On 21 July, visitors to Resto National on Brussels' Vossenplein will be able to savour, for the first time, a fully Belgian take on the national favourite moules-frites. As Resto National's partner, Colruyt will serve Bel'Mer mussels, the only mussels farmed in Belgian waters, off the coast of Nieuwpoort, paired with Pas de Soucis, a Belgian white wine from Frasnes-lez-Anvaing. The iconic event will therefore take on a distinctly Belgian flavour on National Day, with both the mussels and the wine sourced entirely from Belgium.
Moules-frites is Belgium's national dish and is enjoyed by more than 2,000 visitors in the Marolles district every year on Belgium's National Day. This year, for the first time, the dish will be entirely Belgian, as a partnership with Colruyt will enable Resto National to serve Belgian mussels alongside Belgian wine.
Jo Willemyns, Director-General of Colruyt Group: "As Belgium's only Belgian-owned retail group, we want Belgians to experience the very best of Belgian craftsmanship. National Day is the perfect occasion to do just that. We are therefore proud that, through our partnership with Resto National, we can give thousands of Belgians the opportunity to taste Belgian mussels paired with Belgian wine. Belgian mussels, Belgian wine and National Day: it doesn't get more Belgian than that."
Frank Anthierens, organizer and founder of Resto National: “At Resto National, we are delighted to announce this new partnership with Colruyt. Thanks to this collaboration, we are further strengthening the Belgian identity of the national dish we have been serving since 2012 at Place du Jeu de Balle. This makes sense on several levels: from an environmental perspective, because we work with a short supply chain, and from a national perspective, by supporting local producers in both the north and the south of the country.”
The fact that mussels are now also being harvested from Belgium's own North Sea is thanks to Colruyt Group. Several years ago, the group established its own offshore mussel farm off the coast of Nieuwpoort. In the summer of 2023, Colruyt Group harvested six tonnes of Belgian mussels for the first time. This year, the group expects to harvest more than 90 tonnes of Bel'Mer mussels, enough to supply Belgian-grown mussels to Colruyt, Okay and Spar stores.
The Belgian white wine Pas de Soucis comes from Colruyt Group's own vineyard, Domaine Lez-Envies, a 10-hectare estate nestled in the rolling Pays des Collines region. The first 8,500 bottles were bottled this year. Pas de Soucis is available from Cru, Boir, Foodbag and Colruyt Professionals.
"At Colruyt Group, we strongly believe in local value chains and Belgian craftsmanship. That is why we always give priority to Belgian products and act as an important partner to Belgian producers and farmers. When a local value chain does not yet exist, we are willing to help build one together with strong partners. In doing so, we create economic activity, employment and added value thatremain firmly rooted in Belgium," Jo Willemyns concludes.
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