At the waffle factory in Louvain-la-Neuve, both ice cream and waffles are sold at this time of year. On the other hand, too hot is not good either, explains Olivier: “Above 25 degrees, customers no longer consume and avoid eating too much sugar. This is an observation that I made during a heat wave.”
Olivier also notes a difference in ice consumption between Belgium and other countries: “I can’t remember how many times I’ve heard this: It’s typically Belgian to eat ice cream, especially when it’s hot; in Germany and Scandinavian countries they eat it all year round.”
Similar but more nuanced observation for Antoine de Peyerimhoff, co-owner of the Capoue Glaciers in Brussels and now of the Carette Glaciers, a more than century-old institution in Walloon Brabant. “The rule is: The further north you go, the more ice cream you eat. For us, ice cream is a seasonal product.”
“We’re Catching Up”
Moreover, although the weather was not kind, Antoine de Peyerimhoff still speaks of a “beautiful” season. And with the return of sunny days, it’s even better. “The mills are running at full speed”, he said.
If ice cream is a pleasure for consumers, it is also a pleasure for those who make it: “We sell frozen happiness. It’s a pleasure at all ends of the chain. The ice creams are made by enthusiasts with real artisanal know-how.”
A more recent arrival to the small world of Walloon-Brabant ice cream parlours, the Ornoy farm in Mont-Saint-Guibert, saw ice cream sales drop between 30 and 40% compared to the previous year. But for his boss, Jean-François Jacques, this has not affected the expansion of the farm. And with the return of the good weather, “We’re catching up. On days like Monday, the numbers explode.”
Not forgetting that many Walloon Brabançons are on holiday, they return at the end of August and if the good weather is still there, the two vans from the Ornoy farm continue.
Trendy Page: “For two or three years, sorbet has been more and more in demand. We also made a chocolate one, and customers tell us that they are happy to no longer have a fruit sorbet.” continues Jean-François Jacques.
“The customers all leave at the same time”
On the Caribou side, in Braine-l’Alleud, Benoît Bonnen is also making up after a dismal spring and start to summer. With the return of the sun from the heat, Caribou is there, “It’s our role, we bring a little holiday air”.
Speaking of holidays, after 36 years in the profession, he notices a slight change: “With the change in the school calendar, we lost two weeks of summer vacation and we noticed that customers were all leaving at the same time.”
But in the meantime, the sun is shining and Benoît Bonnen, like his fellow ice cream makers, notices that sorbet is the new summer trend because of its more refreshing and less heavy side than ice cream.
