Gault et Millau has named Arthur Amblard its Brussels Chocolatier of the Year, part of a guide that recognised 145 chocolatiers across Belgium and Luxembourg in its tenth edition.
Amblard is 28 and trained at Ceria in Anderlecht before opening his workshop in the Sablon, one of Brussels' most storied chocolate making districts. His signature idea grew out of his father's diabetes diagnosis, which pushed him to build a range of pralines and tablets without added sugar, replacing it with xylitol while working to keep the taste, balance and aromatic intensity that a good praline depends on. Gault et Millau said his work shows that innovation and craftsmanship can go hand in hand without compromising on taste.
A guide full of new names
Elsewhere in the guide, Chocolatier O in Geel took the Discovery of the Year award only four months after opening. Owner Olivier Vandoninck, a former marketer, deliberately limits his selection to 12 flavours, saying he always felt overwhelmed choosing between 40 options at other chocolate shops. His pralines are colour coded to match their fillings, mixing classics like hazelnut with combinations such as salted caramel and calamansi ginger, and he handles production himself to keep everything fresh.
Chocolatier M took the regional prize in Flanders, while Deremiens, Prouvy and Jamoigne were recognised in Wallonia, rounding out a guide that Gault et Millau used to spotlight both established names and newer arrivals across the country's chocolate scene.