Around for 5 Generations

• 1863: Butcher Isidor Depuydt treks from farm to farm in order to slaughter hogs and beefs and thus provide the farmers with minced meat, sausages, black pudding, head and fresh meat. Back at that time, charcuteries were still unknown. As remuneration for his services, he chooses some meat for himself.

• 1907: Jerome Depuydt follows in his father’s footsteps. He, too, is a farm butcher but he soon discovers a market niche: hogs and beefs from in-house breeding. Jerome opens a charcuterie. In his slaughter room, he butchers his home-bred animals; their meat is sold by the store. Apart from chops and steaks, the assortment comprises sausages, minced meat, black pudding, ham, and pâté. During the First World War, the entire family is being evacuated to Paris, where he is able to keep working in his job. In 1918, he returns to re-establish the charcuterie as it used to be. In 1922, the charcuterie is re-opened.

• 1926: Maurice Depuydt assumes his father’s business. He specializes on cattle acquisition, breeding, and sale. His entrepreneurial skills and the trading activity demand all his attention. Consequentially, he passes the charcuterie business into the hands of his wife Frau Simonne and an assistant. The range of meat products is not much extended. The priority is and remains on breeding and selling animals. During the Second World War, the charcuterie is spared from devastation; however, it serves as the German secret military police’s headquarters in Westhoek. Maurice builds a small apartment above the slaughter room, which he lives in with his family. The charcuterie manages to remain open; even though payment is made with the food stamps issued by the Germans. But also the needy without any entitlement to food ration coupons are being helped: the charcuterie includes a refrigerator with false side and there is an underground escape way.

• 1964: Jacques Depuydt succeeds his father. He focuses on producing meat products.  It is due to his skills gained abroad and global renown earned as winner of numerous significant professional competitions, that he manages to make his charcuterie truly a delicatessen store with an assortment comprising many home-made meat products. He is not very interested in cattle breeding, and therefore divests this particular line of business. Ever since home-slaughtering has become illegal, Jaques has been focusing on manufacturing and selling meat products.

• 1997: Pascal Depuydt is running the business in the fifth generation. ”I was expected to and had to expand the business. However, at the same time, I was facing major challenges right away. In 1998, I strongly invested – in full compliance with the legal requirements at that time – in setting up new workspace. The respective facilities are a pearl – and were back then equipped with state-of-the-art machinery. However, in the same year I had to cope with a couple of setbacks: the dioxin scandal, BSE, swine fever, and – as logical consequence thereof – additional difficulties in practical life, based on most strict legislation with respect to meat products’ manufacturing. We came out of the crisis stronger, and lived up to our name and reputation as delicatessen store. These days, Puydtjes is a household name”.

? I found, it is getting more and more difficult to buy organic pork. The deployment of antibiotics and cheap feedstuffs result in decreasing meat quality. In 2005, I turned the time back to 1907 and established my own farm for Limousin cattle breeding in Europe’s largest natural reserve (including most stringent environmental requirements). It was a high risk – all or nothing. Organic wheat and potatoes are cultivated within this region. They serve as food for hogs and Limousin beefs. It became clear that we had made the right decision.

The charcuterie was a success, and in 2008, I founded a business especially for people who suffer from food allergies – gluten-free, wheat-free, lactose-free … “Noglut“ and “Pasdep“ had come to life. Only a year later, our charcuterie was market leader in this niche. Quality frequently suffers from the fact that we consume numerous products that actually should not be part of our daily diet and profit and turnover are still the key drivers in mass production.

Slowly but surely, people become gregarious animals who forgot the taste of former times. We at “Puydtjes“ unite “nostalgie“ and “taste“ – knowing that the deepest emotional memories can be called up by…flavor.

For more information, please visit www.noglut.eu.

I’d like to thank all those who believed in our concept and its realization – most of all my wife, parents, friends, and all our customers.

Five generations of Puydtjes - five generations of butchers who always strive to achieve the very best for their customers.