Butcher’s traditional products gain regional label
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Keurslagerij Van Hoof, a butcher shop in Mol, Belgium, received official recognition from the Flemish Centre for Agro- and Fisheries Marketing (VLAM) for three of its products: Kempens smout (a type of rendered pork fat), Kempense zwarte pens (a fine-textured black pudding), and rendered beef fat.
The VLAM awarded the STREEKPRODUCT.be label to these items as part of a group of five new regional products.
To earn the label, products must have a strong regional tradition and have been made for at least 25 years. Van Hoof family members say they have been making these specific recipes for three generations, and they hope the recognition will help them reach a wider audience. The butcher explained that Kempens smout historically served as a cooking fat and preservative, while the Kempense zwarte pens differs from other black puddings in its finer texture.
Flemish Minister of Agriculture Jo Brouns stated the recognition supports preserving Flemish culinary heritage. Van Hoof believes consumers are seeking authentic, traditional foods, and the label helps the butcher shop stand out from supermarkets by highlighting their commitment to handmade products. The butcher shop intends to promote these labeled products to reconnect customers with traditional flavors and support the craft of butchery in the region.
