It's autumn, what could be more comforting than a delicious piece of chocolate... Belgian chocolate of course. For the seventh year running, the Gault&Millau food guide has selected the country's three best chocolate makers from among 123 chocolate makers who underwent anonymous and objective tasting.
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Taste and visual characteristics were used to select the best chocolate maker of the year. This year, as in many other areas, the sustainability and origin of the cocoa beans were also taken into account in the criteria.
And the winner is?
Since we're in Belgium, there are three winners. For Flanders it is the Bruges-based shop The Chocolate Line. For 30 years, chocolatier Dominique Persoone has made chocolate trendy and daring as can be seen by his passion fruit and vodka-flavoured Apéro praline. A pioneer of the 'tree-to-bar' approach, he owns his own cocoa plantations in Mexico and is committed to working with local farmers.
In Brussels, the jury was won over by Herman Van Dender's pralines and chocolate bars. He is also very strict when it comes to the selection of his cocoa beans and the quality of his chocolate has already won over several leading chefs who use it in their desserts.
Finally, the Walloon winner is from Bastogne, Pierre Plas, who creates vintage chocolates with exceptional flavours. His intense ganaches, fruity caramels and subtle pralines made the difference.
And don't stop at these little gems because there are so many great quality Belgian chocolates to discover.
