Welcome to De Vleeshalle. This monumental space, which was once home to the old Mechelen meat market, is now a culinary hotspot in the heart of the city. Twelve stall holders and a pop-up food stall ply their daily trade. The taste makers create fresh dishes to eat while you’re there and offer top quality ingredients to take home and try out for yourself. On the first and second floors, the ‘gangmakers’ lend colour to De Vleeshalle.
Every last one of our taste makers is passionate about what they do, and are as varied as the food they offer. Here, in De Vleeshalle you’ll find Hanoi, Madrid and Acapulco next to each other. Come to De Vleeshalle for the ultimate guacamole, the freshest focaccia, real Mechelen honey, aromatic phở and burgers to die for. Round it all off with the world’s most fabulous ice-cream and freshly roast coffee.
Kevin Goos and Veronique Smolders are the business managers behind De Vleeshalle. You may know them as the organisers of the famous Beer Festival, which caters for 10,000 or more people, or as the managers of Quali Drinks, a drinks wholesaler’s they acquired seven years ago. A couple with an incredible passion for travel, food and drink.
The Mechelen Meat Market was designed by architect Victor Louckx and opened its doors for the first time in 1881. Prior to that, the people of Mechelen would buy their meat at the Leermarkt weekend market. As the population of Mechelen grew the butchers were forced to find a new base for their operations: The Old Mechelen Meat Market, now De Vleeshalle. Over the years the building was modernised and they brought in running water, electricity and a cool room. After the Second World War the building fell into disuse, and in 1967 the doors to De Vleeshalle closed. After that, it became an unemployment benefit office.
