Watercress, hemp, and Comté cheese instead of basil and pine nuts: together with Gustine, eight engineering students from UniLaSalle Beauvais have created a distinctly French pesto. This local, gourmet creation has taken them all the way to the national finals of Écotrophélia 2026 in La Rochelle.
Every year, UniLaSalle Beauvais enters a team of students in Écotrophélia, the major national food innovation competition. Securing a spot in the national finals is already a major achievement, rewarding months of hard work and a truly mature project. This year, it was Gustine that made it to the finals. Behind this name lies a completely reimagined pesto and a team of eight students who worked for nearly a year to transform an initial idea into a finished product, ready to be presented to a jury of professionals.
Eight profiles, one recipe
The team operates like a small business, where every role matters. Margaux Maurin oversees production and quality control, Pauline Lenormant and Rachel Galloo develop the business model, Apolline Chalin and Lucie Molter lead research and development, Agathe Combaudon manages health and nutrition, and Eugénie Mortier and Samuel Richard handle communications and visual identity.
This synergy is no mere coincidence: it’s what allows the team to tackle the project on all fronts, from formulation to positioning, without ever losing sight of what truly matters—taste and meaning. Each member brings their own perspective, skills, and constraints, and it is through the convergence of these viewpoints that a cohesive product emerges, designed with both the consumer and the shelf in mind.
Pesto, a proudly French take
Forget basil and pine nuts. Gustine is a pesto reimagined around three local ingredients: watercress for its peppery freshness, hemp for its nutritional profile and uniqueness, and Comté cheese for its richness and character. The goal is clear: to prove that a high-quality local product can also be indulgent, modern, and easy to incorporate into everyday life. On pasta, as a spread, as an appetizer, or as a cooking base, Gustine fits in anywhere.
Et pour coller aux attentes actuelles, l'équipe a soigné le format afin de limiter le gaspillage et de proposer une juste quantité, sans compromis sur le plaisir. Une promesse résumée en une formule : du champ au bocal. « On voulait casser les codes du pesto tout en restant fidèles à nos producteurs locaux. Gustine, c'est la preuve qu'on peut être gourmand sans aller chercher loin », résume Margaux Maurin, cheffe de projet.
Sourcing based in the Oise region
At Gustine, every ingredient has a home. The watercress comes from “Cresson de Julie” in Bresles, and the hemp from “Chanvriers de l'Oise.” These partnerships are more than just a marketing gimmick: they ground the product in its local roots and shine a spotlight on local crops that are still too often overlooked. Working with local producers also means shortening supply chains, gaining a better understanding of the quality of the raw materials, and forging connections that go beyond the scope of the competition.
That is the very essence of the project: combining a contemporary recipe with local supply chains, and telling a story behind every jar.
From the lab to the jar
Since September, the team has gone through the entire process of a full-scale product launch: recipe testing, formulation, sourcing, packaging, positioning, and marketing. Production takes place at the FoodLab at UniLaSalle Beauvais, a facility equipped with professional-grade equipment that allows the team to move from concept to finished product—packaged and ready to eat. This is where Gustine takes shape, under the real-world conditions of controlled production, with the hygiene and traceability standards of a professional facility. Each test allows for adjustments to the texture, flavor balance, and product stability until a successful recipe is achieved.
Throughout this process, students were supported by faculty members from UniLaSalle Beauvais, who shared their scientific and technical expertise, helped refine the recipe, and provided rigorous feedback at every stage. This invaluable support illustrates the close link between education, research, and real-world practice at the heart of the school, transforming the student project into a true demonstration of skills.
Heading to La Rochelle
The story continues in La Rochelle. The team will represent Gustine at the national finals of Écotrophélia France 2026, taking place June 16–18 at the Espace Encan, right in the heart of the Food and Health Days, one of the agri-food industry’s major events. On the agenda: a booth, a tasting, and a presentation before a jury of professionals—the culmination of nearly a year of collective work. The entire UniLaSalle Beauvais community will be cheering them on.
