Flavour trendsetters

Will it be stewed pear ice cream? Or a bonbon with local beer? Maybe a chocolate with mulled wine in it? Or an ice cream with strawberries from the local fruit nursery? Nothing is “ordinary” in De Lelie chocolate shop. Each flavour has been thoroughly tested. Every ingredient is fresh. Owners Ingrid and Sjaak den Bleker take care of this personally.

“We stop at every spice stall on the market. We taste everything and find inspiration for new flavours everywhere. During a holiday I once drank a mojito. Such a tasty combination of flavours! We begged the bartender to write the recipe on the back of a beer coaster. When we got home my husband didn’t even unpack his suitcase. He went straight to the kitchen to experiment with a new ice cream flavour”, laughs Ingrid. The shopping area of De Lelie chocolate shop on Voorstraat is narrow and small, but the building is long. It’s not just about the counter. In fact, the real thing happens in the back. Where moving kettles keep the chocolate at the perfect temperature. Where Sjaak, Ingrid and their dedicated team make every piece of chocolate by hand.

Ingrid: “It can take weeks for a new taste to be perfectly balanced. The whole team, our family, the neighbors, everyone is involved. We continue to taste pieces of chocolate or scoops of ice cream. While I’m busy with a deadline at the office, Sjaak suddenly bursts in with ‘You really have to try this!’” And that is exactly what customers want. Taste. All those flavours. So take a little stress into account when visiting. Or download the Lelie app and choose at home in advance.

Note: Only chocolate is sold at the Voorstraat location in the fall and winter period. You can get an ice cream all year round at De Lelie at the Gasthuislaan location.