GOESTING

The collective of Flemish culinary ambassadors

Doesn't life revolve around desire? The desire for chocolate, a good glass of beer, music, friendship and love. In Flanders, we call that GOESTING. A word that sums up our identity and what our Flemish food culture is all about.

Ambassadors of GOESTING

Ambassadors of GOESTING is a collective of passionate culinary creators who together embody Flanders' culinary culture. We are chefs, chocolatiers, brewers, hostesses, producers and food storytellers. Each has their own style, but shares the same mission: to make Flemish culinary heritage visible, locally and internationally.

Based on certain selection criteria – being at the pinnacle of their expertise, being proudly Flemish and being able to communicate their passion – no fewer than 22 culinary creators were selected by a jury of culinary journalists and reviewers. They are ready to represent culinary Flanders at home and abroad for the next three years. 

Nicolas Decloedt en Caroline Baerten
Discover how top chefs Nicolas Decloedt and Caroline Baerten cook by following the rhythms of the field in their fine dining restaurant humus x hortense.
Marcello Ballardin
Marcelo Ballardin is a renowned chef and restaurateur, known for his innovative and refined culinary creations.
Thomas Cools
Meet Thomas Cools, traditional farmer of Brussels endive and ambassador of culinary Flanders.
Shannah Zeebroek
Shannah Zeebroek is a sommelier and host at Café du Parc in Ostend, with a passion for seasonal cuisine and regenerative agriculture.
Céleste Fryns
Meet Céleste Fryns, fifth generation in the Fryns family distillery.
Ona Rombaut en Arne Braeckman
Wine bar ONA in Ghent stands for organic wines with a story, produced by small farmers with a great deal of passion.
Raf Van Pottelbergh
Meet Raf Van Pottelbergh, ambassador for lambic brewery 3 Fonteinen and culinary Flanders.
Willem Hiele -© Pieter D'Hoop
Discover Willem Hiele, chef and pioneer of pure North Sea cuisine in Flanders.
Hendrik Dierendonck ©Pieter D'Hoop
Meet Hendrik Dierendonck, world‑renowned butcher and culinary ambassador of Flanders.
Julius Persoone
Meet chocolate artist Julius Persoone, proud culinary ambassador of Flanders.
Karel Vaes
Karel Vaes is an agriculturist with respect for nature and people, and a passion for sustainable innovation.
Frederic Van Tricht
Meet Frédéric Van Tricht, renowned cheese affineur and culinary ambassador of Flanders.
Natalie Schrauwen - Pieter D'Hoop
Natalie Schrauwen es herbolaria y, entre otras cosas, crea combinaciones botánicas para restaurantes de alta gama.
Filip Claeys
Discover Filip Claeys, chef and ambassador of sustainable North Sea cuisine in Flanders.
Bram Verbeken
Bram Verbeke is chef at Hop Gastrobar and a pioneer in Flemish beer pairings.
Viki Geunes
Viki Geunes is chef at restaurant Zilte and ambassador for pure, Flemish high-end dining. Discover everything about chef Geunes and his vision.
Sarah Renson
Meet Sarah Renson, queen of desserts and ambassador of pure, culinary Flanders.
Tim Boury en Inge Waeles
Discover Tim Boury and Inge Waeles, the duo behind Boury and world‑class Flemish gastronomy.

About us

What we do

We bring the hidden wealth of our gastronomy to life: from local produce and traditions to innovation. We come together to share knowledge and travel abroad individually or collectively to position Flanders as a top destination for foodies.

Our ambition

Together, we're putting Flanders on the international map as a world-class culinary destination. Authentic, sustainable and tasteful.

Our manifesto

  • We add flavour and meaning to local Flemish products and dishes.
  • We promote Flanders as a culinary destination with charisma and pride.
  • We are aware of the impact that food has on society, nature and health.
  • We believe that food and drink serve a bigger purpose.
  • We actively utilise our (inter)national networks.
  • We know we are stronger together so are joining forces. 

The Jury

Femke Vandevelde 

Literary scholar and restaurant critic Femke Vandevelde is not a trained chef. She prefers words to pans, and considers language her ultimate flavour enhancer. Her culinary journey started behind a keyboard, as a fiercely curious food blogger in 2009. Since then, she has written numerous culinary books in both Dutch and English. Alongside her journalism for publications such as De Morgen, Monocle and National Geographic, she curates food festivals, and serves as Academy Chair for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Based in both Ghent and Ostend, she is more accurately described as perpetually en route. 

Femke Vandevelde

Barbara Serulus 

Barbara Serulus is a culinary journalist at De Standaard Magazine. Passionate farmers, visionary futurists and heroic artisans make her heart beat faster. She also co-founded Tummie, an independent magazine for foodies from Belgium and the Netherlands. Every fortnight, you can read about the latest food trends and find recipes in her Substack newsletter. 

