Since 1977, La Glacerie Gilfi has offered a wide range of “frozen” products: ice cream, sorbet and even desserts, sold to private customers and restaurants. Created by René Gilson, initially from the takeover of an ice cream parlor near Namur, then in a small workshop for almost 30 years in Francorchamps, the company grew and moved in 2008 to an artisanal zone (still in Francorchamps). The goal remains the same: to produce a range of frozen products for different customers, but also for the Gilfi brand itself.
Infection
Éric and Benoît, the two children of the creator of Gilfi, took over the family business after their father. Over the past two years things have changed, they decided to sell after spending their careers in this frozen environment. Currently, Stéphane Grignard and Joachim Derouaux are at the helm of the company, having each had a previous professional career at Delhaize, where they met. “We took over the business two years ago together with my partner Joachim. We were lucky enough to be supported for a year by Éric and Benoît to ensure the continuity of the business. Their help was invaluable in training us in this new profession.“, explains Stéphane. Ten people currently work at Gilfi: Claudine and Nadja in the secretariat, two pastry chefs Tessanne and Florent, an order preparer Thierry, Laurent and Cédric in the workshop to prepare the recipes and knead them. Added to Éric, Stéphane and Joachim, that completes the team.
Keep the mind
The two new owners were keen to preserve the company’s values and know-how. The brand offers various products, whether it is desserts and cakes of all sizes, for individuals or events, but also small pots of ice cream. They are sold at various points of sale and in supermarkets. It was during Covid that these products were pushed because the Horeca sector was closed so we had to figure out how to continue selling frozen products. Whether you like vanilla (which comes in three varieties: crème fraîche, “gourmet” with butter and eggs and traditional), chocolate, pistachio, banana or even speculoos, different flavors are available to you in these little pots, with recipes, that have not been changed. “Our desire has always been to preserve the original recipes that have made Gilfi so successful. Above all, we did not want to change the taste of customers who have been familiar with our products for years. In addition, we are still learning how to make ice cream, supported by the experience of our employees. We continue to improve certain things based on feedback from our customers. But the goal of having taken over the company is to be able to benefit from all these years of expertise.”
Team work
In this small business, everyone helps each other, works together, there is no doubt that the two new owners will stay in the office. “We function as a craftsman’s workshop. We are in teamwork. For new desserts, for example, it is the pastry chefs who must take the lead. Then everyone will taste. Some employees have been there for decades, they know the customers, they advise us. It is an enterprise on a human scale. There is no management, we are not in suits and ties, we produce with them, we live the business with them, that is the goal“, explains Joachim.
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The milk comes from local farms and most tasks are still done by hand
When you enter the Gilfi workshop, you find many more people than machines, everything is done in an artisanal way.
Clearly, machines are needed to perform certain actions, but humans remain central to Gilfi.
As far as possible local products
Gilfi produces ice cream, which is different from gelato because it contains at least 8% milk fat. “For our ice cream, we use milk from the Legrand farm, located 1 km from us. Good milk from the Ardennes recognized for its quality. It is the same if we need organic milk, it is also very close at Ferme Michel. It is very important to us to source milk directly from our local farms. We are proud of these collaborations and of appreciating the work of our farmers at its true value. We then pasteurize it ourselves in our workshop.“Milk forms the basis of the company’s products.”It really is the essential element in our ice cream.“Cream from the Pays de Herve, milk from the farms of Francorchamps, Belgian chocolate, the company tries as much as possible to use products from our country, even if for some it is impossible, like vanilla.
Although many prices have increased, making it difficult for all sectors to control production costs, the quality of the products will not change. “We could have thought of solutions to reduce our production costs, but our decision was quick: there will be no compromise at the expense of quality.“The brand also has the Certified Artisan certificate (it emphasizes the authentic character, the manual aspect and the craftsmanship know-how).”The dessert decorations (macaroons, chocolates, marzipan, etc.) are 100% made in our workshop, which allows us to control the composition of all our products.“
Handwork, like peeling bananas
Many operations performed in the business are done by hand, not by machines. Whether it’s putting them in bins or peeling bananas, “it is our employees who divide up the various stages to get a finished product”. It is this spirit that Stéphane and Joachim want to preserve, human work will always be favored over machines. “Our ambition is to produce high-quality desserts, as a team, with carefully selected ingredients, in the purest tradition of artisanal ice cream makers.”
