Behind the scenes
At the Best shrimp croquette
competition 2023
I had the honor this year to be part of the jury for the Best Shrimp Croquette competition. This event has quickly become a yearly favorite among everyone living in and around Brussels. As the competition inches closer, it’s on everyone’s mind: “Who's competing, and who will win?”
The winners
The winners of 2023 have once again brought Les Brasseries Georges into the spotlight. They narrowly won over Brasserie des Alexiens (2nd place) and Brasserie Ommegang (3rd place). It is Les Brasseries Georges' second consecutive win in the competition.
In previous years, we've seen two strong winners: Fernand Obb and Les Brasseries Georges. Cédric Mosbeux, the founder of Fernand Obb, mentioned that winning this contest two years in a row had a monumental impact on sales at his establishment. Thousands of people flocked to try the winner's shrimp croquette. This year, Fernand Obb did not compete. Having already won twice, they were offered a spot on the jury.
Let’s set the record straight!
A little controversy surrounded this year's shrimp croquette winner, as Les Brasseries Georges changed the croquette recipe before the contest. According to the organizers, there's no issue with a chef altering their recipe before the competition, as long as the restaurant continues to serve the same croquette that was presented at the contest. The organizers assured us that they revisited Les Brasseries Georges since the competition, and it is indeed the same croquette served at the Best Shrimp Croquette Competition 2023. Let's remember that restaurants have the freedom to modify their recipes as they see fit; it's their prerogative. In my opinion, Les Brasseries Georges took a significant risk by presenting a new recipe, especially considering that their previous recipe was the 2022 winner.
The Judging Process
This year, the contest was held on October 1st, on the last day of EAT Festival 2023, at Gare Maritime. Gare Maritime is one of the largest wooden structures in Europe and has been beautifully restored, making it a breathtaking setting. The competition was extremely well organized by visit.brussels, running as precisely as a Swiss watch. We were served a total of 20 croquettes. We had 10 minutes to judge each one, with a short break after five pieces. The origin of each croquette was kept completely anonymous; we were only provided with a number. The cooking area was hidden from view by high black curtains, so there was no way for us to know which restaurant was being represented.
The judging criteria were based on the interior fluidity, the quantity and quality of shrimps, the exterior crunch and breading, the shape and size, and, of course, the overall taste. Since the competition was hosted at a public event, there was also a table for the general public. Three people could register to taste a croquette during the competition and had the chance to give a point if they liked the croquette they tried.
Overall, it was an extraordinary experience, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Here is the top 10 for this years Best Shrimp croquette competition. Needless to say, each restaurant should be applauded for their participation. Putting their hard work out like that takes a lot of courage. So, bravo to all of you!