It all began in a small bakery
On 8 August 1885, Jules Destrooper wrote epicurean history. Without knowing it at the time. That was the day Jules opened a small, cosy bakery in the town of Lo in West Flanders.
Ambitious by nature, Julius Renatus Maria Destrooper combined his bakery with a shop in colonial wares from Africa and Asia. An inspired idea, because that’s how he distinguished himself from the five other bakers in the village. Customers travelled especially to Lo for Jules’s coffee, tobacco, chocolate and spices.
The first biscuit … an immediate success
Jules used the spices from his shop to make wafer-thin Almond Thins, which he gave to his customers as a promotional gift.
Soon, more people were coming to Lo for his Almond Thins than for the exotic merchandise. Jules immediately saw the potential in these popular biscuits.
The rest is history… So much history, in fact, that we’ve listed the highlights on a timeline for you. Grab a biscuit and scroll through at your leisure.