Belgian expat in Cha Am uses his entrepreneurial spirit to make craft gin and chocolate

[webfact]

Ronny De Wolf. Image by Patrick Jacobs

 

By Jonathan Fairfield

 

Amid strict regulation and fierce competition, a Belgian expat in Cha Am is showing true entrepreneurial spirit having opened his own craft alcohol distillery and chocolate making facility.

 

Fifty five year old Ronny De Wolf hails from Wieze in Belgium, an area well known for its beer brewing and chocolate making.

 

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Prior to moving to Cha Am, Ronny had a varied and interesting career. A serial entrepreneur, at one time he was running five different businesses, which included an exhibition organiser, a food truck operation and a brewery.

 

And after spending just five minutes in Ronny’s company, you can’t help but warm to his infectious personality and his passion for his distillery and chocolate making (more on that later).

 

-- © Copyright Hua Hin Today 2022-03-21

 

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[tonray]

3...2....1......waiting for the "where's his work permit ?" crowd

[Thailand]

7 minutes ago, tonray said:

3...2....1......waiting for the "where's his work permit ?" crowd

You were first!

 

Good luck to him, beer and chocolate a sure winner!

[ezzra]

Making chocolate is ok but bootlegging spirits it a big no, no in this country, work permit or not.. although not sure of the quality of the chocolate either giving that Thailand cocoa beans, if any, are not good enough to make good quality chocolates...

[KhunLA]

Hope they get 'grandfathered' in, as surely a new law to be passed, stating you need to produce 1 million liters of gin / spirits to get licensed.

 

An aside, wife made chocolate this month from Thai pods a friend sent her, and, OMG, may never buy store bought again.  What a difference, and what c r a p is sold by mass producers.  Who knew, now I do.

Edited March 21, 2022 by KhunLA

[KhunLA]

3 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Making chocolate is ok but bootlegging spirits it a big no, no in this country, work permit or not.. although not sure of the quality of the chocolate either giving that Thailand cocoa beans, if any, are not good enough to make good quality chocolates...

Y'all should read the HHtoday article before commenting:  “We are inspected every six months, last time about ten officials visited to make sure everything we are doing is ok,” 

[Dmaxdan]

I'm trying to get my head around what lao khao flavored with juniper would be like.

[cocoonclub]

22 minutes ago, tonray said:

3...2....1......waiting for the "where's his work permit ?" crowd

The article literally starts with the words “Amid strict regulation (…) a Belgian expat (…) opened his own craft alcohol distillery and chocolate making facility”. 

[Whale]

3 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Making chocolate is ok but bootlegging spirits it a big no, no in this country, work permit or not..

It caught my eye as well.

I wondered what are the rules on things like gin or vodka when you just repackage. Buy the legal gin, soak in botanicals and sell on. I don't know the answer but am wondering if his wife (my assumption) has a legal company thats licensed to sell spirits and he is employed by that company as a technical advisor. Theres def more to it than the article gives us.

[1FinickyOne]

way to go Ronny - best of luck to you. 

[JoePai]

And if you like Rum : https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303915-d7101987-Reviews-Issan_Rum_Distillery-Nong_Khai_Nong_Khai_Province.html

 

[Liverpool Lou]

41 minutes ago, ezzra said:

bootlegging spirits it a big no, no in this country, work permit or not..

An even bigger "no-no" is not reading the full article from the link, there's no bootlegging going on.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

36 minutes ago, Whale said:

I wondered what are the rules on things like gin or vodka when you just repackage. Buy the legal gin, soak in botanicals and sell on. I don't know the answer but am wondering if his wife (my assumption) has a legal company thats licensed to sell spirits and he is employed by that company as a technical advisor. Theres def more to it than the article gives us.

Sure is more to it, just read the link!  Regardless of that, what would the legal status of his wife, his company or his position in the company have to do with anyone here?  

