The 80000 busy bees of le Chalet

The 80000 bees of the Chalet de la Forêt are in search to collect pollen and nectar in the vegetable garden of the Chalet and in the Forest of Soignes. The honey of the Chalet tastes of chestnut thanks to the many chestnut trees of the forest. Its color varies greatly depending on the flowers but it is always clear and liquid. It is a very fragranced and very flavored honey, very tannic with a firm and warm taste. He is an ally of choice for the pastry cook of the Chalet who willingly builds his desserts around this honey of character, strong and persistent with a back but subtle bitterness in the mouth that leaves no one indifferent!

The pastry chef, Julien Othomene returns to the Chalet de la Forêt after a year at the Bristol.

Pascal Devalkeneer has always had at heart to offer desserts that amaze and seduce, as the punctuation of a meal that has been without false note! The Chalet de la Forêt is renowned for its large pastry section. A year ago, Julien Othomene had left his position as pastry clerk at the Chalet to continue his exploration of taste and to discover other techniques with the prodigious pastry chef of the triple starred Epicure of the Hotel Bristol in Paris. It is now as Pastry Chef that he returns, full of ideas and desires! That inspires a sweet tooth …

Le chalet cultivates its garden

Pascal Devalkeneer : “ It is an old dream that I kept toying with since the time when I cut my teeth alongside Roger Souvereyns at the Scholteshof . He had the most beautiful garden I was given to see in my life. I picked herbs in his vegetable garden every morning at 8am. I stuck my nose into the bouquets of herbs that were still damp with dew and I laid myself open to a whole world of aromas and sensations that then served as an inspiration for me to cook. Roger and others have always tried to dissuade me by arguing that this was an endless investment. But I always had the surface around the Chalet, which served as parking and space for events. Except that in 15 years, we barely hosted ten events. And in the end, the desire was still there, stronger than ever, to plant poetry instead of tents… „

Interview by Sandrine Mossiat