In 2003, Benjamin Devos worked at an international hotel in Beijing for seven months, and that short stay changed the young Frenchman's life.

Seeing authentic French bakeries prosper in many big cities around the world - but not in the Chinese capital despite the country's opening up, the 22-year-old decided he would open a bakery company producing high quality French-style loaves and desserts.

He then went back to Europe to raise funds, and came back in 2005 with 4 million yuan ($623,000) to start with.