Creamy desserts created by a French pastry chef in San Francisco have found a foodie following on the West Coast of the United States. The brand of organic puddings Petit Pot is hoping to expand across the rest of the country and compete with major American groups by 2018.

The company founded by Maxime Pouvreau was born of disappointment. Upon visiting a U.S. supermarket for the first time ten years ago, the Landes-born Frenchman was unable to find the pots de crème, chocolats viennois, cafés liégeois, flans, riz au lait, îles flottantes and other dairy desserts so popular in France. Americans are major consumers of yogurt (the national market is four times the size of that in France), but "milk-based desserts were nowhere to be found," says the French pastry chef. "A handful of outdated brands such as Kozy Shack, Swiss Miss and Jell-O sell puddings, but there’s nothing to compare with what you find in France."

This dessert cr