View source for Choco-Story Brussels

{{Short description|Museum of cacao and chocolate in Brussels, Belgium}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox museum
| name              = Choco-Story Brussels
| native_name       =
| native_name_lang  =
| former_name       = {{unbulleted list|{{native name|fr|Musée du cacao et du chocolat}}|{{native name|nl|Museum van cacao en chocolade}}}}
| logo              =
| image             =
| imagesize         =
| caption           =
| alt               = Chocolate museum
| mapframe          = yes
| mapframe-caption  = Interactive fullscreen map
| mapframe-zoom     = 13
| mapframe-marker   = museum
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
| coordinates       =
| established       = 1998
| dissolved         =
| location          = {{lang|fr|Rue de l'Étuve|italic=no}} / {{lang|nl|Stoofstraat|italic=no}} 41,<br/>1000 [[City of Brussels]], Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
| type              = [[Food museum]]
| collection        =
| visitors          =
| director          =  Peggy Van Lierde
| president         =
| curator           =
| publictransit     =
| network           =
| website           = {{Official website|choco-story-brussels.be}}
}}
'''Choco-Story Brussels''', formerly known as the '''Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate''' ({{langx|fr|Musée du cacao et du chocolat}}; {{langx|nl|Museum van cacao en chocolade}}), is a privately owned museum in [[Brussels]], Belgium, established in 1998 at the initiative of Gabrielle Draps,<ref name="Auzias2006">{{cite book|last=Auzias|first=Dominique|title=Petit Futé Guide du chocolat et des confiseries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jft3pj0D6cAC&pg=PT64|year=2006|publisher=Nouvelles Editions de l'Université|isbn=978-2-7469-1722-4|page=64}}</ref> the wife of the famous Belgian chocolate artisan Joseph "Jo" Draps,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=16&cat=6 |title=www.thebrusselsconnection.be |accessdate=2016-10-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018230945/http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=16&cat=6 |archivedate=2016-10-18 }}</ref> founder of [[Godiva Chocolatier]].{{sfn|State|2004|p=107}} The museum provides demonstrations and tastings, and visitors can book a workshop to make chocolate bars and lollipops.<ref>{{cite news|title=Best European city breaks for families|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/best-european-city-breaks-for-families|first=Amanda|last=Canning|date=15 August 2022|newspaper=The Times|location=London}}</ref>
==History==
The Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate was founded in July 1998 on the initiative of Gabrielle Draps, who represented the third generation of Belgian chocolate artisans and was married to the founder of the [[Godiva Chocolatier|Godiva]] chocolate manufacturer, Joseph "Jo" Draps. The museum was originally housed in a house dating from 1697, formerly called the ''De Valck'' building, located at 9–11, {{lang|fr|rue de la Tête d'or|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Guldenhoofdstraat|italic=no}}, just off the [[Grand-Place|Grand-Place/Grote Markt]] (Brussels' main square).{{sfn|State|2004|p=71}} It spanned three exhibition floors.
The museum's management was taken over by Gabrielle Draps' daughter, Peggy van Lierde, in 2007. In May 2014, the museum was renamed "Choco-Story Brussels" following the association of the Van Lierde-Draps family with the Van Belle family, already owner of [[Choco-Story Brugge|Choco-Story Bruges]], the Bruges Chocolate Museum. In 2019, the museum moved to a new building with {{convert|1800|sqm|sqft|abbr=on}} of exhibition space, located at 41, {{lang|fr|rue de l'Étuve|italic=no}}/{{lang|nl|Stoofstraat|italic=no}}, near ''[[Manneken Pis]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lhuillier |first=Vanessa |date=2019-02-14 |title=Le musée du chocolat fait peau neuve |url=https://bx1.be/categories/news/musee-chocolat-peau-neuve/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=BX1 |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=EDA |date=2023-12-15 |title=La première trace connue de cacao exposée au "nouveau" Choco Story: 5 choses à savoir sur le musée |url=https://www.lavenir.net/regions/2019/02/15/la-premiere-trace-connue-de-cacao-exposee-au-nouveau-choco-story-5-choses-a-savoir-sur-le-musee-FJBXXACHFNG3DJRENMYZHUZCBE/ |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=lavenir.net |language=fr}}</ref> In 2021, the Van Belle family applied for permission to convert the museum's former building on the Rue de la Tête d'Or into a museum of [[French fries]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Frites museum in Brussels turned down|url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/198671/frites-museum-in-brussels-turned-down|newspaper=Brussels Times|date=22 December 2021}}</ref>
==Gallery==
<gallery perrow="7" widths="120" heights="120">
File:Photo Façade.jpg|{{center|Facade of the ''De Valck'' building, the museum's former home}}
File:Photo_Tempereuse.jpg|{{center|Chocolate tempering machine}}
File:Photo_degustation.JPG|{{center|Tasting the chocolate}}
</gallery>
==See also==
{{Portal|Belgium}}
* [[List of museums in Brussels]]
* [[History of Brussels]]
* [[Culture of Belgium]]
==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}
===Bibliography===
* {{cite encyclopedia|first=Paul F.|last=State|title=Historical dictionary of Brussels|volume=14|series=Historical dictionaries of cities of the world|location=Lanham, MD|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2004|isbn=978-0-8108-5075-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LErne3-05qoC}}
==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate, Brussels}}
* [https://choco-story-brussels.be Official website]
{{Museums and galleries in Brussels}}
[[Category:Museums in Brussels]]
[[Category:City of Brussels]]
[[Category:Chocolateries]]
[[Category:Chocolate museums]]