D’Artagnan Founder Ariane Daguin

Ariane was born into a world of great food in Gascony, a region of Southwest France. Her father, Chef André Daguin, was famous throughout France for his artistry with foie gras and other Gascon specialties. He was awarded 2 Michelin stars and changed culinary history as the first to sear duck breast and serve it like steak. His three children grew up in the Hôtel de France in Auch, where he was chef and owner for nearly 40 years, and each found their way into culinary pursuits.   

D’Artagnan Goes to New York City 

Although Ariane learned how to debone ducks, render duck fat, prepare terrines, and cook game birds as a child, she decided to pursue an academic degree at Columbia University, putting an ocean between herself and the family legacy.  

While working part-time for a New York pâté producer, Ariane was in the right place when the opportunity to market the first domestically produced foie gras presented itself. She and a co-worker pooled their limited financial resources to launch D’Artagnan in 1985 as the first purveyor of game and foie gras in the U.S.  

The name was inspired by the real-life musketeer D’Artagnan, who hailed from Ariane’s region and was made famous in the Alexandre Dumas novel “The Three Musketeers.” The logo, a reimagined duck wearing a feathered musketeer hat, was originally drawn by a bartender on a napkin after Ariane talked about her new business. 

A Food Revolution Begins 

It started with foie gras, and expanded to the whole duck, from beak to tail. Ariane used her famous name and thick French accent to gain entry to the kitchens of some of the best restaurants in the nation and won chefs over with her profound understanding of this quintessentially French product.   

The creation of D’Artagnan coincided with a growing sophistication in American cuisine, with a generation of ambitious chefs like Davide Burke, Patrick Clark, Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, among others, poised to recreate the dining scene.  

According to Vongerichten, "D’Artagnan changed food in America by introducing high-quality products to the American market, items Americans weren't familiar with like foie gras, game, and wild mushrooms. The emphasis has always been on organic products and free range as well. As chefs, we can only create great food with great ingredients, something D’Artagnan has always supplied us with.” 

Natural, Humane, Sustainable 

D’Artagnan contributed to the growing sophistication in American cuisine by putting the finest foie gras, duck and poultry, meat and game, truffles and mushrooms, and charcuterie on the tables of American gastronomes, both at home and in 4-star restaurants. 

Devoted advocates for natural, sustainable, and humane production, Ariane and D’Artagnan have been at the forefront of the organic movement in America, building cooperatives of small-scale farms to consistently provide the best quality to the most exacting chefs in the nation. 

Ariane developed the exclusive Green Circle™ chicken program with Amish and Mennonite farmers to offer a beyond organic, free-range bird that eats vegetable scraps and boasts humane and regenerative certifications on the label. D’Artagnan continues to find ways to bring innovative products to the market, all while staying true to Ariane’s vision and mission. 

Gascony Meets Goshen 

In 2021, Ariane established a non-profit silvopasture farm and foundation with her daughter Alix in rural New York state. In keeping with her musketeer ethos, All for One, One for All (AOOA) farm connects back to her Gascon roots and the joy of seeing people happy while eating. It also allows Ariane to teach the value of regenerative agriculture by example through taste, experiences, and on-the-ground education. Together, Ariane and Alix carry the family heritage forward for another generation and share their passionate interest in good food raised the right way.  

A Fitting Legacy 

In 2022, D’Artagnan was acquired by Fortune Fish & Gourmet, a leading processor, distributor and importer of premium seafood, specialty meats, and gourmet products based in Illinois with a wide distribution network. Their commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing around the world fits naturally with the D’Artagnan ethos.  

As D’Artagnan products become more widely available across the nation, Ariane remains involved with the business, though she spends more time on the farm shaping the next generation of passionate food lovers.  

By 2025, when D’Artagnan celebrated 40 years of success, a whole generation had been raised with a heightened consciousness about food and the journey it takes to their plate.  Ariane is widely considered to be one of the mothers of this modern food culture.