 staff.

Valentine generates 80 percent of its sales abroad. Its most important market is Great Britain. And the ‘Made in Switzerland’ fryers are also highly sought-after in commercial kitchens across Spain, France and Scandinavia. Christophe Paris believes that this label represents quality, durability and trust. “We offer our customers first-class products and top-notch after-sales service. We also guarantee spare parts availability for 20 years. With our machines, a part can be replaced after ten years for CHF 100 or 200, and they’re up and running again. Deep fat fryers aren’t consumer goods that you replace every year – they’re a small investment,” says the CEO. He adds that by remaining committed to manufacturing in Switzerland, the company maintains its credibility with customers. “And for almost 70 years, we and our staff have been proving that this makes us competitive.”

The current CEO’s grandfather co-founded the company in 1953 with engineer Aldo Valentini, after whom it was named. Christophe Paris explains that although the latter’s surname was spelt with an ‘i’ at the end, he always signed his name as ‘Valentine’. In hindsight, this was a good idea, as it also makes the name easy to pronounce in English-speaking countries. Together, the pair developed the first fryer and began marketing it. In the 1950s, deep fat fryers were just coming into use in the catering industry – before that, chips had been cooked in a frying pan.

Christophe Paris took over the family business from his father more than ten years ago. His two younger siblings also work at Valentine: His sister is in charge of sales and HR, and his brother, who joined the company only recently, is in charge of development. The CEO states that it is certainly a special situation, having three siblings run a business. “I know siblings who regularly have blow-ups. We, on the other hand, get along very well. Our father prepared us well for dealing sensibly with sibling conflicts. Moreover, family conflicts are different to those between business partners. It’s all going very well at the moment,” says Paris.

The change in leadership brought a breath of fresh air to Valentine. “My father ran the company his way – we run it differently now. As the younger generation, we have new ideas. We’re closer to our staff, for example. But we’re still rooted in the same values that my father and grandfather upheld: family, innovation and first-class quality.” He claims that one major advantage of being a family business is the speed of decision-making. There are no interfering shareholders. “I work with people whom I know and trust. That’s a huge plus,” says Christophe Paris.

As a father of three young children, he has paved the way for the fourth generation to perhaps take over one day. “It would, of course, be nice to keep the business in the family. Let’s see how things are, 20 years from now. The kids still have a bit of time.” They’re definitely on board when it comes to chips, though – their father has made sure of that himself. At least once a week, he uses the deep fat fryer at home. “The kids love it. Chips are like chocolate – they lift the spirits,” he says with a grin.

Valentine’s business is performing well, but there is still some lingering uncertainty left over from the unpredictability of the pandemic. After a difficult patch characterised by short-time working and the main buyers of deep fat fryers (hotels and restaurants) coming to a complete standstill, demand has simply skyrocketed this spring. The order books are full, and production at Valentine is back in full swing. However, the CEO is concerned about rising raw materials prices and delays among suppliers: problems that various industries are facing.

Christophe Paris nevertheless hopes for future growth, primarily in Europe and later worldwide. “I’m convinced that people will still be eating chips in ten years’ time.” He says that there is still potential in Germany and Austria, and that additional production capacity is available in Romanel-sur-Morges. “My goal is for Valentine to become the benchmark for deep fat fryer in commercial kitchens.” He is aiming to reach a point where the answer to the question of what brand chefs want in their kitchen will be: “A Valentine.”