premiums given to farmers for quality

no deforestation and respect of the biodiversity

fair and sustainable cacao

mutual respect and trust given to farmers

each of our cacaos got a true identity

no child labor or child trafficking

September 11, 2026

Tourism Expo Japan 2026

🇯🇵 We’re heading to Tourism EXPO Japan 2026!

This September, The Belgian Chocolate Makers will be in Tokyo for one of Japan’s largest and most important events for the global tourism industry.

From 24–27 September at Tokyo Big Sight, Tourism EXPO Japan will bring together destinations, tourism organisations, travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, transport providers and industry professionals from around the world.

For us, it’s a fantastic opportunity to introduce our bean-to-bar chocolate experiences in Brussels to the Japanese travel industry and connect with new partners interested in offering their guests an authentic Belgian chocolate experience.

From factory visits and chocolate tastings to hands-on workshops, we welcome individual travellers as well as groups of up to 70 participants in the heart of Brussels.

The 2026 theme, “The Changing Nature of Travel”, also makes this year particularly relevant, exploring how new expectations, lifestyles and technologies are transforming the way people travel and the experiences they seek.

🍫 Are you a tour operator, travel agency, DMC or tourism professional attending the Expo?

We’d love to meet you in Tokyo. Let’s connect and explore how we can work together.

https://www.t-expo.jp/en

ツーリズムEXPO #TourismEXPOJapan #TEJ2026 #Tourism #TravelIndustry #Tokyo #Belgium #Brussels #ChocolateTourism #BeanToBar #ETOA

Article tags:

FAQs

You might be asking yourself who is behind The Belgian Chocolate Makers and how everything started in 2020?

Where are you located?

Our main store with two shops side by side is located near Place du Sablon and Grand' Place in the heart of Brussels. Just in front of the Royal Library.

Rue Lebeau 3-11
1000 Brussels
See our store in Google Maps

Buses 48 (stop name: Library) or 33 and 95 (stop name: Grand Sablon)
Train and metro: Gare Centrale

Get in touch with us

Who are the people behind your company??

Our chocolaterie is only five years old, yet the path we have already traveled is remarkable. What could have remained a small, confidential artisan venture has quickly grown into a respected and recognized house, followed far beyond our initial expectations.

This success is above all thanks to our team. A small group of dedicated collaborators, but driven by an extraordinary energy and passion. Each one contributes their part: artisanal know-how, creativity, a commitment to excellence, and the desire to innovate while respecting tradition.

In just five years, we have managed to turn this collective passion into a true engine of growth. We have learned, grown, shared, and most importantly, we have proven that with conviction and cohesion, it is possible to achieve great things, even when starting small.

Today, we look to the future with the same flame that inspired us on day one. Our chocolaterie is still young, but it is carried by a strong spirit: a team united by a common mission—to offer the world authentic, ethical, and exceptional chocolate.

Discover our team

Do you ship outside Belgium?

All our chocolates are shipped worldwide using DHL Express.

Currently, we do not ship to Russia, North Korea, Lybia, Israel, Palestine and Belarus. We are refusing all orders from these countries.

Shipping costs are automatically calculated for you based on the weight of your order, the country of destination and the selected shipping method. You can select the most appropriate shipping method for you and view the shipping cost during the checkout process.

We offer free shipping for all online orders over 250 euros.

Do you do sameday delivery in Brussels?

Yes, we offer same day delivery service in Brussels.

If your address is in one of the 19 districts of Brussels and if you order before 3pm then we guarantee sameday delivery by Shippr.

Same day delivery is only possible for the following districts:

Anderlecht
Auderghem
Berchem Sainte Agathe
City of Brussels
Etterbeek
Evere
Forest
Ganshoren
Ixelles
Jette
Koekelberg
Molenbeek Saint Jean
Saint Gilles
Saint Josse ten Noode
Schaerbeek
Uccle
Watermael Boitsfort
Woluwe Saint Lambert
Woluwe Saint Pierre

Who is the chocolate maker?

Our Master chocolate maker is Elisabetta Passafaro (27 years old). A young chocolate expert who is really passionate by premium and ethical cacao.

Elisabetta studied at Accademia Maestri Cioccolatieri Italiani in Italy and obtained her certification in 2019. She finished her internship with a travel to Brazil to develop her knowledge about the bean to bar process.

All our chocolates are produced exclusively by Elisabetta in our premises. She is assisted by Patricia Lafargue, Nathan Minc and Quentin Pierre.

Have you ever participated in a TV show?

🎬✨ Elisabetta, our chocolate maker, joined the adventure of the second season of “Les Étoiles du Chocolat Belge” on RTBF, with Adrien Devyver at the helm. For young chocolatiers like Elisabetta, it’s not only a moment of sharing and connecting, but also a truly enriching experience to measure herself against fellow professionals.

Out of so many talented chocolatiers, only 15 were chosen to shine in this new edition. They faced off with spectacular chocolate creations for an extraordinary prize: a trip to Japan for the World Expo in Osaka 2025. 🇯🇵🍫

The 15 chocolatiers, divided into three teams, are ready to face the challenge. Their mission: to recreate, in a stunning trompe-l’œil, the favorite dish of David Jeanmotte, Livia Dushkoff, and Joëlle Scoriels, who will be by their side throughout the competition.

