Gert De Mangeleer’s (born 22 July 1977) earliest culinary memory dates back to the rice pudding topped with brown sugar his mother used to make. Quite a revelation for a chef who has shaken up Belgian gastronomy by creatively combining lobster, cocoa and cherries.
Following work placements at ‘t Truffeltje* (Dendermonde) and De Bokkedoorns** (Overveen, The Netherlands), Gert gets his first job at the young age of 22 at Den Gouden Harynck* (Bruges) and then spends 5 years working in ‘t Molentje** (Zeebrugge). This is where he meets Joachim Boudens, who is just as inquisitive and enthusiastic as he is. By 2002, full of hope and full of dreams, the soul mates are taking the plunge and starting a new adventure. With Gert as chef and Joachim as sommelier, they lift the Hertog Jan brasserie to the status of a gourmet and innovative restaurant that they purchase in 2005.
The fact that, in the span of just five years – in the period from 2007 to 2012 –, Gert has achieved 3 Michelin stars is proof of his innate flair. Together with Joachim, they become the world’s youngest three-starred culinary duo.
For them, this paves the way to a new era of sublimated, refined and unparalleled gastronomy. In 2010, they buy a listed historic farm building in Zedelgem, which they renovate and restore while respecting its traditional features. During the summer of 2014, they open their new restaurant in this setting which offers a unique vision of ecology and vegetable growing and can accommodate no fewer than 100 epicureans. The opening of L.E.S.S., their food sharing concept, during that same year is a testament to their ambition and drive.
Gert’s marked talent for reconciling a wide range of ingredients and techniques also earns him an international status as a top chef: in 2014, during Madrid Fusion, he is proclaimed “European Chef of the Year”. As a result of this worldwide recognition, Gert is invited to participate in an increasing number of four-hand dinners, events and demos. Drawing inspiration from his travels across Asia, he perfectly fuses new flavours and textures with local produce, such as vegetables and herbs from the Hertog Jan*** gardens. The tongs hooked over his apron bib’s is a constant reminder of his never-ending search for harmony. Like an architect, he takes apart traditional combinations to reassemble them meticulously with great attention to detail and create contrasting textures and refreshing presentations.
If Hertog Jan*** owes its success story to Gert’s natural cooking style, his flawless sense of detail, his tight kitchen organisation and his complementarity with Joachim, it is Gert the man who makes the difference. How? By infusing all his culinary creations with emotions: “I put my heart and soul into my cooking in the hope that I will bring up memories and connect people with my dishes.” In the autumn of 2018, Gert and Joachim decide to close their three-star restaurant to give themselves more business freedom. The restaurant location has been repurposed for private dining and event catering.
In 2020, Gert and Joachim were asked by the Botanic Sanctuary hotel in Antwerp if they would like to open a restaurant on the hotel site. They agree to open a 2nd location of their Bar Bulot concept (reads below). During the discussions, the hotel management expressed the wish to open a gastronomic restaurant at the highest level on the site. Initially, no commitment was made right away, but a seed was planted. After letting the idea mature a bit, it was agreed to reopen Hertog Jan at Botanic Antwerp.
It has not just become a copy/paste story. All aspects of the culinary experience were annalized. What was good was retained, the rest was reimagined from scratch. While Hertog Jan was located in a rural area at the time, the restaurant is now located in the middle of the city where the aspect of the vegetable and herb garden was less relevant. The perfect moment for Gert to process all the inspiration he gained during his many travels in Asia and in particular to Japan in Hertog Jan at Botanic Antwerp. So all the pieces of the puzzle fell together nicely and the new Hertog Jan was a fact!
A very conscious choice was made for a small-scale restaurant where Gert himself is always behind the stove. That is why Hertog Jan is only open 2 weeks a month (lunch & dinner) and we welcome a maximum of 24 guests per shift. This gives Gert the opportunity to remain creative and develop new dishes in the weeks when the restaurant is not open and he also follows up on other projects.
Immediately after the opening in the autumn of 2021, the restaurant was awarded 2 Michelin stars and 18/20 in Gault Millau.
In the summer of 2026 Gert opens a 3th Bar Bulot at Strandhotel Cadzand (The Netherlands), A second Less Eatery will open in autumn in the same hotel.
