Although Perard fish soup stemmed from humble beginnings, this popular dish has transformed into something much more than expected. Its creator, Serge Perard, first started making the soup during World War II from the leftover scraps in the market of the fishmongers hall of Boulogne sur Mer (the leading fishing port of France). He continued to fine-tune the recipe throughout the years, adding ingredients like saffron that were unattainable during the war. Today the soup contains at least five varieties of fish from the North Atlantic waters off Boulogne and has a minimum of 40 percent fish.

In 1963 Perard realized there was no fish restaurant in Le Touquet, a fishing port commune. He proceeded to open the first fish restaurant, Restaurant Perard, and featured his fish soup at the top of the menu. His patrons were so taken with his dish that they wanted to bring it home with them and feature it on their own dinner tables. One year later, a small factory opened to produce the soup that was such a popular demand.

Although Perard’s restaurant was sold in 2001, his soup continued to evolve and diversify until it received the much-coveted “Label Rouge,” the red label signifying a promise of superior quality throughout France.

Lobster Soup

This rich soup is made with 26% lobster meat, seasoned with a wonderful array of herbs: garlic, anis, star anis, fennel, pepper, thyme. Ingredients: Water, lobster meat 26%, fish smoke, salt, tomato, corn starch, natural flavor, pepper, saffron, herbs. 850ml (29 fl oz)