Barbara Serulus

Marlies Beckers 

Marlies Beckers is a freelance food journalist, contributing to titles such as Sabato, Libelle Lekker, Feeling, Trends and Citta (Gazet van Antwerpen). She is also an author and ghostwriter, with two culinary books to her name: Stadskookboek Antwerpen and XIII Antwerpen. In addition, she regularly hosts live chef interviews at events or book launches. A curious and adventurous eater by nature, Marlies is either eating, talking about food, or travelling the world in search of her next great bite. 

Marlies Beckers

Ambassadors of GOESTING 2023-2025

Discover our first generation of Ambassadors of GOESTING (2023-2025): food professionals who together took Flemish gastronomy to the next level. 

Boury - photo Mikkel Bækgaard-35_© Mikkel Bækgaard
Chefs plate dishes with a small course, green garnish and purple flowers in a professional kitchen.

Volg ons op @GOESTING in Flanders

We celebrated 10 years of Belgian beer culture in Zürich the best way we know how: bringing Belgian beer and Flemish flavours to the table. Five pairings, plenty of goesting and one delicious evening. Cheers to Belgian beer culture! 🍺✨
It’s harvest season in Flanders! 🍎🍐
 
Late August and early September bring an abundance of fresh apples and pears. And in Borgloon, that also means: Loonse Stroop.
 
This thick, sweet fruit spread is traditionally made from apples and pears, slowly cooked down into a rich, dark syrup. Enjoy it on a slice of bread, pair it with cheese, or use it to add that signature sweet-and-sour depth to a traditional Flemish stew.
 
A true taste of Flemish tradition — made from the fruits of the season.
 
Have you ev...
At Brouwerij 3Fonteinen, we stepped into a world where lambic is shaped not by haste, but by people, passion and time. From grain fields to oak barrels, every bottle carries the character of those who safeguard tradition — a legacy rooted in Armand Debelder’s unwavering belief in terroir and craft.

Our visit to bree_eik_ecoFarm revealed how that heritage continues to grow: ancient cereals revived in local fields, organic hops swaying over rolling hills, and a regenerative four‑course crop rotation resto...
What if the Ghent Altarpiece could become a meal? We found out. 🎨

PS: OMG! We found the missing panel in Londen!

One long table, 30 guests and a menu that walks you through Van Eyck's masterpiece, course by course.

Asparagus, fresh pea & North Sea shrimp. Divinity, in green and white.

Journalists, content creators and tour operators from the U.K. discovering what Flanders actually tastes like.

All dishes where paired with 3fonteinen lambic beers. 🍷

This is what happens when a Flemish artist/chef tu...
The countdown has begun!

From 11–14 June 2026, Visit Flanders will be the culinary destination partner of the Lyon Street Food Festival in France!

During this edition, Flemish chefs, brewers and culinary makers will travel to Lyon to introduce thousands of visitors to the very best of Flanders’ food and drink culture.

Expect four days filled with:
🍴delicious street food creations
🍺 world-class Belgian beers
🧀 artisanal products and passionate makers
👨‍🍳 culinary stories straight from Flanders

Togethe...
How much do you know about the iconic dishes of Flemish cuisine? Test your knowledge, book your trip to Flanders, and discover it all for yourself 🤤
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#goesting #flanders #foodie #goestinginflanders #visitflanders
Meet our ambassador filipclaeys_dejonkman, founder of northseachefs and chef at restaurant dejonkman .
Discover where he likes to eat out when he’s not in the kitchen, and plan your trip to Flanders 🐟
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#goesting #hiddengems #visitflanders #hotspot #goestinginflanders
Honoured to be guest region at heimbrauconvention this year — 🍻 Visit Flanders celebrated 10 years of UNESCO recognition for Belgian beer culture at Romrod Castle 🏰 in Germany 🇩🇪.

Our Ambassador of GOESTING, Frédéric Van Tricht 🧀 (kaasaffineursvantricht) and beer legend Frank Boon 🍷 (brouwerij_boon) led a sold‑out masterclass on Belgian beer and cheese pairing.

A panel of experts judged the Belgian Dubbel competition, where 80 homebrewers entered and the winner received a weekend in Brussels 🇧🇪 with a ...
DIS dinner - an edible artistic research you can taste - only once.

DIS is ELDER’s experiential dinner format: intimate evenings where food, stories, and rituals merge into one whole. Each edition has a new theme and a dramaturgical line that gently guides you through the night.

For Rites of Spring, ELDER builds a table filled with wild plants, ferments, and botanical drinks. Plates and cups are woven together with storylines, fragments of history, a pinch of science, and playful rituals. Everything co...
Cheers to 10 years of Belgian Beer Culture as a UNESCO World Heritage!

In 2016, UNESCO recognized the Belgian beer culture as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
In 2026, we’re celebrating a full decade of that honor, and we’re starting the party at Belgian Beer Week in the UK.

With more than 30 events that are taking place across the UK for Belgian Beer Week between 23 February to 1 March, covering 12 different breweries, you cannot miss this when in the UK!

Check out jamesclaybeers for a full ...