CANNING FACTORY AZAÏS-POLITO

Discover AZAÏS-POLITO, the oldest traditional cannery in Sète, founded in 1963 by two emblematic families from the port. Heirs to four generations of know-how, the company continues a tradition that began long before it did: that of magnifying the treasures of the Mediterranean with authenticity, patience and passion.

The adventure began just after the Second World War, when Lisette Polito, from a line of pasta makers, married Georges Azaïs, a fishmonger from Sète and founder of the Sète fish auction. This union gave birth to a shared destiny: to give the traditional canning industry in Sète its letters of nobility. Jean Polito, then his son Jean-Claude, “Maître Artisan-Conserveur” and ambassador for traditional cuisine, would go on to promote the brand far beyond the port.

Today, AZAÏS-POLITO is renowned for its 100% natural recipes, unchanged since the 1960s. Fish soup, rouille sétoise, stuffed squid, velvety shellfish, cod brandade… specialities cooked by hand, browned, simmered and skimmed just like at home. This commitment has earned the company the prestigious Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV) label, a guarantee of the excellence of French know-how, as well as a Label Rouge for its famous ‘Petite Pêche’ fish soup .

When you visit the canning factory museum, you’ll discover a rare immersion: the story of a visionary family, the secrets of a craft unique in France, the “Neapolitan dolls” inherited from the XIXᵉ century that have always watched over the workshop, and above all the gourmet history of a town deeply attached to its culinary traditions.

A visit to AZAÏS-POLITO will take you through 60 years of innovation rooted in the memory of Sétoise, help you understand how the first tinned specialities from Sétoise came into being, and give you a taste of products that have managed to preserve the essential: the true taste of the Mediterranean.

A heritage, a know-how, an emotion: live the AZAÏS-POLITO experience.