Photo of the week: Special delivery
Chocolate shop owners around the country are taking to the streets to bring Easter to you during the corona crisis
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Makers of pralines and fine chocolates as well as shops are seeing one of their biggest sales periods of the year shrink down to nothing. While they are allowed to be open during the coronavirus shutdown – as they sell food products – many shops have closed because they simply have no customers.
Shops that choose to close are allowed a government subsidy; those that stay open must follow stringent safety guidelines. There is also a third option: Open for deliveries but not to the public. In fact, chocolate shops are finding that most of their Easter treats are being ordered online, which means an awful lot of deliveries.
Pick-up or delivery
Should you be in need of a bit of seasonal joy this Sunday, many local shops are open either to customers or for deliveries, and it’s a nice way to support local businesses that are weathering the corona storm rather than closing their doors.
Elisabeth chocolatier in Brussels and Antwerp, the subject of our photo this week, is open for delivery, and its shop at Kerkstraat 163 in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe is open to customers. In Antwerp and Bruges, meanwhile, the famous Chocolate Line shops are closed, but also delivering within Belgium.
In Ghent, Sophie’s Sweets & Chocolates is open for deliver or pick-up, as is Joost Arijs, which was voted best chocolatier in Belgium last year. But there are many local shops happy to bring your purchase to you, so if you have a favourite in your hood, don’t hesitate to check its website or Facebook page or to give them a call.
Photo ©Thierry Roge/BELGA