[Gecko123]

Gin and chocolate sounds like a delightful flavor combination, and I wish the Belgium gentleman the best. I assume his papers are in order. If not... beware, this type of publicity can result in a visit from immigration. It's happened before:

 

https://www.keyframe5.com/foreigner-deported-expat-in-thailand-helps-thai-wife-selling-bbq/

 

Edit: The Hua Hin news logo in the OP wasn't obvious as a link to the article. I now see he has been doing this a while and the officials are aware of his business. Best of luck to him.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Gecko123

[BTB1977]

That 1% loop hole works out great for him. He knows what he is doing. And the chocolates are the best . 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, tonray said:

3...2....1......waiting for the "where's his work permit ?" crowd

You were first.

[Dionigi]

5 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

I'm trying to get my head around what lao khao flavored with juniper would be like.

Sorry but gin is lao khao flavoured with juniper. Ethyl alcohol is all the same different spirits just have different additions. If you watch Gordons gin video on distillation they tip some of the leftover bottoms back into the distillate so that it has the flovour. Some of the other companies pass the distillate over various flavourings after it has left the still and before it is cooled to change it back to a liquid. Have a look at the side of a Bombay sapphire bottle to see their ingredients. Pure ethyl alcohol is fairly tasteless until they add the flavourings. Whisky is stored in casks that have been used to store sherry to give the oak flavour and the impurities added back give the rest of the taste and the headache.

[Gottfrid]

No, no, no! Waiting for the 1, 2, 3........time for fine, jail and deportation Mr. Wolf

[ukrules]

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

Making chocolate is ok but bootlegging spirits it a big no, no in this country, work permit or not.. although not sure of the quality of the chocolate either giving that Thailand cocoa beans, if any, are not good enough to make good quality chocolates...

Apparently yhey don't grow them in Belgium either yet here we are.

Edited March 21, 2022 by ukrules

[norfolkandchance]

Is making SID allowed.

[Lemsta69]

wen free samples?

[lesmac]

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

Making chocolate is ok but bootlegging spirits it a big no, no in this country, work permit or not.. although not sure of the quality of the chocolate either giving that Thailand cocoa beans, if any, are not good enough to make good quality chocolates...

Oh yes they are I have tasted the chocolate made from them

[JeabRonny]

Hi boys and girls, i'm Ronny, the distiller and chocolate maker from Belgium. Maybee some people dissapoint, but i have a werkpermit, yes, and i have license for this, yes, and the governement check the distillery every month. But i invite everybody that not sure about the taste, the quality come to taste, no, i will come by you so you can change your mind. And i distill real Gin, not fake gin from i was 17, with the best juniper berries, my distiller stay on the top from distillers in the world, a ''Muller'' from Oberkirchen Swartzwald Germany. I come from a country with the best chocolats of the world, and i come from the village where stay the biggest Chocolate factory off the world, where they make more than 1000 diffrent chocolats for many marks in EU. And here, i get advice from an Belgium ingeneer expat that works there  many years in the production by Barry Callebaut, yes, Swiss Belgium company. Him say before also, nobody can make chocolate in Thailand, but him see, taste, check and change his mind... ???? ???? ???? ???? So my chocolats that i produce melt here quicker than the import, becous i go for quality, use only cacaobutter in place the palmfat what give a higher melt point, but i go for full taste in everything i produce. Ps... Palmfat cost 50 baht/kg cacaobutter 600 baht/kg.

And yes, i controle the yeasting from the beans and use not bananaleaves as yeast culture like the thai do... ???? ???? ???? But the quality and taste from the cacaobeans here are very very good.... if, the right yeadtculture and correctly roosting. I want only say... come to visit me www.jrtoppi.com, you not need to buy, only look. ???? 

[JeabRonny]

8 hours ago, tonray said:

3...2....1......waiting for the "where's his work permit ?" crowd

I have workpermit. Ronny

[JeabRonny]

7 hours ago, ezzra said:

Making chocolate is ok but bootlegging spirits it a big no, no in this country, work permit or not.. although not sure of the quality of the chocolate either giving that Thailand cocoa beans, if any, are not good enough to make good quality chocolates...

