Discover the Secrets of Galler Chocolate
After a recent visit to the Galler Chocolate shop in the Grand Place, I contacted the famous Belgian chocolatier for an interview. Monsieur Galler was busy making chocolate but I conducted an e-mail interview with his public relations director, Justine Galler. Below are excerpts from that interview as well as photographs of some of their luscious chocolate products. Justine: “Jean Galler was born with dessert in his blood. His grandfather founded a pastry shop in 1930 where Monsieur Galler was introduced to working with butter and cream. At 16 years of age, he was attracted to chocolate, fascinated by its living qualities. He experimented, created, and even then, he dazzled with chocolate. To perfect his knowledge and experiment with other flavours, Monsieur Galler studied in Basel, Switzerland and then at Gaston Lenôtre in Paris. At 21, he created his own company.” BBTG: What inspired Monsier Galler to go into the chocolate business? Justine: "Monsieur Galler enjoys the challenges of working with chocolate, which is affected by conditions such as humidity, air conditioning and other climactic conditions. Plus, even though chocolate has been enjoyed by humans for some 3,000 years, the ‘praline’ is not even 100 years old. When Jean Galler started making pralines in 1971, there was, at that time, still so many things to invent…and nowadays, there are still many things to invent in the world of chocolate." BBTG: How has Galler grown since it began? Justine: “The most important is that 30 years later, the fundamental principles are still the same: Passion for chocolate; love of perfection and continual creativity." BBTG: What sets Galler apart from other Belgian chocolate companies? 
“The passion that animates us every moment! Chocolate is marvelous in that it reminds us of our childhood. Chocolate is a part of a child’s life and we like to think that when an adult enjoys Galler Chocolate, that it reminds him or her of happy childhood memories. In addition, our pralines are sensible, small in size, and slightly sugared. These qualities allow the flavours to reach the palate quickly. Their small size allows the client to enjoy a large variety of pralines in each box. The slight rate of sugar allows the release of each flavor. Our pralines are made of fine raw materials and coming from the best origins (no artificial aromas, quality dried fruits, natural vanilla." BBTG: What inspires Monsier Galler when he designs new chocolate products? By superimposing chocolate flavours, spices and seasonings, we can create our own tastes. Monsieur Galler created a product that allows customers to do that. It’s called ‘kaori’, and offers 42 possible combinations by providing chocolate batons in various flavors and small pots of flavored sauces to dip the batons into.” 
BBTG: I was in your shop in the Grand Place yesterday and admired your beautiful packaging and distinctive orange and dark brown colors. What inspires these colors and the packaging ideas of Galler chocolates? Justine: “All the packaging are created by Jean Galler’s wife. She plays a very important role in his life and is always by his side for creations.” BBTG: Is there anything else interesting you can tell me that the world should know about Galler? Justine: “We recently created a new design for our shops but this is not only a new shop ….It is an unusual way to present chocolate, and a lot more than chocolate. It’s a place where images, smells and tastes come together to create a unique Galler experience. The location of this newly-designed store is: Parvis Saint-Pierre, 6 in Uccle.” Return from Galler |
Justine: “He always wants to try and to discover new sensations that will be a pleasure to the mouth. Because we all like different tastes, because we are all unique and because we like changing and making discoveries…Jean Galler wants to give his customers the experiment with the taste of their chocolates themselves.