One can’t ask for much more if, at the age of seven, you know what your dream job will be, and you then get to own a business living that dream every day. Kees Beyers is one such man. But luck sure has nothing to do with it. Long hours from a young age, finding your feet in a foreign country, and determination are what brought Beyers Chocolates to light.
We catch up with master chocolatier and confectioner Kees (and few know that is pronounced ‘Case’) at his chocolate factory in Kempton Park to talk about his love for the industry and life in general.
Having worked in pastry since the age of twelve, Belgian-born Kees’ biggest passion is chocolate and confectionery. ‘It is not called work when something is your passion and when you enjoy it,’ he said. ‘I knew at just seven years old that I would own a chocolate factory.’
Growing up in Belgium, he went to a pastry school at 12 and worked weekends in a pastry shop.
In his home town, he sold sweet treats to friends and family, and at the age of 12, he began his studies at the prestigious Piva School in Antwerp. He qualified as a pastry chef at Ter Groene Poorte in Bruges when he was just 17. So deep was his passion that between the ages of 13 and 17, Kees woke up at 4.30 am every Saturday and Sunday to cycle to work part-time for a confectioner in a town near his home.
‘The first thing I ever made was a jam swiss roll at 13. I spent most of my time in the kitchen cooking and baking,’ he said. He also finished his national service in Belgium before coming to South Africa as an 18-year-old boy in 1985 to visit his sister, who had emigrated.
‘My sister lived in South Africa for 35 years before returning to Belgium.’ He intended to work for a few months, travel around the country and returns to Belgium, but this was not to be.
Kees fell in love with South Africa as quickly as he fell in love with chocolate.
Within two days of being in South Africa, he was employed by Marriot Chain (now Air Chefs), and after three months, he decided to make this his permanent home.
During his 18 months at Marriot Chain, he became aware of the huge lack of quality confectionery in the country. Coming from Belgium, where fine chocolate is the norm, he wanted to give South Africans luxurious, affordable chocolates they could eat daily.
‘I first worked as a pastry chef in an industrial kitchen and then started my chocolate company two and a half years later.
So in 1987, at just 21, Beyers Chocolates was founded. While his dream of owning a chocolate factory has come true, Kees never stops enriching his knowledge in the art of chocolate and confectionery making. With 32 years of experience in confectionery and bakery, he is regarded as a global expert in the industry. Today he is 56 years old, and he is still loving every minute of what he is doing.
Tons of chocolate
Currently, Kees Beyers Chocolates is 36 years old and still going strong. ‘We are now the largest independent chocolate factory in South Africa. We employ 650 full-time staff and 1000 staff in season, which is about eight months of the year.’
Today They make over 6 million easter eggs over the Easter period and use about 80 tons of chocolate per week.
‘Seeing the facial expressions of children with the Easter eggs is just priceless,’ he says.
Today, they are the largest independent manufacturer of boxed chocolates in the country, supplying local and international markets with quality, hand-crafted, proudly local products.
‘We are the leading producer of luxury boxed chocolates in South Africa, with a database of over 200 chocolate recipes.’
Beyers Chocolates is a family business with a passion for making high-quality confectionery. ‘Most of our products are hand-crafted, and chocolate fillings are made from scratch using traditional Belgian methods.
‘At Beyers Chocolates, we manufacture our own range of confectionery, including local favourites like Sweetie Pie, Amarula and Dream Bear.’
He has been the maker and supplier to Woolworths for the last 33 years.
Beyers Chocolates won three Categories in 2019 to 2021 Best of Ekurhuleni Readers’ Choice Awards; Best Local Factory Shop, Best Local Chocolatier and Best Chocolate.
The best part of his job is to be in the kitchen and seeing his final product in stores.
‘Yes, developing a range or product takes time and there is a lot of faults and errors, but seeing the final product at the end of the day is so fascinating.’
Paying it forward
Kees enjoys working with chocolate, but he is also fascinated by pastry.
‘There is only a handful of pastry and confectionary chefs in the country and that is why we are sponsors of the Johannesburg Culinary and Pastry School and yearly, we also give away a bursary. There is a lack of pastry schools here in South Africa,’ Kees said.
Except for normal business challenges, his biggest challenge now is the lack of electricity in the country.
Kees is a passionate business owner who still works closely with his staff members to ensure that all Beyers Chocolates meet his exact standards of high quality.
He keeps on enriching his knowledge in the art of chocolate and confectionery making.
Taking each day as it comes
It is as much a joy for Kees to be a father as it is to work. He has three children and he enjoys both equally.
Two of his children are overseas while his youngest is still in South Africa busy with her Grade 10 year.
Kees is one of four children, and one of his fondest childhood memories is the freedom he had. ‘Those were the days when you could play outside and run freely for hours,’ he recalls.
Both of his parents are still alive, and they visit South Africa for nine months each year.
Motorcycle riding, frequenting new restaurants, reading books, and making new dishes are some of the things he enjoys doing in his free time. And these new dishes are mostly cooking food and not baking. ‘Strangely enough, I do not bake at home, but I do cook,’ he says.
As an introvert, Kees describes himself as thoughtful, impatient, and kind.
A little-unknown fact about him is that ‘Few people know that I was a paratrooper during my 15-month national service in Belgium back then.’
It is his goal to grow his brand and business. To establish Beyers Chocolates as a household name.
His ex-father-in-law, Peter Queally, is one of his biggest inspirations. ‘As a businessman, husband and father, he stayed humble, and he is just one of those people who inspire you with everything he does.’
The motto that drives him is ‘It is what it is.’
This and that
- What is your spirit animal?
Buffalo.
- Do you prefer food, travel or art?
Travel.
- Rain vs Sunshine?
Sunshine.
- What is your ultimate spoil?
A fancy restaurant.
- What do you love most about life in the city?
The convenience of it.
- Your pet peeves?
Arrogance.
- What is a must-have in your kitchen?
A stove.
- What do you always have with you when you leave the house?
My wallet.
- What would you do if you won R1 million today?
Settle some of my debt
- Your favourite Beyers chocolate?
Our caramel chocolates.
- What is your superpower?
Calmness.
Text: ELZAAN PIENAAR. Photo: DANIE BESTER FROM KONZEPT
