The pretty Yellow Dwarf is exhausted. Ditto for the Elastic Petanque, a petanque with wooden pebbles on a large tray, at 145 euros anyway. The pass-trap is flowing by the dozens.
Fortunately, Internet sales are there for ACB Jeux, one of the few French manufacturers of wooden games, in the wake of the famous Jeujura. “The games that work well are those that let off steam, like the trapdoor,” remarks Christophe Bethoul, co-founder of ACB Jeux (Aline and Christophe Bethoul Jeux) with his wife in 2011.
In the boutique workshop in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, near Montargis (Loiret), activity has slowed down. “We are doing because state aid supports us. And we own our premises. But we want to live from our work, not from the helpers”, sums up this son of a carpenter, who left his job in a foundry to launch his own company ten years ago.
Local wood species…
The couple’s credo: work with local wood species, vary their colors, from red for redwood which comes from Côte-d’Or, to brown for walnut or cherry, passing through the light wood of beech or birch. , sawn a few kilometers away, in Montcresson (Loiret).
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“At first, we were thought to be crazy. And it’s true that the beginnings were difficult, then the wooden game came back into fashion around 2015-2016”, recalls Aline. Eventually, the business grew thanks to weekends spent at markets and fairs across the country. The latest was the Parc Floral Christmas market in Vincennes. Since then, dead calm, pandemic obliges. “It was on these occasions that we might show our games. I hope that we will be able to scour the markets of Ile de Ré this summer, ”begs Christophe Bethoul.
