Choco-Story Brussels
Choco-Story Brussels, formerly known as the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate (French: Musée du cacao et du chocolat, Dutch: Museum van cacao en chocolade) is a privately owned museum in Brussels, Belgium, established in 1998 at the initiative of Gabrielle Draps,[1] the wife of a famous Belgian chocolate artisan Joseph "Jo" Draps,[2] founder of the Godiva Chocolatier.[3]
| Established | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Location | Rue de l'Etuve 41, B-1000 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium |
| Type | Food museum |
| Director | Peggy Van Lierde |
| Website | Official website |
History
The Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate was founded in July 1998 on the initiative of Gabrielle Draps. Gabrielle Draps represented the third generation of a Belgian chocolate artisans and was married to the founder of the Godiva chocolate manufacturer, Joseph "Jo" Draps.
The museum was originally housed in a house dating from 1697, formerly called the De Valck building, at 9–11, rue de la Tête d'or/Guldenhoofdstraat, just off the Grand-Place (Brussels' main square).[4] It spanned three exhibition floors. The museum's management was taken over by Gabrielle Draps' daughter, Peggy van Lierde, in 2007.
In May 2014, the museum was renamed "Choco-Story Brussels" following the association of the Van Lierde-Draps family with the Van Belle family, already owner of Choco-Story Bruges, the Bruges Chocolate Museum.
In 2021 the Van Belle family applied for permission to convert the museum's former building in Rue de la Tête d'Or into a museum of French fries.[5]
The museum provides demonstrations and tastings, and visitors can book a workshop to make chocolate bars and lollipops.[6]
Gallery
Facade of the De Valck building, the museum's former home
Chocolate tempering machine
Tasting the chocolate
References
Notes
- Auzias, Dominique (2006). Petit Futé Guide du chocolat et des confiseries. Nouvelles Editions de l'Université. p. 64. ISBN 978-2-7469-1722-4.
- "www.thebrusselsconnection.be". Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
- State, Paul F. (2015). Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 107. ISBN 9780810879218.
- State 2004, p. 71.
- "Frites museum in Brussels turned down". Brussels Times. 22 December 2021.
- Canning, Amanda (15 August 2022). "Best European city breaks for families". The Times. London.
Bibliography
- State, Paul F. (2004). Historical dictionary of Brussels. Historical dictionaries of cities of the world. Vol. 14. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5075-0.