Belgian restaurants too pricey, but groceries good value

Restaurant meals in Belgium are the second-most expensive in Europe after the Netherlands, according to the Dutch food service industry federation FSIN. “We set out to show that Dutch restaurants are much too expensive in relation to food in our supermarkets,” explained FSIN director Jan-Willem Grievink. “In supermarkets, prices are much lower than in neighbouring countries. The difference between the two is extreme.”

Restaurant owners in Belgium blame the high prices on the cost of employing staff, which, according to representatives of all levels of industry, affects Belgium’s competitive position. According to recent research by the University of Hasselt, salary costs in Belgium amount to 43% of a restaurant’s total costs, compared to 35% in the Netherlands and 33% in Germany. 

Meanwhile, Belgium scored extremely well in a report by the development charity Oxfam based on whether a country has enough food, of different varieties, of good quality and at a price people can afford. Belgium came in fourth, after the Netherlands, France and Switzerland.  

Photo by Robyn Boyle