La Fourche: a dietitian’s opinion (+ promo code)

Overview of La Fourche

The brand

La Fourche was founded in July 2018 when three thirty-something friends who graduated from HEC, Lucas, Boris and Nathan, decided to create an online store selling organic products.

Their aim is to promote more responsible consumption by enabling as many people as possible to consume organic, quality products at affordable prices.

So as not to pass the margin cost onto their consumers, La Fourche finances itself through an annual subscription system.

This allows the store to offer prices 20% to 50% lower than large organic retailers. 

La Fourche selects a wide range of everyday products, food or non-food, prioritizing local sourcing, respect for producers and the environment.

The company favors Made in France whenever possible.

The products

La Fourche offers over 4000 organic products handpicked. 80% are food and 20% are non-food.

All products are organic, healthy, minimally processed, natural, additive-free and GMO-free.

To promote zero waste, La Fourche also offers over 100 bulk items.

The product ranges available are very comprehensive, ranging from sweet and savory groceries to household products:

• Sweet groceries : flours, sugars, biscuits, chocolates, compotes, cereals, jams, honey, coffee, tea…
• Savory groceries : dried fruits, spices, sauces and condiments, canned goods, soups, prepared meals…
• Bulk : dried fruits, cereals and legumes, pasta…
• Beauty : body and face care, shampoos and shower gels, makeup, deodorant…
• Baby: diapers, infant formula, prepared meals, cookies, porridges…
• Home : laundry care, household cleaning, household supplies and pet products…

La Fourche also develops its own products that it co-creates with its members. Through a questionnaire, decisions are made about the final product: packaging, origin, ingredients used…

The members’ choices will affect the price and the carbon footprint of the final product.

Today, this range includes 70 items, including tomato sauce, coffee, olive oil and coconut milk. The goal is to reach 110 items by the end of the year.

Promo code

We have negotiated a discount program for our readers. It offers:

• a free, no-obligation trial for 1 month
• €8 off the first order with the code DARWIN (for any order over €65)
• €20 off the annual membership with the code DARWIN after the free month has been completed

Our review

Products ★★★★☆

I received my order at a pickup point 4 days after placing it, in a box securely sealed with notches on the side to make transport easier.

The products are carefully protected by kraft paper and cardboard to prevent any breakage.

A thank-you card is tucked into the order; it shows the faces of the three founders as well as La Fourche’s values. 

All product information is very clear. It includes the nutri-score which gives an idea of its nutritional value and the eco-score, which indicates its carbon impact.

But also the product description, its storage instructions, its nutritional values and the list of ingredients.

The place of manufacture of the products is highlighted.

I had the chance to test several products from the La Fourche range. For this test, I selected three breakfast essentials: peanut butter, organic spread and double-choco muesli. 

100% organic peanut butter 

La Fourche’s peanut butter is made in France by a Provençal company specialized in processing dried fruits.

It is certified as an organic sustainable company and a Living Heritage Company because it is committed to producing in a way that respects the planet and supports sustainable, solidarity-based agriculture.

It is made of 100% roasted peanuts and is packaged in 500 g glass jars. Its texture is creamy and contains small pieces of peanut.

I did not find the origin of the peanuts on the packaging, but the product page on the website indicates they come from Egypt. There is no mention of fair trade labels. This product has a moderate carbon impact, it is rated B on the eco-score.

This product is a very energy-dense food because it contains more than 600 kcal/100 g.

Despite its high fat content (around 49 g/100 g), it is extremely rich in protein (28 g/100 g) and in fiber (7 g/100 g). 

Filling and indulgent, it is ideal for breakfast or as a snack to accompany a piece of fruit or a slice of bread.

It can also be used in cooking instead of the usual fats to create creamy sauces with exotic flavors or in baking. Personally I eat it on a slice of bread with banana. It’s delicious.

Be careful not to consume it in too large quantities because it is rich in saturated fatty acids which, in excess, could be harmful to cardiovascular health. Avoid consuming more than one tablespoon per day.

Dairy-free organic chocolate hazelnut spread 

La Fourche spread is made in Italy near Rome by the Italian De Angelis family, respecting the environment and traditions.

The hazelnuts used in the recipe come from harvests in the same region. It is packaged in a 350 g glass jar and can be stored at room temperature.

From a composition standpoint, the spread is palm oil-free; the fats used are sunflower oil and cocoa butter.

It contains only 13% hazelnuts, which is low compared to many spreads on the market. And sugar makes up almost 50% of the recipe. 

Although the origin of the hazelnuts is well known, the origin of the cocoa is not, which is indicated as fair-trade. The information is not available on the website or from customer service.

This is surprising given the values promoted by the brand and its positioning as ‘direct relationship with producers’.

Because this spread is high in sugar, it is rated D on the Nutri-Score; it should be consumed only occasionally.

Like any product containing cocoa, its eco-score is a bit high; it is rated C.

Regarding the taste, I was a bit disappointed by how overly sweet it is. I find it unfortunate that there aren’t more hazelnuts and less sugar. 

Crunchy organic duo-choco muesli

La Fourche muesli is made in Brittany by the company Céréco. It is packaged in a one-kilogram plastic bag.

Its composition mainly consists of whole oats, puffed cereals and chocolate (about 10%).

The fat used is sunflower oil, and the sweeteners are three: cane sugar, rice syrup, and malt syrup.

The amount of sugar in the product is 23 g / 100 g, which is relatively high compared to other mueslis available on the market.

It is rated C on the Nutri-Score, its carbon impact is moderate, and it is rated B on the Eco-Score.

I really liked the taste and crunch of this muesli; however, the amount of sugar is a bit too high. 

