Our Story
About Us
Coutelier NOLA was established in August 2015 on historic Oak Street, born from a vision to fill a significant void in the Southern culinary landscape. Founded by industry veterans with years of experience in Michelin-starred kitchens, the shop was designed to be a "culinary candy shop" for professional chefs and dedicated home cooks alike. By moving away from mass-produced, commercial cutlery and focusing on the intentional, hand-forged artistry of Japanese blacksmiths, the shop has become a cornerstone of the New Orleans food scene, providing elite tools that were once nearly impossible to find in the region.
The heart of the shop’s mission is a deep reverence for the ancient traditions of Japanese steel and the preservation of multi-generational craftsmanship. The team travels to Japan annually to source directly from master smiths, ensuring that every blade represents a perfect balance of heritage and precision. As a premier destination for Japanese kitchen knives in New Orleans, the shop is dedicated to demystifying the world of high-end cutlery. Beyond the retail experience, the focus remains on the longevity of every tool through expert education and a commitment to the "fit and finish" that only those with a professional culinary background can truly appreciate.
Serving the culinary community is the ultimate priority, bridging the gap between local hospitality and the national stage. For the chefs of South Louisiana, the shop provides a vital resource for professional knife sharpening and gear built to withstand the rigors of a high-volume kitchen. This impact extends nationwide through a curated online collection and a specialized mail-in knife sharpening service, bringing artisan-grade tools and maintenance to kitchens from coast to coast. Whether supporting a local New Orleans line cook or an enthusiast across the country, the goal remains the same: to foster a more informed, empowered, and well-equipped culinary world.
Jacqueline Blanchard
Jacqueline, founder and owner of Coutelier, is a 10th generation Cajun from Bayou Lafourche in Southeast Louisiana’s Assumption Parish. Her family fled Nova Scotia during the Acadian exile and settled into the Lafourche Valley in the late 1700’s as farmers, and they’ve been there ever since. Cooking has always been in the fabric of her family - taking part in traditions such as crawfish boils in the spring and the old Cajun boucheries each fall. After getting her bachelor degree in Culinary Arts from Nicholls State University just after Hurricane Katrina, she headed west to join the team of Chef Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Bouchon in Napa Valley. She later joined the team at Frasca in Boulder, CO in the restaurant’s early years, then went on to a stint at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York. She headed back to New Orleans as executive sous chef at Restaurant August for several years, and after a summer cooking in Provence, Jackie joined the team at San Francisco’s highly acclaimed Benu as sous chef where she helped the team earn 3 Michelin stars.
Jacqueline has spent the last 20 years traveling and cooking throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, and Japan to gain a deeper repertoire and a better understanding of each culture’s cuisine - shaping her perspective and respect for global cuisine, in pursuit of being as well rounded of a cook as possible. In 2015, she moved back home to New Orleans to open Coutelier, a highly curated knife shop focusing on hand forged Japanese cutlery - a business decision she felt was based on the needs of her peers and fellow cooking community of South Louisiana. She and her business partner travel annually to Japan, sourcing the tools of this ancient craft they have come to foster an immense respect and understanding towards.
Their goal is to support and promote the unrivaled focus of the multi-generation craftsmanship executed by Japanese blacksmiths who hand forge professional cutlery and tools for their culinary community. Her love for Japanese culture and cuisine and technique has deepend immensely along the way, and she will be opening her first restaurant, Sukeban in Spring of 2022.