Come to taste. You will be supriced!

[JeabRonny]

7 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

I'm trying to get my head around what lao khao flavored with juniper would be like.

You can come to taste... free. ???? 

[JeabRonny]

7 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Sure is more to it, just read the link!  Regardless of that, what would the legal status of his wife, his company or his position in the company have to do with anyone here?  

Hi, i invite you come to look, free taste and free entry. I like that you get a good night rest, so come to look how i do it in real. And yes, the article show not everything, but i will answer you all your questions... ???? 

[JeabRonny]

7 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Gin and chocolate sounds like a delightful flavor combination, and I wish the Belgium gentleman the best. I assume his papers are in order. If not... beware, this type of publicity can result in a visit from immigration. It's happened before:

 

https://www.keyframe5.com/foreigner-deported-expat-in-thailand-helps-thai-wife-selling-bbq/

 

Edit: The Hua Hin news logo in the OP wasn't obvious as a link to the article. I now see he has been doing this a while and the officials are aware of his business. Best of luck to him.

Not make worry, i dont like to stay in Bkk hilton. ???? ???? ???? ???? We get all the license we need and they change many times the law to. Thanks. ????

[JeabRonny]

2 hours ago, Dionigi said:

Sorry but gin is lao khao flavoured with juniper. Ethyl alcohol is all the same different spirits just have different additions. If you watch Gordons gin video on distillation they tip some of the leftover bottoms back into the distillate so that it has the flovour. Some of the other companies pass the distillate over various flavourings after it has left the still and before it is cooled to change it back to a liquid. Have a look at the side of a Bombay sapphire bottle to see their ingredients. Pure ethyl alcohol is fairly tasteless until they add the flavourings. Whisky is stored in casks that have been used to store sherry to give the oak flavour and the impurities added back give the rest of the taste and the headache.

The basics i use are, sugarcane for the rum, Grains and juniper berries for the gin, grapes for the grappa and banana for my banana spirit. And many overripe fruits full with flavors. I use some herbs also for hang in my distliier. There are many way for make a good product, but start with a tasteless alcohol is wrong... is only for industrial producers, not for a craft distiller like me. Thanks????

[rvaviator]

21 minutes ago, JeabRonny said:

Hi boys and girls, i'm Ronny, the distiller and chocolate maker from Belgium. Maybee some people dissapoint, but i have a werkpermit, yes, and i have license for this, yes, and the governement check the distillery every month. But i invite everybody that not sure about the taste, the quality come to taste, no, i will come by you so you can change your mind. And i distill real Gin, not fake gin from i was 17, with the best juniper berries, my distiller stay on the top from distillers in the world, a ''Muller'' from Oberkirchen Swartzwald Germany. I come from a country with the best chocolats of the world, and i come from the village where stay the biggest Chocolate factory off the world, where they make more than 1000 diffrent chocolats for many marks in EU. And here, i get advice from an Belgium ingeneer expat that works there  many years in the production by Barry Callebaut, yes, Swiss Belgium company. Him say before also, nobody can make chocolate in Thailand, but him see, taste, check and change his mind... ???????????????? So my chocolats that i produce melt here quicker than the import, becous i go for quality, use only cacaobutter in place the palmfat what give a higher melt point, but i go for full taste in everything i produce. Ps... Palmfat cost 50 baht/kg cacaobutter 600 baht/kg.

And yes, i controle the yeasting from the beans and use not bananaleaves as yeast culture like the thai do... ???????????? But the quality and taste from the cacaobeans here are very very good.... if, the right yeadtculture and correctly roosting. I want only say... come to visit me www.jrtoppi.com, you not need to buy, only look. ???? 

Very interesting about the chocolate - I remember Leonidas as the 'best ever' Belgian chocolate ...  Is this done in the same / similar fashion ?  Looks like you will be on my 'must visit list' ????