Again, I find it surprising and unfortunate that we don’t know where the raw materials come from. According to customer service, the oats come from the EU, without specifying which country, and the chocolate is fair trade, but its origin is also unknown.

For greater transparency toward consumers, this information should appear on the product itself or at least on the product page of the website. 

Price ★★★★★

Let’s compare the prices of these products with other organic products in the same range. 

Organic peanut butter

	La Fourche	Jean Hervé	Monoprix
Organic	YES	YES	YES
Manufacturing	France	France	Spain
Packaging	500 g	700 g	175 g
Price	4.70 €	9.80 €	2.99 €
Price pour 100g	9.40 €	14 €	17.09 €

We note that La Fourche’s peanut butter is much cheaper than that of its competitors.

Note that the listed price corresponds to the member price for La Fourche products. The price of other brands does not take into account any possible member discount.

Chocolate hazelnut spread

	La Fourche	Nocciolata	Chocolade Jean Hervé
Organic	YES	YES	YES
Hazelnut content	13 %	18.5 %	40 %
Packaging	350 g	270 g	350 g
Price	3.49 €	3.79 €	9.10 €
Price per Kg	9.97 €	14.40 €	26 €

For the milk-free spread, La Fourche remains much cheaper than its competitors; however, the quantity of hazelnuts is also much lower.

Duo-choco muesli

	La Fourche	Favrichon	Jordan’s BIO
Manufacturing	France	France	United Kingdom
% chocolate	9.5 %	11 %	6 %
Sugar / 100 g	24 g	23 g	20 g
Packaging	1 kg	450 g	400 g
Prix	5.66 €	5.65 €	3.99 €
Price per Kg	5.66 €	12.56 €	9.98 €

The chocolate muesli from La Fourche is by far the cheapest! The percentage of chocolate represents almost 10% of the recipe.

However, the amount of sugar is higher than that of its competitors. 

To be able to order on La Fourche, you must subscribe annually. Membership costs €69.90/year (i.e. €5.80/month).

At the moment, it costs €59.90 thanks to a €10 discount automatically applied at checkout.

La Fourche has a one-month free trial policy so you can get an idea (you will only be charged after 30 days; in the meantime, you can cancel your membership at any time with no obligation).

Groceries are delivered to your home or to a pick-up point within 3 to 4 days in mainland France and Belgium.

You can choose different carriers. In some cities like Paris, Lyon, or Marseille, the zero-waste home delivery option is available with the carrier PAACK (delivery in a returnable bag). 

Additionally, for purchases of €49 or more, La Fourche offers delivery to pick-up points.

A referral program allows you to get €10 off your referral’s membership and a €20 voucher for yourself when they become a member.

Transparency ★★★☆☆

La Fourche’s headquarters are based in Paris in the 19th arrondissement and the warehouse is in Mitry-Mory in Seine-et-Marne.

The company currently has more than 60 employees at its headquarters and expects a staff of 100 by the end of the year, with the hiring of over 30 permanent employees.

All products in La Fourche’s grocery are organic and carefully selected. The brand only works with trusted producers and brands.

It collaborates with expert suppliers in their product categories who handle the sourcing of raw materials and their processing themselves.

The place of manufacture of the products is always highlighted.

But for greater transparency, La Fourche should have been more aware of the sourcing of raw materials and provided clear information to consumers about the origin of the products. 

On its website, the brand pledges: 

•  To respect the health of its members by selecting products without food additives, minimally processed and non-GMO. 
• To respect the environment by limiting packaging, favoring local products and reducing its carbon footprint across the food production chain up to delivery.
• To respect people by promoting direct relationships with producers, supporting fair trade and favoring producer supply chains (on this last point the three products I tested are not convincing)

The founders Nathan, Lucas and Boris are often featured in the media (especially Lucas). Their ambition is to help the French improve the way they consume, regardless of their income.

Popularity ★★★★★

La Fourche has more than 50K members and aims to reach 100K before the end of the year.

On social media, the company has more than 127K followers on Facebook and 68.4K followers on Instagram, which shows a real, loyal and engaged community. 

On TRUSTPILOT there are almost 4,450 reviews. The average rating is 4.8/5. The comments are mostly positive; they highlight the quality, price and speed of shipping. 

Interestingly, for each product selected by La Fourche you can view the rating and comments of other members. They are generally very positive.

Expertise ★★★★☆

The company has around ten people on its team responsible for the product offering and product quality. This team has real expertise in organic products, nutrition and the quality requirements of the selected products.

La Fourche has a blog where you can find many tips for consuming more responsibly. You can read, among other things:

• recipes for homemade food and cosmetics 
• zero-waste tips
• natural health advice through diet 
• interviews with representatives of committed brands 

The blog is very interesting, but there is no information about the authors of the articles.

Trust ★★★★☆

La Fourche has customer service reachable via a contact form.

A chatbot is available to answer questions. If it can’t find an answer, a person will contact us by email.

I sent a message to better understand the origin of the raw materials of the products I tested. The customer service is responsive, but unfortunately did not have precise information about sourcing.

Products are packaged in France or elsewhere in Europe, most products have both AB and European organic certification.

La Fourche has a sustainable approach and works to limit its carbon footprint. 100% of packages are made from recycled and recyclable cardboard, with zero plastic. 

Furthermore, a study carried out by FEVAD calculated the carbon impact of e-commerce stores. When delivery is made to a pick-up point, the carbon impact is four times lower compared to a nearby retail store.

La Fourche also works toward professional reintegration for people with disabilities, young people who have left the school system through the Second Chance School, and collaborates with Emmaüs Défi.

Finally, to make organic products more accessible to as many people as possible, for each paid membership another is offered to a household in need.

Our opinion