The Antwerp pair opens with Mr. Pickled Coffee & Bar: “General thread of selected and fermented vegetables” (Antwerp)

As the name implies, Mr. Pickles about pickles and fermented vegetables. Lovingly produced by owner Tim. He runs a business with his girlfriend Berthe.

He previously owned the Colombo Coffee Bar in Eilandje, where he always worked as a waiter in hotels, and for a while also worked in a museum. “For our trip around the world, Tim left his role at the coffee bar. It’s been two years since we’ve been in New Zealand. We stayed together for nine months at the head of a hotel somewhere on a small island.

After the trip, the two returned to Belgium, eager to start something of their own. “It had to be in Antwerp because we loved being in New Zealand so much that we missed city life. We were two real city dwellers. Then we got a building on Lange Cobortstrod, and they both jumped.”

Mr. So pickles. “The name comes from the character of actor Jim Carrey on the TV show King. Rather coincidentally, what we wanted to do also matched well. Tim has always loved cooking. In recent years he has also been busy salting and fermenting vegetables. He taught himself. It has become very popular in recent years.

Tim uses different techniques. “That’s what makes it so interesting. Dissolving it with vinegar is obvious. But it ferments through vacuum bags in a vacuum machine. For example, you can add tomatoes, 2% by weight to the salt, add some herbs of your choice and then ferment the whole thing in a vacuum bag. For example, in the Bloody Mary cocktail. Delicious tomato juice is available for use.Fortunately, we have a large cellar to store all of those vegetables and bags.

Fermented and pickled vegetables are the common thread by trade. “Our menu includes sandwiches with pickled pastrami, salads with peeled vegetables and miso mushroom toast. We now also work in kimchi, a popular Asian side dish with fermented vegetables.

The pair also offers Aperitif plates, natural wines and beers. There is also coffee and breakfast. We’re still looking at which opening time is most appropriate for the concept, but for now we will keep it from 9am to 6pm, ”says Berthe.