a chocolatier with your well-being at heart
From pharmacist to Chocolatier, the Neuhaus family has always kept people’s well-being and contentment at heart. The family opened its original Neuhaus Boutique in Brussels’ exquisite Galerie de la Reine in 1857 and the shop continues to thrive there today.
Jean Neuhaus was a Swiss with Italian roots. When he arrived in Switzerland, Jean's family changed its name from "Casanova" to "Neuhaus". He wanted to become a doctor to help people and so he went to study medicine in Grenoble. He failed twice, mainly because he could not bear the sight of blood. He then moved and settled in Brussels in 1857. In the same year he opened a pharmacy in the prestigious Queen's Gallery. To delight his customers, Jean Neuhaus covered his medicines with a fine layer of chocolate.
inventor of the Belgian praline
To delight his customers in the apothecary, Jean Neuhaus first thought about covering medicines with the finest chocolate. In 1912, his grandson evolved this idea into the Belgian praline as we know it today: chocolate filled with delight instead of medicine.
inventor of the Belgian ballotin
In 1915, Louise Agostini, Jean Neuhaus Jr.'s wife, invented this elegant gift box to protect their chocolates and present them attractively. The ballotin would go on to become an iconic part of the Belgian chocolate tradition.
always inventing
Neuhaus invented the Praline and we have never ceased inventing. We continue to be driven by a passion for innovation and a commitment to stay true to the standard of excellence our Master Chocolatiers still uphold to this day. All of our pralines and truffles are still made entirely in Belgium in our atelier near Brussels.