EVENTS

Bruges, Site Oud St. Jan, Belgium
28 April 2006

In April 2006, the Choco-Story museum and the city of Bruges were jointly organising a grand chocolate festival. This is a real first in Belgium. The focal point of the festival was a big consumer fair, where craft chocolatiers appeared side-by-side with the major chocolate brands.

The festival also welcomed chocolate artists, representatives of the cocoa producing countries and lots of other exhibitors. For four days, chocolate lovers were also able to indulge their passion by tasting a huge variety of creations. The objective was, of course to honour Belgian chocolate but also to place our country on the map of international chocolate fairs. And Bruges was of course the location par excellence to host the event as the city has 45 chocolate shops.

The Bruges Choco-Story Museum was the driving force behind the festival - a project supported by the city of Bruges. The festival was held from April 28th to May 1st 2006 in Bruges's historic centre. The heart of the event was at the Oud Sint-Jan site where the public was able to enjoy the ultimate chocolate experience. Chocolate lovers found a mine of information there but they were also spoiled, astonished and certainly very tempted. The themes covered will range from pleasure to creativity via passion, taste, health and well-being.

At the same time, a symposium for professionals was held at the Concertgebouw in Bruges and a chocolate trail linking the main chocolate hotspots guided visitors through the city centre.

Despite the fact that its reputation for the quality and authenticity of its chocolate has had well beyond its frontiers, until now,  Belgium had never had its own consumer chocolate festival. According to the organisers of the event "the festival of chocolate in Bruges was a veritable "ode to chocolate."

For more information, please visit http://www.choco-late.be