In 1888, the Journal of the Society of the Arts reported that each of the two companies exported 80 to 100 pounds of butter to Britain per week.
[2] By 1903, La Maison Bretel Frères had a revenue of 29 million Francs, making 80% of their money from exports.
Historically, Bretel, as well as other butters imported to the "French Indochine", likely contained more salt,[5] as well as boric acid as a preservative.
[3] The Bretel company employed the Normandy butter blending process to create a product with a uniform and consistent quality.
[9] In the winter, the butter was whiter than in the summer because the cows ate only hay, and liquid annatto was added to make it yellow.
[1] In 1960, the company was purchased by the Bricquebec dairy association,[1] but the trademark for Bretel was filed by Ngo Van The in 1964.
[11] Ngo Van The remains the distributor, as evidenced by the N. V. T. initials on the cans, even as Bricquebec dairy association was taken over in 1972 by Gloria Group.