BRUSSELS: Divine Belgian Chocolates, one of the newest stores to open at ViaPort Florida, draws discriminating chocolate lovers who delight in savoring authentic, handcrafted Belgian chocolates.
Natives of Zele, Belgium, Jetty Heiman and her husband, Erwin De Winter, opened their shop at the mall last month, and they delight in watching first-time visitors sample their wide variety of sweets and treats.
The mall’s newest addition offers chocolates, truffles, macarons, handmade ice cream and made-from-scratch crepes and waffles, including the Brussels Waffle topped with powdered sugar, fresh whipped cream and fresh Belgian chocolate sauce and the Liege Waffle, a thicker more dense waffle that can be stuffed with Belgian chocolate.
The first bite into one of their sweet treats often evokes two words: “Oh, wow!”
“And that is what we love to hear,” De Winter said with a wide smile.
“Our chocolates are made in Belgium by a chocolatier,” Heiman said. “It’s not like the chocolates that is made over here.”
Made from 100 percent cocoa butter and sugar coming from beets and other natural ingredients, the Belgian chocolates are a far cry from the corn syrup, artificial flavorings and preservatives found in many American-made chocolates.
De Winter and Heiman also make an effort to have their chocolates shipped from Belgium to Florida with special care — at 67 degrees for the entire trip.
Once they arrive at the Orlando International Airport, the chocolates are kept in a cooled room where they await clearance from customs and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Once that has been completed, the pair makes sure the chocolates are kept cool during the drive from the airport to Lake County.
Since the 1990s, the couple has traveled all over the U.S. but would end each excursion with a week in the Sunshine State. They made the move to Florida in 2014 with the idea of starting the business to please Americans’ sweet tooth.
“We knew Americans love Belgian chocolate, and there were not many places to get them,” De Winter said.
They opened their first store in Clermont last November before expanding to their second location at ViaPort. One of the thrills of being at the mall has been meeting customers who know and adore Belgian chocolates.
“There are a lot of people over here in Leesburg who know Europe, and a lot of them know Belgium. They’re seniors who travel,” De Winter said. “And we have a lot of customers who are regulars already, those who are in here every couple of days.”
