The best traditional and sustainable galette des rois in Brussels is that made by Boulengier in Saint-Gilles, the organisers announced after holding the first competition of its kind.
On 6 January, many Belgians celebrate the Christian festival Epiphany – when, according to the Bible, the three kings Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar visited the manger of baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
To mark the occasion, people across the country share a special puff pastry tart with an almond filling, called galette des rois in French and driekoningen taart in Dutch.
This year, a competition was held to find the best galette des rois in the Belgian capital – the first of its kind. It was organised by Mingle, a sustainable food consultancy agency, and Tartine et Boterham, the guide to artisanal bakeries and patisseries in Brussels and Wallonia. The competition was open to all artisanal establishments in the Brussels Region.
Cakes pictured during the competition for the best artisanal and sustainable King's Cake (Driekoningentaart/ galette des rois), in Brussels, Thursday 2 January 2025. Credit: Belga
A total of 14 pastry chefs were in the running, and their creations were tasted blind behind closed doors on 15 December by a panel of nine Brussels-based journalists and personalities specialising in the culinary sector. The scores were based on the appearance, filling, puffiness and flavour, as well as the sustainability of ingredients used.
The tart had to contain at least three out of five products of Belgian origin, organic and/or artisanal: flour, eggs, butter, almonds and beans.
Candidates were awarded more points if four or five ingredients met at least one of these criteria, which was more difficult to achieve for almonds, for example, as they were grown abroad. It was also forbidden to use any almond flavouring or margarine.
Best in Brussels
Boulengier, an artisanal bakery based in Saint-Gilles, was crowned the winner of the capital's best galette des rois. Hermine in Ixelles claimed second place and Fiston in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert completed the podium of winners, according to Belga News Agency.
"We really weren't expecting this. We are very proud and very happy. We have been fighting for a long time to keep Boulengier artisanal and sustainable. This is great recognition," commented Marc Paeps, one of the owners and partners of the Saint-Gilles bakery.
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"People pay attention all year round to the quality and sustainability of what they eat. But once the festive season arrives, they turn a blind eye... Why is that? There are many expensive galettes made with low-quality products. My aim is to show that it's possible to be artisanal, sustainable and good," explained Mingle founder Noémie De Clercq.
De Clercq aims to make the competition a permanent fixture and to hold it on a national scale in the future.
