Zelzaat (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – VLAM promotes Flemish food, ensuring authenticity through the “streekproduct” label, requiring local ingredients and production for 25+ years. Distillery ‘Eenvoud’ (Zelzate) moves jenever production to ‘The Holy Spiritus’ (Hulst, Netherlands).
VLAM is a group that helps sell food and fish from Flanders. They want to make sure that people know about and buy these special foods. They do this by advertising them in Flanders and other countries. They mentioned that the money to pay for these ads comes from the people who make the food. They want to make sure that traditional foods from Flanders are important to the economy and culture.
Will Zelzate’s ‘Eenvoud’ Jenever stay the same in Hulst?
According to the VLAM, to be called a “streekproduct” (regional product) in Flanders, a product must meet 5 rules. The product must use ingredients from the region. This helps local farmers. The product must be traditional, following old recipes. It must have been made for at least 25 years.
They mentioned that the whole process must happen in Flanders. If a key part of the process, like making alcohol, happens outside Flanders, the product is not a “streekproduct.” These rules help keep Flemish products authentic and protect them from being copied.
If the distillation takes place outside the province, the label of regional product expires,
says Jo Van Caenegem of VLAM.
According to the officials, the decision to close the Distillery ‘Eenvoud’ in Zelzate after 6 years was not easy. They will be moving their grain jenever production to Hulst, Netherlands. Despite the move, the distillery will continue to source its high-quality grain from Meetjesland. They said that this is important because it ensures that the jenever remains connected to its local heritage.
They mentioned that the distillery is grateful for the support they have received over the years. They are sad to leave Zelzate, but they have built a reputation for their craftsmanship and dedication to traditional distillation methods.
Even though the Distillery ‘Eenvoud’ is closing in Zelzate, their jenever will still be available. A distillery in Hulst, Netherlands, called ‘The Holy Spiritus’ will now make their grain jenever. Frederic from ‘Eenvoud’ will be there to make sure the jenever is made the same way and tastes the same. He will help for a few months.
