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BELGIUM. Duc d’O Chocolaterie’s Liqueur Filled Chocolates product has been granted the three-star Superior Taste Award by the International Taste & Quality Institute (www.iTQi.com).
iTQi is the leading independent chefs and sommeliers organisation dedicated to testing, awarding and promoting superior tasting consumer food and drink.
The iTQi jury is comprised of 120 renowned chefs and sommeliers from 12 of the most famous European culinary associations such as Académie Culinaire de France, Academy of Culinary Arts (UK), Euro-Toques, Meesterkoks van België / Maîtres Cuisiniers de Belgique, Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe, Maîtres Cuisiniers de France and Verband der Köche Deutschlands.
Products are blind tested, with the focus on the intensity of taste, and criteria include first impression, appearance, aroma, texture, flavour and retro-olfaction, with each commented on by the judges.
The Superior Taste Award crowns products having met or exceeded the judges’ expectations in terms of taste quality, winning the respect of the food industry.
For the next three years, Duc d’O will receive a licence to put the iTQiquality seal on its packaging, making it visibly clear for partners and consumers that this is an “exceptional product”, the Belgian company said.
iTQi Managing Partner Christian Debauw said: “We warmly congratulate Duc d’O for their remarkable achievement. This company and its team should be particularly proud to market products that are so valued for their superior taste.”
Duc d’O Brand Manager Gijsbrecht Ostyn explained: “We have always known that our Liqueur Filled Chocolates are amongst the best on the market. The fact that these “˜ambassadors of taste’ have now come to the same conclusion means a lot to us. Our chocolates combine the traditional craftsmanship needed to produce these unique pralines with the exquisite taste necessary to convince today’s demanding consumers.
“This prestigious Superior Taste Award proves that our strategy of using only high quality, natural ingredients and world-renowned liqueurs is the right one. This will undoubtedly further increase our brand credibility on the shelves for a product that has seen consecutive sales growth over the last decade.”
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The classic Duc d’O Liqueur Filled Chocolates come in a variety of packaging – from classical wooden crates to the more temporary cardboard boxes and ballotins |
The classic Duc d’O Liqueur Filled Chocolates come in a variety of packaging – from classical wooden crates to the more temporary cardboard boxes and ballotins, from 125g to 1kg.
Five different quality liqueurs are used to produce them: Rémy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac, Cointreau, The Famous Grouse Whisky, Mandarine Napoléon, and Grand Marnier.
These artisanal pralines are made according to an old and renowned sugar-crust technique. After first boiling a mixture of liqueur and sugar, the substance is poured into wooden crates, filled with flour. A time-consuming crystallisation process then forms a thin sugar crust around the liquid spirits. When this crust is hard enough to protect the precious liqueur inside, Duc d’O enrobes the pralines with high quality Belgian dark chocolate and wraps every single product in an aluminium foil. Apart from the colours of these foils, a matching sticker also tells consumers what type of liqueur is inside.
About Duc d’O Chocolaterie
Duc d’O Chocolaterie was founded in 1983 by Hendrik Verhelst. With a mission to provide consumers with high quality products at an affordable price, Verhelst saw double digit growth almost every year. The company is presently led by his son, Paul-Henri Verhelst.
At the Belgian plant in Kruibeke (Antwerp region), a dedicated team of 120 employees produce 30 tons of chocolate products daily. Star players are the Duc d’O truffles, pralines and liqueur chocolates, supported by products such as the mini pralines, sea-shells, hearts, Easter chocolates, bars and tablets. The production’s high quality standards are ensured by “˜maître-chocolatier’ Guido Vandeperre.
As one of the last large family-owned chocolate producers, Duc d’O Chocolaterie makes all of its fillings in-house. Truffle cream, praliné, caramel, pistachio, marzipan, mocha and others are all based on recipes which have proven their success over the years. Duc d’O chocolates are 100% cocoa butter, 100% natural, 100% authentic and thus 100% Belgian, the company claims.
Over the last decade, Duc d’O has rolled out an expansive export-network. Today it covers the entire globe, as 80% of the Duc d’O production is exported to over 80 countries, with Belgium remaining the most important market.
For more information, contact Gijsbrecht Ostyn, Brand Manager, Duc d’O, tel: +32 3 774 51 91, fax: +32 3 774 40 56, or e-mail: ostyn.g@ducdo.com.
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