Guylian (, ) is a Belgian chocolate brand and manufacturer best known for its seashell shaped pralines. The company was founded in 1958 in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium by Guy Foubert and is now owned by the South Korean company Lotte Confectionery.
Foubert and his wife formulated the original chocolate recipe and "Guylian" was formed as a portmanteau from the first names of Guy and Liliane Foubert. While Guylian specialise in roasted hazelnut pralines they produce a wide variety of products including chocolate covered fruit pieces and chocolate truffles.
The company headquarters remain in Sint-Niklaas along with their production plant but now Guylian exports internationally to approximately 120 countries. In 2003, the first Guylian Belgian Chocolate café was opened in Antwerp, Belgium; there are now 9 franchises in different locations around the world.
Guylian donates to and works with Project Seahorse to help with marine wildlife conservation and raise awareness for the charity. They have also worked with the Cocoa Horizons Foundations on Project Cocoa to sustainably source cocoa and have aimed to reduce any negative environmental impacts from their production. For this work, they have received Corporate Responsibility Awards along with multiple other awards for innovation and their chocolates.
History
Foubert was born in 1938 in Sint-Niklaas where 20 years later, he would establish the company. His father was a baker and while Foubert was still at school, he began selling hand-made truffles at local markets using skills learnt at the Antwerp School of Confectionery and Patisserie in Belgium. In 1958, Foubert got married and perfected his recipe, then began producing his chocolate Sea Shells on a larger scale and in 1960 established the brand name Guylian. Guylian is an amalgamation of Foubert and his wife Lilian's names to signify their “love and passion” as a couple and for their business craft.
A new factory was built in 1988 in Sint-Niklaas to manage the company's growth and increase production.
In 2003, Guylian expanded into the Café industry with its opening of a Guylian Belgian Chocolate Café in Antwerp, Belgium. Between 2008 and 2011, Guylian opened three cafés in Sydney, Australia.
Lotte is a South Korean confectionery manufacturer and the current owner of Guylian. Lotte Confectionery purchased Guylian in June 2008 for €105 million to enter into the European premium chocolate market.
They also expected to increase Guylian's presence in Asia and soon expanded their chocolate café locations to include Dubai and Seoul, Korea.
The partnership did increase Guylian's brand awareness in Asia but in 2014 rising commodity prices put a strain on growth as increased sugar prices meant higher production costs for Guylian.
Significant investments were made in 2016 to increase the capacity of the production plant in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. A new production line was built for Guylian's premium Belgian Master's Selection in 2017 and they have made further investments into another new production line for chocolate bars.
Awards
In 1998, the then crown prince Philippe of Belgium awarded Guylian with Belgium's highest export award and today 60% of sales are from exports outside of Europe.
In 2012, the International Taste and Quality Institute gave Guylian's Sea Shells and Sea Horse pralines a score of 90% with their taste experts judging based on their impression, appearance, smell, texture and taste. They were also awarded the Superior Taste Award and are one of few brands to receive three gold stars for their products.
The Royal Belgian Committee for Distribution awarded Guylian two awards in 2015, a Corporate Social Responsibility award for their commitment to charity work and an award for innovation. Also in 2015, the Crunch Biscuit filled Sea Horse was released and won the Golden Archer Award for innovation and creativity.
In 2017, Guylian's new chocolate covered fruits won a Superior Taste Award and the Blueberry's were awarded three gold stars while the Raisins and Cranberries received two stars.
Guylian won another Corporate Social Responsibility Award in 2019 for its charitable contributions to Project Seahorse, it was awarded by the Tax-Free World Association at their awards night in Cannes.
In 2018, the 7th biennial Seahorses of the World Photo Competition was held and sponsored by Guylian. It promotes seahorse conservation and allows divers to win awards for their submission of underwater images of Seahorses which are then used by Project Seahorse for scientific research.