Our Story
1936 – Family-owned chocolate-makers for four generations
Jean and Louise Guion and their two children left their homeland of Italy for Belgium in the 1920s. Jean found work in the quarries at Quenast. Then a little guesthouse close to the quarry came on the market. So this business-minded couple decided to run the guesthouse, which they did until Jean listened to his heart and went to lean the trade he had always wanted at the Godelaine chocolate factory. A few years later, the Guions opened their chocolate workshop/store in Avenue du Pesage, in Brussels. In 1936, they moved to Rue du Bailly and Art de Praslin was born. To stand out from their rivals, Jean and Louise put their inventiveness to good use by working together to create pralines with new flavours, such as Bouchon, Tosca, Délice and many more. These creations still adorn the shelves in Art de Praslin stores.
The story of four generations
Louise Pascolo & Jean Guion, the founders 
Dina Guion, the second generation 
Edwige & Joel, the third generation 
Jc & Aline, the fourth generation
1958
Jean and Louise’s daughter, Dina, displayed her taste for chocolate and way it is made from a very early age. She joined the business and learned from her parents the noble art of designing and creating pralines. The next generation of the business was now in place. Married to a Wavre local, Dina opened her workshop and store in Rue de Nivelles, Wavre in 1958. What is an important city today was just a large village back then and Dina’s gamble was certainly a big one. While a ballotin of pralines may have been seen as the ideal gift of all occasions in the capital, it wasn’t yet a consumer habit in the provinces. But Dina’s gamble proved a success and made a major contribution to re-energising the family business.
1968 – 2019
In 1968, the third generation joined the firm. Edwige brought a beneficial breath of fresh air, while immersing herself in the company traditions. In 1989, she was joined by her brother Joël and sister-in-law Rose-Marie. Il 2015, the fourth generation, Jean-Charles & Aline join the team. While they retained the production methods and recipes of previous generations and also laid claim to their status as chocolate-making artisans, they were very much in step with their time. They looked beyond their borders, in particular by exhibiting at the Shanghai universal exposition and being part of the Walloon Region delegation to Hong Kong. They also took part in all of Belgium’s major celebrations, such as King Baudouin’s 60th birthday and his 40 years on the throne. That particular occasion was marked by 200 kg of strawberries dipped in white chocolate. They also created the Mathilde praline for the wedding of our sovereigns, and the Royale, commissioned by the city of Wavre for the joyous arrival of the King and Queen. All in all, they have made Art de Praslin a national treasure.
Our unique chocolates
Macap, two unique chocolates …
Since the begining, we have always offered our customers chocolate with a unique taste, unlike any other. The latter was, in fact, made using a judicious mixture of different “Callebaut” Couverture Chocolate. Today we go further. We have created our own recipe in order to remain faithful to our tradition in the service of taste, but also to make it even more efficient.
Contributor to the Cacao Horizons Foundation
The Cocoa Horizons Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization created by Callebaut. The foundation’s mission is to improve the living conditions of cocoa farmers and their communities through the promotion of sustainable and entrepreneurial agriculture, improved productivity and community development.
Training farmers
Within a three-year cycle, all registered farmers are trained in order to build capacity and raise awareness of sustainable cocoa production practices. The training will cover the following topics:
- Good agricultural practices
- Functional literacy
- Child protection
- Traceability
- Quality
Health and safety
Next to the training, a premium will be paid directly to farmers and farmer groups. It increases their income from cocoa farming and enables them to invest in their farms and communities.
Missions
- Education : building and furnishing classrooms, building and furnishing canteens for school meals, constructing separate latrines for boys and girls, providing solar panels for lighting, and building teacher housing to attract and retain qualified staff. Helping to meet the expressed needs of communities and farmer groups, we aim to provide more accessible, safe, and adequately equipped learning environments for children in cocoa-growing areas.
- Child protection : promote the importance of schooling in our farmer training, and work with communities to raise awareness about child labor.
- Women’s empowerment : support literacy and business skills training, and work with women and community-based women’s groups to create income generation opportunities.
- Health : access to clean & safe water, provide boreholes in schools and water filters, build school latrines, promote WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) training, and support initiatives to improve farmer access to basic health care services, including a health insurance program, vaccination campaigns, and free medical check-ups.
Our contribution
For every kilo we buy from Callebaut, 10 cents are donated to the foundation.
It goes without saying that if we contribute to the financing of this foundation, you too! By purchasing our products, you are also helping to improve the standard of living of cocoa farmers and their families. Thank you !
Thank you
Certified Artisan
Art de Praslin is officially recognized as an artisan by the Craftsmen Commission of the SPF Economy. This label represents the authentic character of our know-how, respecting tradition since 1936.