Café Botteltje

‘Shrimp are the caviar of the sea.’ Chef James Desimpelaere is clearly a big fan of this ocean produce. His croquettes, whether small or large, are high in demand. ‘Last year we sold more than 3,000 croquettes at the festival, so this year we will be aiming for 4,000. It’s a lot of work, but we’re pulling out all the stops.’ For the fourth edition of the festival, they will be presenting their croquettes in a new coat – quite literally, as the panko breading has now been mixed with more seasoning, and beer is no longer an ingredient. ‘But that doesn’t mean that an Ostensche Strever is no longer the ideal accompaniment to our croquettes’, says James.