A pharmacist by trade, Jean CHATEL gave up on taking over his father's pharmacy, preferring to exploit the family building to found a distillery. In 250-litre wooden barrels, the preparations were turned by hand and then marketed in demijohns, before being delivered in "donkey carts".

Jeanne Chatel, the founder's daughter, took over the reins of the distillery. She decided to enrich the range with new creations, which is how the whole series of bottled punches was born. In addition, the somewhat outdated artisanal organization quickly evolved towards a more modern industrial model. In 1960, the Chatel Distillery acquired its first bottling machine: the “Girondine”.

Jean's grandson, Alain CHATEL took over the reins of the family business in 1981. A true aesthete, this innovation enthusiast combines fruits, flowers and spices from Reunion Island with white rum from the Savanna distillery with boundless imagination. Under his leadership, Chatel quickly became the benchmark for punches, liqueurs and arranged drinks from Reunion Island, and saw his products receive multiple international awards.

While Alain CHATEL still creates all of the distillery's products, his children Julie and Erick join him, thus perpetuating a family tradition that has lasted for over a century. Through their dynamism, the Chatel children have promised themselves to realize their father's vision: to make the tastes of Reunion Island known throughout the world.