Choco-Story Brussels
{{Short description|Museum of cacao and chocolate in Brussels, Belgium}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = Choco-Story Brussels
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| former_name = {{unbulleted list|{{native name|fr|Musée du cacao et du chocolat}}|{{native name|nl|Museum van cacao en chocolade}}}}
| logo =
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| alt = Chocolate museum
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-caption = Interactive fullscreen map
| mapframe-zoom = 13
| mapframe-marker = museum
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
| coordinates =
| established = 1998
| dissolved =
| location = {{lang|fr|Rue de l'Étuve|italic=no}} / {{lang|nl|Stoofstraat|italic=no}} 41,
1000 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
| type = Food museum
| collection =
| visitors =
| director = Peggy Van Lierde
| president =
| curator =
| publictransit =
| network =
| website = {{URL|choco-story-brussels.be/en}}
}}
Choco-Story Brussels, formerly known as the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate ({{langx|fr|Musée du cacao et du chocolat}}; {{langx|nl|Museum van cacao en chocolade}}), is a privately owned museum in central Brussels, Belgium, dedicated to chocolate and cocoa products. It was established in 1998 at the initiative of Gabrielle Draps,{{cite book|last=Auzias|first=Dominique|title=Petit Futé Guide du chocolat et des confiseries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jft3pj0D6cAC&pg=PT64|year=2006|publisher=Nouvelles Editions de l'Université|isbn=978-2-7469-1722-4|page=64}} the wife of the famous Belgian chocolate artisan Joseph "Jo" Draps,{{cite web |url=http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=16&cat=6 |title=www.thebrusselsconnection.be |accessdate=2016-10-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018230945/http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=16&cat=6 |archivedate=2016-10-18 }} founder of Godiva Chocolatier.{{sfn|State|2004|p=107}} The museum provides demonstrations and tastings, and visitors can book a workshop to make chocolate bars and lollipops.{{cite news|title=Best European city breaks for families|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/best-european-city-breaks-for-families|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230525162650/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/best-european-city-breaks-for-families|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 May 2023|first=Amanda|last=Canning|date=15 August 2022|newspaper=The Times|location=London}}
History
The Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate was founded in July 1998 on the initiative of Gabrielle Draps, who represented the third generation of Belgian chocolate artisans and was married to the founder of the Godiva chocolate manufacturer, Joseph "Jo" Draps. The museum was originally housed in a house dating from 1697, formerly called the De Valck building, located at 9–11, {{lang|fr|rue de la Tête d'or|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Guldenhoofdstraat|italic=no}}, just off the Grand-Place/Grote Markt (Brussels' main square).{{sfn|State|2004|p=71}} It spanned three exhibition floors.
The museum's management was taken over by Gabrielle Draps' daughter, Peggy van Lierde, in 2007. In May 2014, the museum was renamed "Choco-Story Brussels" following the association of the Van Lierde-Draps family with the Van Belle family, already owner of Choco-Story Bruges, the Bruges Chocolate Museum. In 2019, the museum moved to a new building with {{convert|1800|sqm|sqft|abbr=on}} of exhibition space, located at 41, {{lang|fr|rue de l'Étuve|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Stoofstraat|italic=no}}, near Manneken Pis.{{Cite web |last=Lhuillier |first=Vanessa |date=2019-02-14 |title=Le musée du chocolat fait peau neuve |url=https://bx1.be/categories/news/musee-chocolat-peau-neuve/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=BX1 |language=fr-FR}}{{Cite web |last=EDA |date=2023-12-15 |title=La première trace connue de cacao exposée au "nouveau" Choco Story: 5 choses à savoir sur le musée |url=https://www.lavenir.net/regions/2019/02/15/la-premiere-trace-connue-de-cacao-exposee-au-nouveau-choco-story-5-choses-a-savoir-sur-le-musee-FJBXXACHFNG3DJRENMYZHUZCBE/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=lavenir.net |language=fr}} In 2021, the Van Belle family applied for permission to convert the museum's former building on the Rue de la Tête d'Or into a museum of French fries.{{cite news|title=Frites museum in Brussels turned down|url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/198671/frites-museum-in-brussels-turned-down|newspaper=Brussels Times|date=22 December 2021}}
Gallery
File:Photo Façade.jpg|{{center|Facade of the De Valck building, the museum's former home}}
File:Photo_Tempereuse.jpg|{{center|Chocolate tempering machine}}
File:Photo_degustation.JPG|{{center|Tasting the chocolate}}
See also
{{Portal|Belgium}}
References
=Citations=
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- {{cite encyclopedia|first=Paul F.|last=State|title=Historical dictionary of Brussels|volume=14|series=Historical dictionaries of cities of the world|location=Lanham, MD|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2004|isbn=978-0-8108-5075-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LErne3-05qoC}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate, Brussels}}
- [https://choco-story-brussels.be/en Official website]
{{Museums and galleries in Brussels}}