The Chocolate Museum "Belgian Chocolate Village" opens on Friday where the former Victoria chocolate and biscuit factory was located at 20-22 De Neck Koekelberg Street. ItThe museum will be inaugurated at 7PM by Princess Astrid and then open its doors to the public on Saturday. This is the first chocolate museum in Koekelberg and second in the Brussels Region. The mayor of Koekelberg, Philippe Pivin (MR) believes that the use of the 900 m2 space is "more modern and interactive" than that of the museum located near the Grand Place. The project began in 2005 and cost the town about 2 and a half million euros, between 500,000 and 600,000 euros for the purchase of the building.
The museum houses a tropical greenhouse with cocoa trees. The museum presents the history of chocolate, its uses, its promotion, its benefits and the manufacturing stages. A workshop helps organize trainings. Nihant Benedict, one of the last Belgian chocolatiers that still roasts cocoa beans, will be giving a demonstration during the inauguration. A shop and tasting room will also aid in making the “Belgian Chocolate Village" a true showcase of Belgian chocolate.
Victoria opened in Koekelberg in the late 19th century and closed in 1969. One of its successors, Godiva, the ex-largest employer in the town, stopped its activity in 2000 " Koekelberg’s history is linked to chocolate, "boasts the mayor. “We wanted to take this step to protect and promote Belgian chocolate. Two years ago, I founded the first chocolate association in order to promote chocolate."
(Source: Belga)
