Indulge the palate at one of these four deliciously innovative chocolatiers in Ghent, Belgium’s chocolate capital.
Flanders is the birthplace of some of the world’s best-known brands, including Leonidas, Côte d’Or and Neuhaus. However, exciting new names in artisanal chocolate are waiting to be unwrapped in Ghent. These young chocolatiers’ shops are experiential, going beyond samples and seductive aromas to reveal ways one can push the boundaries of the edible art form.
From sourcing raw materials and preparing molten chocolate to hands-on workshops, these innovators tell compelling stories behind the best things you haven’t tasted yet.
Chocolatier Deduytschaever & The Chocolate Maker
Chocolatier Deduytschaever stands out among other prestige chocolate shops with its elegant exterior, reminiscent of a jewellery store. Within, truffles and bars are impeccably displayed in gleaming glass cases. Since the shop’s opening five years ago, Jannes Deduytschaever’s talent has been validated with “Best Chocolatier of Flanders” honours in 2022 by Gault&Millau and a more recent designation as a “Chocolate Personality of the Year.”
Partner Karen Van Lysebeth, meanwhile, runs the shop with the same attention to detail one would find at a Cartier salon. Its gems are crafted from single-origin cacaos like Dark Vietnam 70% and Millot 74%, a sustainably sourced Madagascar variety with rich, gently acidic, fruity flavours.
With the October 2024 opening of the first Belgian bean-to-bar chocolate workshop, Deduytschaever’s The Chocolate Maker strips the concept of a luxury chocolatier to its essence. Tucked into Ghent’s vibrant Graffiti Street, its brutalist interiors provide a clean backdrop that frames the chain of chocolate production, from selecting organic fair trade cocoa beans from farms in Vietnam, Uganda and Nicaragua, to grinding and conching the chocolate.
“Just like a winemaker refines each grape, I try to get the best out of each cocoa bean,” explains Deduytschaever on the new concept.
Holy Cow Chocolate
Vegans and vegetarians will appreciate the range sold at Holy Cow Chocolate. However, its “bean-to-bar” offerings, small, wrapped chocolates, chocolate-nut butter and other delights are so velvety and full-bodied that the average chocolate aficionado won’t miss the dairy.
Ellen Taerwe and Luca Beltrami’s shop features a viewable kitchen and an earthy country store-inspired space that reflects their hands-on commitment from cocoa bean sourcing to finished products.
Belgian native Taerwe and Italian-born Beltrami met in 2011 in Hyderabad, South India, when they were both engineers. Later, their personal and professional trajectories shifted when they met cacao farmers in India. As they got to know the farmers, they learned that when and where the beans were sourced opened up new worlds of possibilities for chocolate enjoyment.
“We started very small with our own monsoon and dry season cacaos,” says Taerwe. “Although we have the same recipe (85% cacao, 15% sugar), one can taste the seasonality as each has a very different flavour profile. Even as our collection expands, we strive to keep our approach consistent and simple to ensure the nuances of different cacaos can be tasted.”
Joost Arijs
Should you be travelling with those who don’t eat chocolate, Joost Arijs has them covered with his Gault&Millau-acclaimed The Bakery by Joost Arijs, praised for its sublime sweet and savoury baked items. However, to see why he’s been such a success, you only need to step inside his adjoining original chocolaterie/patisserie, which he opened in 2011 with partner Elke De Baerdemaeker.
While his sweeter side is pretty to look at, there’s nothing too over the top visually. He believes it’s what one can’t see that’s most important. “We really want to promote our Belgian-Flemish heritage here and are proud of what we have to offer,” says Arijs, who insists on using locally sourced ingredients to ensure sustainable production as well as Flemish authenticity. “We’re committed to putting the spotlight on our food culture and history.”
