The Staub family business was launched as a cookware store in 1892 by Francis Staub’s grandfather Auguste Waldner in Alsace, France. After a brief foray into acting the charismatic Francis decided to change professions by taking over the family business. In 1974, he purchased a nearby cast iron plant and Staub cookware was born. As the company grew, so did its acquisitions. Now nearly thirty years later, the company stands as the undisputed leader of culinary cast iron in France.