Bite: Sweet Sundays

The owner of De Zwarte Vos in Deinze has been sharing his passion for good quality chocolate for years, with tastings, lectures and demonstrations in countries all over the world. Now he’s hosting Flanders’ first pop-up chocolate bar around the corner at café Carroesel, every Sunday until 14 December.

“It became clear that there was enough interest in the concept of a pop-up bar in Deinze,” he says. “On many of my trips abroad, I noticed that chocolate bars are becoming a real trend.”

He thinks the interest in bars dedicated to chocolate is due to positive press, “including the so-called ‘happy’ effect it has on our body and mind and its antioxidant powers. The demand for chocolate continues to rise worldwide.”

For the Sweet Sundays pop-up bar, the chocolatier does not intend to create anything overly complicated or fancy. Instead, he will focus on providing a fun variety of simple creations that incorporate chocolate.

Tasters can choose from “choctails” (cocktails made with chocolate), hot or cold desserts and, of course, just good old chunks of solid chocolate from different continents – including silky milk chocolate from Java and pure dark chocolate from Ecuador. The menu varies, and each week there is a new suggestion.

“We have the best milk chocolate from Ecuador and Brazil,” Van Cauwenberghe says, “and honey-chocolate flan with rosemary and caramelised apples, chocolate soufflé with passion fruit-banana cream filling, whisky paired with pralines and brownies with blueberries.” He’s also selling NIBS, his own cacao liqueur.

“The idea behind the pop-up bar is to provide a unique chocolate experience in a cosy setting with nice background music,” explains the chocolatier. “A place to go after the Sunday walk and reminisce about the weekend, next to a blazing fire, all the while enjoying the velvety texture of chocolate and aromas of cinnamon, coffee, chocolate and roasted nuts.”

Sundays from 15.00, Until 14 December, Karel Picquélaan 10, Deinze