In brief
- A report on RTBF television news and five articles, in French and in Dutch, about our workshop in Jette.
- The common thread: peak marzipan production, 200 tonnes made between September and December for Saint Nicholas and Christmas.
- What the journalists took away: a family business since 1988, one of the last three artisanal marzipan producers in Belgium, Belgium's largest maker of hazelnut crunch.
- All the articles are freely accessible: this page gathers the links, to read and to share with your partners.
In the run-up to the holidays, several Belgian media came through the doors of our workshop in Jette, just as marzipan for Saint Nicholas and Christmas was coming off the lines by the tonne. We thank them for these reports and gather all the coverage here, with a link to each article, so that you can read and share them easily.
On television
RTBF · Journal télévisé (La Une) · 1 December 2025 · report in French
Les fabricants de massepain en pleine effervescence
RTBF's television news devotes a report to marzipan makers in the run-up to the holidays. The part filmed at Silly Belgium starts at 1 min 15: the Jette workshop at peak production, the gestures and the volumes of the season.
Watch the report on AuvioIn the French-language press
Lifestyle Info · 4 November 2026 · article in French
Une délicieuse odeur de massepain de fêtes flotte dans l'air à Jette où l'entreprise artisanale Silly Belgium est en plein pic de production
A full profile: 200 tonnes of marzipan made between September and December, a range running from 50 % almond marzipan to nougatine cooked in a copper kettle, and Sébastien Vacca's account of taking over the family business his mother founded in 1988.
Read the article on lifestyleinfo.be (FR)Monsieur Immo · Art de vivre · 4 November 2026 · article in French
À Jette, le massepain a le goût de la tradition : immersion chez Silly Belgium, l'un des derniers artisans belges
The Art de vivre section describes the workshop turned into a « gourmet beehive » from September to December, and recalls that Silly Belgium is also Belgium's largest maker of hazelnut crunch (brésilienne), at around 600 tonnes a year.
Read the article on monsieurimmo.beIn the Dutch-language press
Lifestyle Info · 4 November 2026 · article in Dutch
Een heerlijke geur van feestelijk marsepein hangt in de lucht in Jette, waar het ambachtelijke bedrijf Silly Belgium op dit moment op volle toeren draait
The Dutch-language version of the Lifestyle Info feature: the same words from Sébastien Vacca, the 3,200 m² workshop and the ambition to make the Belgian marzipan tradition known beyond our borders.
Read the article on lifestyleinfo.be (NL)Tasted4you · 8 November 2026 · article in Dutch
Een heerlijke geur van feestelijk marsepein hangt in de lucht
The culinary magazine picks up the profile of the Jette workshop: the quality of the raw materials, the know-how to marry fruit and sugar, and a family business that has stayed on a human scale against the big industrial players.
Read the article on tasted4you.beSeniorenNet · November 2026 · article in Dutch
Je kent de marsepeinen patatjes. Maar wie maakt de marsepein?
SeniorenNet starts from the marzipan potatoes of Saint Nicholas and traces them back to the maker: who makes the marzipan that chocolatiers and pastry chefs shape? The answer is in Jette, at one of the last three artisanal producers in the country.
Read the article on seniorennet.beWhat does the press take away about Silly Belgium?
| Fact | Reported by |
|---|---|
| 200 tonnes of marzipan made between September and December | Lifestyle Info, Monsieur Immo, SeniorenNet |
| A 3,200 m² production workshop in Jette | Lifestyle Info, Tasted4you, SeniorenNet |
| One of the last three artisanal marzipan producers in Belgium | Lifestyle Info, SeniorenNet |
| Belgium's largest maker of hazelnut crunch (brésilienne), around 600 tonnes a year | Lifestyle Info, Monsieur Immo |
| A family business founded in 1988, run by the second generation | Lifestyle Info, Tasted4you |
Frequently asked questions
Who makes the marzipan for the marzipan fruits and Saint Nicholas potatoes?
The chocolatier or pastry chef who shapes them does not always make the marzipan. They often buy it from a specialised producer such as Silly Belgium in Jette, which supplies chocolatiers, bakers, pastry chefs, biscuit makers and ice-cream makers in Belgium. The maker's name is not on the finished product, but the taste comes from the workshop.
Where is Silly Belgium marzipan made?
In Jette, in the north of Brussels, at Chaussée de Dieleghem 35. The house, founded in 1988, has a production workshop of about 3,200 m² on a 5,000 m² site, certified FSSC 22000 for food safety. All Silly marzipan, hazelnut crunch and nougatine is made there.
How much marzipan does Silly Belgium make for the holidays?
According to the figures given to the press in November 2026, around 200 tonnes of marzipan leave the workshop between September and December, the yearly peak driven by Saint Nicholas and Christmas. The workshop's production capacity reaches 5,000 kg a day, for marzipan as well as hazelnut crunch.
What is hazelnut crunch (brésilienne)?
Brésilienne, or hazelnut crunch, is made of roasted, caramelised hazelnut pieces, known as praligrain in France. It adds crunch to ice cream, tarts and pastries. Silly Belgium makes it in two grain sizes, fine (1.5 to 2 mm) and regular (2 to 4 mm), and is Belgium's largest producer, with around 600 tonnes a year according to the press.
Does Silly Belgium sell to consumers?
No. Silly Belgium manufactures ingredients for professionals: artisan chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, ice-cream makers, wholesalers and manufacturers. There is no shop and no online sales. A professional can request a sample or a quote through the website's contact page.
How do I contact Silly Belgium for a sample or a press enquiry?
Through the website's contact page, by email at info@sillybelgium.com or by phone on +32 (0)2 425 82 99, Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm and Friday from 9 am to 12 pm. Press enquiries and sample requests are handled by the same team, in Jette.
Sharing this press review
This page will be updated as new coverage appears. Its address can be passed on as is to your customers, partners and prospects: it brings together in one place everything the press has written about our workshop.
To go further: our marzipan, our hazelnut crunch and the story of the house since 1988.
Would you like to taste the marzipan the press is talking about?
Silly Belgium has been making marzipan, hazelnut crunch, nougatine and ground almonds in Brussels since 1988, for professionals. Request a sample or discover our ranges.
Request a sample Discover our marzipan