Picard and Thiriet occupy two distinct segments of the French frozen food market. Picard, a historical leader with a dense network of downtown stores, focuses on product diversity and innovation. Thiriet, a family-owned business from the Vosges, emphasizes manufacturing in its own workshops and home delivery. Comparing these two brands requires going beyond general impressions to examine what independent tests reveal, the actual composition of the products, and the price differences on comparable items.
Nutritional composition: what tests show about frozen vegetables
The first instinct to distinguish between two frozen food brands is to look at the results of independent tests on equivalent products. In March 2026, 60 Millions de consommateurs evaluated 30 frozen vegetable products, including pea-carrot mixes, measuring nutritional composition, vitamin and mineral content, and pesticide residues.
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The Maison Thiriet mix topped the rankings with a score close to 18/20. This score is attributed to a high fiber content, good levels of minerals (copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus), and a very low salt rate.
The equivalent Picard product scores around 15.7/20, with very good levels of B vitamins and vitamin C. There is a gap, but both brands confirm that frozen vegetables retain their nutrients better than canned or jarred products.
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For those looking to find out which frozen food to choose between Picard and Thiriet, these tests provide a more reliable factual starting point than subjective impressions.
Additives in ice creams: a marked formulation gap between Picard and Thiriet
Raw vegetables are not the only products to examine. In the segment of industrial ice creams, the differences in formulation between the two brands are more pronounced than with vegetables.
An investigation by 60 Millions de consommateurs on ice creams, reported by Top Santé, identifies a Thiriet ice cream among the worst on the market, with a record of 11 additives for 33 ingredients. This type of extended formulation generally indicates the use of thickeners, emulsifiers, and colorants that compensate for the lack of high-quality raw materials.
In contrast, some Picard references rank high due to a short composition of three to four ingredients without additives. This minimalist approach places Picard on par with the best Carrefour or Adélie references on this specific criterion.
What this means in practical terms
A frozen product is not automatically “good” or “bad” just because it bears the logo of a reputable brand. Reading the ingredient list remains the most reliable action. In terms of ice creams, Picard offers significantly cleaner ranges than Thiriet. For raw vegetables, Thiriet has a slight nutritional advantage.
Product range and culinary positioning
Beyond laboratory analyses, the choice between these two brands also depends on what each offers on a daily basis. Their catalogs do not completely overlap.
- Thiriet builds its identity around traditional-oriented recipes, made in its workshops (Atelier Toqué, Fabrique Givrée). The prepared dishes evoke family cooking, with gratins, sauced meats, and pastry-style desserts.
- Picard focuses on diversity and innovation: Asian-inspired dishes, vegetarian ranges, organic references, and products for appetizers. The catalog changes regularly with seasonal editions.
- For raw products (plain vegetables, fruits, unprepared fish), both brands offer comparable ranges in scope, but Thiriet generally has slightly shorter compositions for its vegetables.
Chef Thierry Marx has publicly mentioned buying certain frozen products from Picard for his daily meals, illustrating the brand’s positioning as a supplier of practical products with controlled compositions, even for demanding professionals.
Price and accessibility: two different distribution models
Picard relies on an extensive network of physical stores, often located in city centers or nearby commercial areas. This network facilitates quick purchases, but prices per kilo tend to be higher than the average in the frozen food aisle of supermarkets.
Thiriet operates more on a model of home delivery and catalog sales, complemented by a more limited network of stores. This distribution method sometimes allows for slightly lower prices on bulk volumes, but requires planning for orders.
What impacts the actual budget
The price difference between the two brands varies significantly by category. For plain vegetables and raw products, prices are close. For elaborate prepared dishes and desserts, the differences can be more noticeable. Regular promotions on both sides make any static comparison unreliable: the most relevant approach remains to compare based on a typical basket corresponding to one’s actual habits.
Picard or Thiriet frozen foods: the criteria that really make a difference
Summarizing the choice between these two brands into a single ranking doesn’t make much sense. Each excels in a specific area.
- For raw vegetables and measured nutritional quality, Thiriet has a documented advantage according to recent tests by 60 Millions de consommateurs.
- For ice creams and desserts with short compositions, Picard offers cleaner formulations, with fewer additives in its best references.
- For culinary diversity and in-store access, Picard provides a broader catalog and a denser network of sales points.
- For traditional-style cooking and home delivery, Thiriet remains better positioned.
The most underestimated criterion remains the systematic reading of the ingredient list, product by product. Two references from the same brand can have very different quality levels. No brand guarantees excellence across its entire catalog.