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Bernard Proot
Bernard Proot (°1954) was trained as a baker, pastry chef and chocolatier at Ter Groene Poorte in Bruges.
Afterwards, he gained his first work experience in his parents' bakery in their hometown Ostend and further delved into pastry at Wittamer in Brussels and Lenôtre in Paris.
Together with his wife Anne, Bernard took over DelRey in 1983. He always felt home in Antwerp: “Watching the Mercator in Ostend gives me the same feeling of coming home as driving through the Bolivar Tunnel in Antwerp.”
As the general manager, he makes every final decision after consultation with the team. He still passionately bakes and sculpts in the atelier.
Anne Seutin
Anne Seutin (°1961) learned all the tricks of the pastry industry from her husband Bernard.
Her parents were also entrepreneurs. In addition to running a cosmetics store, they owned a bakery in Heist-op-den-Berg, where Bernard worked for a while and they first met.
Bernard and Anne have four children : Stéphanie (°1982), Emilie (°1984), Jan (°1985) and Julie (°1987). Aside from being the store manager, Anne is responsible for the sales and the tearoom.
Jan Proot
Jan Proot (°1985) has been helping in the atelier since he was 12, starting with his first job of doing the dishes.
Jan first followed a marketing course before starting as a pastry chef in 2008 at DelRey. In the meantime, he was doing some internships to gain work experience with fellow pastry chefs. At DelReY he has the best mentor in Gunther Van Essche.
In 2018, Jan passed the entrance exam at Relais Desserts International, which is a professional organization that unites the biggest names in the pastry industry. With a hundred pastry chefs from 15 different nationalities, they are among the world's best in pastry.
In 2023, Jan takes over operational management from his father, who will continue to have final responsibility for the family business.
Jan has been co-managing director of DelReY since 2022.
Julie Proot
Just like her brother, Julie Proot (°1987) has been helping in the business since she was a child.
Before starting at DelRey, Julie obtained a diploma and gained several years of work experience elsewhere.
In 2015, she stepped into the family business of DelReY. Julie is very complementary with her brother, because she deals with all “the non-operational” aspects of the company. She maintains customer relations, is responsible for marketing and communication and monitors accounting, deliveries and HR. Furthermore she is responsible for sales in Japan and managing the webshop.
Julie has been co-managing director of DelReY since 2022.
Gunther Van Essche
In 1995, Bernard wanted to raise the bar higher so he searched a specialist in the field of the highest level who could help him reach his goals. He chose top pastry chef Gunther Van Essche (°1965). After winning almost every competition there is to win in Belgium, Gunther wins the biennial World Pastry Cup (Coupe du monde) in Lyon in 1995 for the first and only time in Belgian history, so to speak, the “pastry world cup”. This is the highest good you can achieve as a pastry chef.
Gunther joins the team and when Jan enters the family business in 2008, Gunther takes him under his wings to teach him all the tricks of the trade. Gunther makes the beautiful creations and has been a great support, first for Bernard, later also for Jan.
Our team
But above all, DelReY stands for teamwork . Without our 20-person team we wouldn't be where we are today. Each of them has their talent and expertise, which they can fully express and develop at DelReY. We are proud of each of our employees for wanting to be part of this thriving team and appreciate their efforts and hard work.
Bernard and Anne are currently far from thinking about retirement. Every day they come energized and with great enthusiasm to work. Bernard and Anne, both hard workers, like to avoid the spotlights. They are however very proud of what DelRey has become over the years. It gives Anne immense pleasure to see customers return to the store. Bernard on the other hand finds joy in a tidy atelier: “Only when everything is in order I am satisfied.”
In the meantime, the sweet bug has also spread to the two youngest children: Jan and Julie . Fortunately for Anne: “I would hate it if our business fell into foreign hands. It's like my 5th child, I defend it just as fiercely. If there was no follow up I'd rather stop in beauty.”
Jan loves creating as much as his father and enjoys nothing more than making people happy with pastries and chocolate .
The great thing about a family business is that we work very closely and with a lot of love towards a common goal. This also puts us closer to our customer, so we try to solve every obstacle in a minimum of time. Everyone in our team gets along incredibly well and always goes the extra mile. But every now and then it dares to clatter. Especially between Bernard and daughter Julie. “We're very much alike,” Bernard laughs. “We always speak our mind and that sometimes causes friction.” But Julie does not completely agree with this: “We never argue, do we? We just talk very loud.”
The team also senses that joviality. In the workplace, Bernard and Anne are addressed as Mr. and Mrs., but once outside everyone is called by their first name. “Just drop the 'sir'. I don't like drinking a pint with someone who says 'Sir' to me,” Bernard winks.