Tjop’s wins Mijn Pop-uprestaurant
The “smoky boys” of Tjop’s won VTM’s popular pop-up restaurant competition with their slow barbecue concept and cosy western interior
Low and slow
The popular TV programme saw six duos start up a pop-up restaurant, from concept to service to food, and then get eliminated one by one. In the first several weeks, three pop-ups were located in Kortrijk and three in Antwerp. The final two moved to Blankenberge for the last few weeks of the televised competition.
Tjop’s, run by Birger Allary and Karel Knockaert, was up against Table’o, which was not only the favourite of the programme’s jury but the favourite of every critic sent to test the pop-ups in the final. The restaurants were even visited by Gault&Millau, which gave Table’o 13 points, one point more than enough to make it into the prestigious French restaurant guide. Tjop’s received 10 points from Gault&Millau.
But the public, who could vote via SMS, app or online, were taken with the large portions of meat and fish offered by Tjop’s, as well as the low-key personalities of the entrepreneurs behind it.
The duo behind Table’o – with a theme of dishes based on famous artworks – plan to open their own restaurant later this year, and Tjop’s is planning either a food truck or a restaurant. Allary already runs a barbecue catering firm called Tjoppie Doppie.
Photo from left: Birger Allary and Karel Knockaert are guaranteed future success after winning Mijn Pop-uprestaurant
About the author
Lisa Bradshaw is the editor-in-chief of Flanders Today. She worked as an editor and journalist in her homeland, the United States, before moving to the awesome city of Ghent in 2004. If she’s not in the office, she’s probably at a film festival.
