
Sven & Evelyn De Ville
Sven spent ten years frying 'fries' deep in the Flemish Ardennes, where the potatoes used to make this classic Flemish snack thrive in clayey soil. Between the potato fields, he learned his craft. After a decade, the city beckoned and he moved his shop to Ghent.
From the best potatoes to the best fries
Only the highest quality
Another prerequisite for good fries is fresh oil. “We change our oil daily; this is an area where we refuse to compromise. If we are going out for a snack and smell old grease, we turn around and leave. You shouldn’t reek of the chippy when you’re done.” Sven and Evelyn also set high standards for the other snacks they serve alongside their fries.
“We taste everything available on the market to find the best ones. We never skimp on quality.” That’s also why they currently make much of the food they sell themselves; from homemade stews and burgers to vegetarian broccoli beignets and vegan falafel. “Wholesalers’ vegan options are just not that interesting,” says Evelyn. “While tasting the umpteenth flavourless vegetable burger, I thought, we can do better.We have since become known for our selection of homemade plant-based snacks.In a progressive city like Ghent, demand for such items is high.”
Fries, essential Flemish food culture
The city is popular with tourists, who often come to their shop as well. “We hate it when foreign visitors ask for French fries,” laughs Evelyn. “We say, sorry, we don’t serve those here,” adds Sven. “Fries are an essential element of Flemish food culture. Everyone visits a fries stand occasionally, from all walks of life. Flemings of all sorts gather here to enjoy perfectly fried fries together.