The first episode kicks off with dazzling chocolate sculptures and delicate pralines. Elisabetta, however, had her own idea of fun. She didn’t really bother with the sculpture, that wasn’t her thing. Instead, she put all her heart into the pralines, because that’s what she truly loves to create.

Behind the scenes

Are you Fair Trade?

To produce our handmade chocolates, we only use traceable cocoa beans from all around the world. From Costa Rica to India, we choose the rarest beans to develop all the flavors in an original chocolate with an unique taste. Making chocolate is an art.

We pursue a policy of direct trade with farmers in accordance with the principles of Fair Trade.

We do everything in our power to ensure that the conditions in which our cacao is grown allow planters and their families to develop a long-term business strategy.

We take particular care to ensure no children work in the production of our cacao, that there is no forced labor and that all national and international labor regulations are respected.

How are identified your chocolates?

All our chocolates are identified by a 13-digits number called GTIN (Global Trade Item Number).

We partner with GS1, the global authority for the unique identification of products and companies, to issue the GTIN of our chocolates.

Our main Global Location Number (GLN) is 5407008470005. It is linked with our head office in Brussels. We are using this number to clearly identify our location. All our chocolates are handcrafted at our main GLN.

All products starting by 540700847XXXX are handcrafted by us in our Brussels store.

You can check our chocolates using this online tool.

Are you expanding to China?

Haikou, the Coconut City, is a place where land, sea, and human intention meet with rare harmony. At the northern gateway of Hainan Island, this city has long been shaped by exchange, of goods, cultures, and ideas, and today it stands at the heart of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the Belt and Road Initiative. Yet beyond its strategic role and growing economic strength, Haikou carries something less measurable but deeply powerful: a sense of openness, patience, and respect for origins.

It is precisely this spirit that resonates with our project. In a region blessed with fertile soil, tropical biodiversity, and a rich agricultural heritage, we see the possibility of creating something truly unique: the first premium bean-to-bar chocolate crafted entirely from Hainan Island. Not only cacao beans grown on local land, but every ingredient, every topping, every aromatic note sourced from the island itself; coconuts, fruits, spices, textures shaped by this climate and this culture. A chocolate that tells the story of Hainan, from the earth to the bar.

Haikou offers the ideal environment for such a vision to grow. Its role as a transport and innovation hub connects tradition with modernity, while its commitment to sustainable development and international openness encourages projects rooted in authenticity and long-term value. Here, craftsmanship can coexist with scale, and patience can meet ambition.

As we walk along its coastal promenades, through historic streets and emerging districts, it becomes clear that Haikou is not simply a place to produce, it is a place to belong. A city where raw materials become expressions of identity, where trust enables collaboration, and where a product can carry meaning far beyond itself.

For us, Haikou is not just the setting of our next chapter; it is an essential ingredient in the story we are about to tell.

Read more about China expansion

Why Betulia is your favorite cacao?

Hacienda Betulia is dedicated to cultivating three rare and exceptional Criollo varieties: B6, B8, and B9.

Renowned for their highly complex and unique flavor profiles, these Premium Criollos inspire the creation of exclusive specialty products. Each variant offers an exquisite cacao experience, with refined fruit notes and layered aromas.

At The Belgian Chocolate Makers, we are proud to work directly with Hacienda Betulia and use their B6 variety to craft some of our most distinctive chocolate bars. This Criollo brings a delicate balance of richness and fruitiness, resulting in a smooth yet complex flavor that our clients truly appreciate.

All three “Betulias” have been carefully tasted and evaluated by leading Maîtres Chocolatiers, who confirm their outstanding quality. These exceptional cacaos are sought after by top chocolatiers worldwide to create premium, nuanced chocolate.

Given their rarity, only small, strictly controlled quantities of B6, B8, and B9 are available each year, making them as exclusive as they are exceptional.

Read more about the Betulia plantation

Are you fighting for a better chocolate world?

In 2026, we choose to speak. Not loudly, not aggressively, and not emotionally, but calmly, factually, and openly. We choose explanation over accusation, transparency over slogans, and facts over stories. Real craftsmanship has nothing to hide and nothing to fear from the truth. Speaking openly is not an attack; it is a necessary act of clarification in a space where meaning has been deliberately blurred.

Concretely, in 2026 we commit to saying exactly where our cacao comes from, showing how our chocolate is made step by step, clearly explaining the difference between melting chocolate and making it, defending farmers rather than marketing narratives, and demanding transparency from institutions and policymakers. This manifesto is not about attacking brands or naming enemies. It is about restoring meaning to words that matter.

Real craftsmanship has limits, and those limits are its strength. It cannot be scaled endlessly, outsourced without consequences, or optimized like an industrial process. It requires time, skill, presence, and accountability, and it cannot be faked forever. Eventually, the truth always resurfaces.

Our position is simple and non-negotiable: no influencers, no shortcuts, and no industrial chocolate in disguise. Just cacao, just work, and just truth. 2026 is the year the curtain falls. We are ready. 🍫🔥

Read our manifesto for 2026

Search

Commonly searched

Cart

You might also like