New chips museum in Brussels pays homage to Belgian frites

A new museum dedicated to Belgian fries opened near the Grand Place in Brussels this week, boasting 900m² of exhibits centred around the famous staple.

The Frietmuseum comes from museum magnate Eddy Van Belle, who operates 15 commercial museums worldwide - including a frites museum in Bruges and a chocolate museum in Brussels - and describes this latest project as a "hobby that got out of hand".

“With 1,645 exhibited objects, the museum traces the fascinating history of the potato and fries, from their mysterious origins to their status as a street food star,” museum management said.

“Among the most remarkable pieces: pre-Columbian huacas, testifying to the ancient place of the potato in South American civilizations, an original edition of the book by Clusius, a 16th-century botanist, and several historical fryers, showing the evolution of cooking techniques over time.”

The collection includes everything from salt and pepper shakers to fries-themed lamps, and Van Belle expects at least 150,000 visitors per year – ambitious but still less than the 230,000 visitors per year that his Choco Story museum sees.

“The experience is decidedly interactive,” the museum said.

“Thanks to an audio guide available in 11 languages, films, touch screens, and no less than 11 interactive games, young and old will learn while having fun.

"Instagram enthusiasts can also enjoy several selfie spots to immortalise their visit: in a fry shop, during the potato harvest, or in front of an XXL cone of fries."

One outstanding issue for the museum relates to planning permission. While the City of Brussels approves of the project, urban planning alderman Anaïs Maes (Vooruit) said the building’s designation should be changed from a commercial property to "collective facilities", a label usually reserved for public buildings such as schools, administrative buildings and cultural centres.

Maes notes that other commercial museums, such as Belgian Beer World and Choco Story, also have this designation, which requires an environmental permit and a public inquiry.

“It's all very technical and legal, and we are entrepreneurs, but if the change of use is really necessary, we will accept it,” Van Belle told Bruzz.

The museum is located at Rue de l'Étuve 26-28 in Brussels and is open every day from 10.00 to 18.00 (final entry at 17.00).