A real Belgian chocolate family where we are truly passionate about our chocolates.
A REAL BELGIAN CHOCOLATE FAMILY
Founded in 1978, Valentino, our family business, has grown to become one of the top producers of authentic Belgian chocolates. Holding ourselves to the traditional Belgian standards of quality and craftsmanship, we offer a wide range of fun, flavorful, and fair chocolate gifts for families, friends, and colleagues looking to surprise each other.
For every occasion, we aim to delight you with great gift options. In our shops, you’ll find our fresh, handmade assortment of chocolates along with unique chocolate delicacies and tables full of wonderful gift ideas. So, if you're looking for a beautiful gift to win the hearts of friends and family (or maybe just a little treat for yourself), we’re certain you’ll find it at Valentino. Whatever your budget or preference, we believe every day deserves a moment of indulgence with Valentino.
This is Us
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Our Company's Mission
Everyday we want to live up to our promise to provide you with “your gift for every reason, your gift for every season” and offer you the widest range of fun, flavorful, and fair chocolate gifts. This is why we operate seven chocolate & gift shops in the greater Brussels area, which feature 7-meter long chocolate counters with 100 varieties of our chocolate forms and flavors for customers to chose from. These in combination with large, beautifully decorated gift tables displaying more than 100 chocolate gifts for every season keep our customers coming back for more.
Our Passion
We take great pride in both making and selling our chocolates in Belgium. We believe that by providing the best locally, we can bring our high Belgian standards to the world. Expecting nothing but the best from the products we use to create true Belgian delicacies, we dream of making this world a better and happier place by helping people celebrate all of life’s special moments. Join us in making this a dream come true!
The sweet story of Valentino’s success begins with the enthusiasm and entrepreneurship of a young couple from Brussels. In 1978, Helen De Leener (23), the daughter of a chocolatier, and her husband, Willy Roelandts (25), founded a small chocolate workshop in the center of Brussels. With a passion for chocolate and a healthy dose of ambition, they started working on their dream.
Over the years, more and more handcrafted chocolates melted in mouths in Belgium and abroad. Valentino needed more space. So Helen and Willy decided to take the next step: move to a new workshop. They founded a new home for their growing business in Anderlecht, Brussels in 1986. The facility was not only bigger, it also had office space. With their three young children in tow, Helen and Willy rolled up their sleeves and got to work on renovations.
Locally, Valentino's success did not go unnoticed. Although Willy and Helen started out by selling their chocolates to bakers and pastry shops, their delicious creations soon won over Belgian consumers. More and more, neighbors came knocking at their door asking if they could buy their homemade chocolates. This sparked the idea of opening a shop of their very own. And so, the first of many Valentino stores was born.
Valentino's delicious chocolates at fair prices drew more and more chocolate fans, and before long, the building in Anderlecht, too, grew too small. So Valentino moved to a new chocolate atelier about 5 km outside of Brussels. By then, the Valentino team had grown to 20 people.
Thirty-two years and millions of freshly handmade chocolates later, it was time to take the next step. Chocoholics in Belgium and abroad went crazy for the Valentino taste. To meet customers’ demands, Helen and Willy signed off on an expansion. With 2500 square meters of space, their very own chocolate factory was ready for more... chocolates, of course.
Valentino's family owned chocolate company is now a thriving business with a team of 40 employees. While the main focus is still the local Belgian market—served by five fully owned stores and 50 private stores around the country—Valentino chocolates also travel the world, delighting customers with the best of Belgium, from China to Chile and many countries in between.
In 2018 Valentino blew out 40 candles. For four decades now, the company has been characterised by a successful combination of tradition and innovation. Their chocolatiers are constantly looking for new flavours and ideas. Did you know, for example, that Valentino creates a (sometimes experimental) ‘Chocolate of the Month’?
The future of Valentino is set in stone. Or should we say diamond? In 2022, Nora was born, the daughter of owner Rob and his wife Emily. With a praline named after her, we can only hope that this little lady loves chocolate as much as her dad!