The challenge
Le Gruyère AOP is a Swiss icon, loved for its precision, tradition and quality. But in Belgium,culinary pride is deeply local, and food brands rarely make headlines unless they bring something radically new. Both press and consumers look for novelty, not heritage. And when your product has been perfected for centuries, that’s a challenge.
So how can a Swiss cheese earn cultural relevance in a country that already celebrates its own icons? We needed to give Le Gruyère AOP a place in Belgian hearts without losing its origin story, in a way that didn’t feel like advertising, but like an earned cultural moment.
Community insight
Heritage only stays alive when it’s reinvented. We found that Belgians are deeply connected to craftsmanship, authenticity, and local pride, but what excites them most are modern reinterpretations of tradition: moments when the past becomes relevant again, when craftsmanship evolves and culture moves forward.
Within the food and lifestyle community, influence comes from makers who rewrite tradition: chefs, artisans, and creators who keep heritage alive by transforming it. These are the people who drive what others talk about, share, and taste next.
Our target communities, from fine-dining followers to lifestyle media and local makers, want heritage that evolves and celebrate the hands that create, the makers who preserve quality in a fast world, and the rare partnerships that bridge tradition with innovation.
The idea
When innovation isn’t in the product, it has to be in the story. So we built a story worth telling. We brought together three masters of craft to give tradition a new voice:
- Le Gruyère AOP, for its precision, taste and authenticity.
- Chef Viki Geunes (Zilte), for his creative mastery and a Le Gruyère AOP ambassadors for years.
- And Philip’s Biscuits, the Antwerp institution of artisan heritage.
Together, they created The Zilte Handje, a savory reinvention of Antwerp’s most iconic biscuit, made with Le Gruyère AOP. A small product with a big story: where Swiss excellence met Belgian soul.
The roll-out
To launch this innovation, we invited people to taste the story, sending personalized seeding boxes and handwritten notes to 65 key journalist and creators.
From there, the story traveled organically. Creators, journalists and chefs became our storytellers, sharing their own interpretations of craftsmanship and heritage across their communities.
And in retail, the product became the proof point: sold in four Philip's Biscuits boutiques, MASshop and a selection of cheese boutiques. Next to that, a small box of Zilte Handje is also gifted to guests at restaurant Zilte as a small thank you after an evening of fine dining.
