Market Day in Bruges - Chocolates - L'Abeille Française

After strolling through the farmers’ market in Bruges’ Grote Markt – Market Square – then picking up a few little treasures in the lovely Home Linen, my next stop was Chocolatier Dumon. This lovely chocolate boutique is located in a beautiful, historic building tucked in just behind the restaurants of Market Square. One of its charms is that, upon entering, you immediately go down several steps to get to the main floor of the shop. Another set of steps a little further in takes you to the lower level where you will find a wide array of chocolates and other sweet treats tied up in packages with colourful bows.

This location is one of three in Bruges and is definitely a family affair. It was originally opened in 1996 by chocolate maker Stephen Dumon’s mother and is now run by his sister, Nathalie. And another of the Bruges shops was originally opened by his brother. All of their chocolates are handmade locally using the finest ingredients and artisan techniques. This is evident the upon tasting.

Chocolate covered cherries are one of my favourites. I couldn’t see any at first glance and was just about to ask if they had any when I eyed these beauties behind the counter. They were mouth-watering to look at and biting into them did not disappoint. Covered from the tip of the stem to the bottom of the cherry in rich, dark chocolate, then dipped in dark chocolate sprinkles, these chocolates are a true delight. The best way to eat one, so as not to waste a drop of that heavenly chocolate, is to pop the whole thing in your mouth. Chew carefully though because the cherries still have the pits in. As the rich, dark, chocolate melts, it mixes wonderfully with the flavours of the cherry and liqueur. Just one is so satisfying yet at the same time it leaves you wanting another. Good thing I had bought two!

Looking for something different, I also chose these crunchy caramel balls and brought them home with me as another souvenir of Bruges. And a lovely reminder they were! They were little golden, aerated, caramel balls, similar to sponge toffee, covered in caramel-coloured white chocolate and drizzled with a touch of dark chocolate.