What is “Biltoki”?
Biltoki is Basque for "a place where people come together." It all started with co-founders Jerome Lesparre and the three Alaman brothers (Bixente, Romain & Xabi) who share their common passion for quality food, authentic people, and sharing experiences.
In 2009, the first four Biltokians gave up their respective careers to return to the French Basque Country, where their family roots run deep, to build a Real Estate project that made sense at the time. Little did they know that developing this residential building in the heart of their small town of Anglet was going to seal their fate. The ground level had available retail space to fill up. By starting conversations with their community and listening to what they had to say, they realized that there was a real demand for a fresh food market in the neighborhood. So they set off to search for their favorite local vendors, merchants, artisans and alongside them built the “Halles des 5 Cantons.” Biltoki’s first modern traditional market.
Shortly after, they were contacted by several town and city council members as well as interested partners throughout France. Today, Biltoki is present in 7 cities and about 15 projects are currently being developed in France and the United States.
Reinventing the Traditional Market
Biltokians all share the strong belief that our need to engage in community is vital to a happy life. So rather than sitting on our sofas, smartphones in hand, we put all of our energy into injecting life into real spaces of interaction, revolving around food. Because eating is a social experience that binds us together and starts much needed conversations and debates.
The fresh markets we design become the beating heart of every town or city we tackle, turning them into the greatest centers of customs and traditions in the area. Our high quality gastronomic markets revitalize and reenergize the neighborhoods we become a part of. Once again, valuing food sources.
Our Goal: To value food, relationships and people. Our modernized traditional gastronomic markets provide unparalleled quality food options and unrivaled service on a global scale. We strive to create a critical social connection between people, food, and local purveyors.
Creating Modern Traditional Markets
By bringing together the best independent local artisans of each town, Biltoki has become the leading network of unique food markets where each vendor reflects the gastronomic identity of its region. There isn’t a cookie-cutter approach to these markets. Each opening is a new adventure with new local specialties.
Our experience, passion, and dedication ensures the sustainability of our markets and unites the whole community. We offer a unique and local experience, focused around the best local food each area of the world has to offer.
As an operator, we manage and coordinate these living markets hand in hand with the vendors who run the booths.
The Place to Meet
We started Biltoki to bring people together. To ensure our mission, we've committed to being one of the vendors. In every Biltoki market, we own and operate each and every Biltoki Bar.
These bars/cafés end up being the heart and soul of each venue. A place where our customers and every vendor starts their day with a coffee and unwinds at the end of the day with a glass of wine. A concept born for the mere pleasure of sharing and creating bonds with our vendors and our community.
Our Biltoki Bar team is always organizing events and showcasing the local products of each vendor according to the seasons and the year’s highlights.
Our values
Hospitality
A hearty welcome, the act of receiving a guest graciously, and making them feel at home, whether they are family or strangers.
Hospitality is what matters to us. We work hard to create warm environments that encourage conversations and encounters between people, places where they are welcome and feel welcome.
Audacity
A mindset capable of making difficult decisions and taking risks to carry out an operation once considered impossible.
Audacity is not always innate, it is cultivated.
At the heart of our culture, we strive for every Biltokian to feel free to think differently, question trends, and innovate.
Authenticity
The quality of what is intrinsically genuine and real.
Biltoki is a family-owned business that values authenticity. We avoid false pretenses and shortcuts to stay true to who we are.
The spaces we create may seem rough around the edges, imperfect, but they are always authentic. Some days, they are buzzing with people, crowds jostling at the counters. This ultimately is what characterizes Biltoki's markets.
Commitment
A strong contribution in accordance with deep convictions.
Revitalizing urban areas, creating communities, promoting local gastronomy and introducing independent local artisans, those are our commitments each time we open a new market.
The Biltokians
Jerome LESPARRE
Co-founder
Bixente ALAMAN
Co-founder
Romain ALAMAN
Co-founder
Xabi ALAMAN
Co-founder
James ARBACETTE
Chief of Staff
Stéphanie BOLAND
Retail Project Manager
Aubane CALLEDE
Communications Manager
Julien DANGUIN
Captain @ Halles de Talence
Nathaly DUFOUR
Captain @ Halles Saint-Etienne
Rémy FOURCADE
Captain @ Halles des 5 Cantons
Carla GARRET BENET
Communications @ Halles de Bacalan
Stéphanie GENDRE
Executive assistant
Madeleine GUERIN SIZAIRE
Marketing Director
Peyo HIRIART
Captain @ Halles de Bacalan
Baptiste LARRIESTE
Manager of Café Biltoki @ Halles des 5 Cantons
Amélie LARRONDE
Director for Network of Markets
Maxime MIOT
Manager of Café Biltoki @ Halles de Bacalan
Hugo ORARD
Barista @ Halles des 5 Cantons
Aurélien PELAPRAT
Finance Director
Louis MESPLEDE
Sales Manager
Lauriane DUBOS
Communications @Halles de Talence
Stéphanie Da Silva
Communications @Halles de Bacalan
Antton LESOBRE
Chef of Cuisine de Vivien at @Halles de Talence
Be Part of the Adventure!
We are constantly searching for the right people to join our extended network of food markets. Whether you are a purveyor, artisan, monger, food entrepreneur, vendor, chef, local government official, city council member, developer or a potential private partner… Let's talk!
They trust us
