The preservation of Brussels craftsmanship

What do a chocolate atelier, a coffee roastery, leather weavers and four-star Design Hotel The Dominican have in common?
‘It’s definitely craftsmanship, uniqueness and top quality,’ says general manager Bert Vandewaetere. ‘Here in Brussels, we have BEL (Brussels Expertise Labels): a community of 59 craft businesses, many of which are partners of The Dominican. BEL’s chairman is the world-renowned master chocolatier Pierre Marcolini.’ Read all about two of the venerated BEL members in this story.
Charles Schambourg
Traditional leather weavers
Leather strips woven together in the traditional manner with “warp and weft “ – nothing has changed about the core business. Except for the owner himself. In 2007, following the death of Charles Schambourg, Nicolas Berryer, a commercial banker, bon vivant and drummer, took over the bankrupt company. ‘Textiles left me cold. I knew nothing about woven leather and I was not looking to invest. However, I was tired of London’s rollercoaster banking scene,’ he explains.

‘I felt compassion for Charles’s widow. Plus, the loss of such a wonderful Belgian craft seemed to me to be a shame.’ The atelier is now housed in a dynamic studio complex in Zaventem founded by Lionel Jadot, who leases spaces to artists, artisans and designers. Berryer moved into a separate annex. ‘It had just enough room for all our cutting machines, looms and leather sample libraries,’ says Berryer.

the loss of such a wonderful Belgian craft seemed to me to be a shame
‘‘I usually work directly with the leading lights of the interior design and decoration world. Through the late Alberto Pinto, I had the opportunity to upholster the interiors of a few private jets.

Peter Marino, the American architect who does the interior design of Chanel and Vuitton stores worldwide, has for the last ten years been ordering steel woven leather which he uses in his boutiques and residential properties,’ says Berryer. However, don’t expect to be able to buy that same leather pattern from him anytime soon. The fact is that he doesn’t work with ready-made collections. Instead, almost all the fabrics that his Zaventem atelier turns out are unique bespoke products created for specific projects. ‘Rolls-Royce contacted me because they were looking for companies able to weave premium leather for their car interiors,’ he says. ‘The brand wanted to test all suppliers worldwide and then draw up a shortlist. A month later, they called me and said: “You’re on the shortlist, Mr Berryer. And no one else.”’

Corica coffee roasters
A Belgian traditional roastery, Corica’s mission is to serve lovers of quality Arabica coffee. Since their takeover of the business in 2011, owners Marie-Hélène Callewaert and Harold Anciaux have been offering a selection of delectable and even surprising freshly roasted coffees. Their work has been rewarded with the Artisans certifiés label.

‘Our boutique offers a range of more than 20 different coffees, both on site and online. You will find select coffees with novel aromas, including some rare and limited varieties such as Jamaica Blue Mountain, Bourbon pointu from Reunion Island and Hawaii Kona, all of them a treat for the taste buds,’ says Harold. ‘The strength of our boutiques lies in the fact that we fulfil two functions, allowing customers to both buy and taste coffee, complementing this with meticulous advice and service. We roast our own coffee varieties in full sight of our clientele at Rue Marché aux Poulets 49. We therefore share our knowledge in complete transparency.
Our boutique offers a range of different coffees, all of them a treat for the taste buds.