Business · Companies · 15 hrs ago
Brigitte Bardot’s wicker coffin boosts a French basketry business
Brigitte Bardot was buried in a wicker coffin made by a small business in Candas, in northern France.
The company says calls from families and funeral businesses began soon after her funeral.
It has sold 300 coffins since the start of 2026, compared with about 100 it produced in 2025.
The firm was founded in 1973 and originally made baskets for bakeries, pastry shops and chocolate shops.
Its funeral business began recently, with its first prototype in 2024, and now makes up about a quarter of the company’s revenue.
The coffins combine wicker with a thick wooden base to meet French funeral rules.
The owners hope to sell 400 by year-end and are also developing funeral urns and coffins for animals.
Candas basketry has sold 300 wicker coffins since the start of 2026, following Brigitte Bardot’s burial in one of its coffins.
The company produced about 100 coffins in 2025 and hopes to reach 400 sales by the end of 2026.
Its manager, Xavier Quointeau, said inquiries began soon after Bardot’s funeral and continue to mention her.
Funeral products now account for about a quarter of the company’s revenue.
Candas is also developing funeral urns and coffins for animals.
- Who
- Candas basketry, managed by Xavier Quointeau, makes the wicker coffins.
- What
- The business has seen increased interest and sales of its wicker coffins after Brigitte Bardot was buried in one.
- When
- Since the start of 2026; Bardot’s funeral was about ten months before the Capital.fr article.
- Where
- Candas, on the border between the Somme and Pas-de-Calais in France.
- Why
- Bardot’s burial in one of the company’s coffins drew attention and prompted inquiries.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Candas made its first wicker coffin prototype.
The company began selling its first coffin models and produced about 100 coffins that year.
Brigitte Bardot was buried in one of Candas’s wicker coffins.
Candas has sold 300 coffins.
- Sales since start of 2026
- 300 coffins
- Coffins produced in 2025
- About 100
- Target by end of 2026
- 400 coffins
- Funeral products' share of revenue
- About 25%
- Company location
- Border between the Somme and Pas-de-Calais, France
3 sources
Brigitte Bardot leur a fait un dernier cadeau, cette vannerie de la Somme n’en revient toujours pas
« Merci Brigitte Bardot » : ces cercueils en osier made in Somme cartonnent depuis le décès de l’icône du cinéma
« Merci Brigitte Bardot » : ces cercueils en osier made in Somme cartonnent depuis le décès de l’icône du cinéma
What people are saying
A half-hour after the start of the funeral, we were already getting calls from individuals and funeral companies interested in our coffins, before the media inquiries.
If we reach 400 by the end of the year, that will already be fabulous.