The surprising partnership between Ghent and Wim Ballieu for retirement homes

Flemish chef Wim Ballieu, founder of the Balls & Glory chain, has signed a unique partnership with the city of Ghent. Starting this May, the five urban nursing homes and eleven local service centers will offer a monthly signature dish created by the entrepreneurial chef. This is a way for the city and its new partner, Compass Group, to enhance the quality and conviviality of meals in institutions.

Stad Gent

The project is part of the new catering contract awarded by the City of Ghent to Compass Group. In addition to a reworked menu, the emphasis is "on the taste experience and the pleasure of the table." The twelve dishes designed by Wim Ballieu will be gradually integrated, one per month, with the added bonus of four annual tastings of his famous meatballs. To accompany the launch, the chef himself will visit each establishment to conduct live cooking demonstrations. The first will be held this Wednesday, May 14, at the Zuiderlicht care center in Mariakerke, with the menu: ling fillet, cauliflower puree, mussels, and beurre blanc sauce.

The city's focus is on the human and social dimension of this initiative. "For many elderly people, meals are the focal point of the day," says Astrid De Bruycker, alderman in charge of elderly care. "This project enhances this moment by adding flavor and experience."

The experience is rather unexpected: Balls & Glory has built an image for itself as an urban, relaxed, and modern restaurant, promoting artisanal quality, local sourcing, and a strong identity around the product (the stuffed meatball). Targeting nursing homes, an institutional environment often perceived as lacking in culinary innovation, is somewhat surprising. While the details of the deal signed between the city and the chef are unknown, the approach, essentially marketing-based, should be of interest to everyone.

By partnering with a renowned name in the Flemish gastronomic landscape, the city of Ghent hopes to enhance the value of institutional food offerings while creating anticipated and shared experiences. This partnership can help it modernize the image of its institutions and the nursing homes under its care. For Wim Ballieu, this is a gesture of local roots and social responsibility, without diluting its brand image. It gains in authenticity and social impact.

As a reminder, Wim Ballieu is a culinary personality in Flanders. He founded Balls & Glory in 2012 as a new restaurant concept. The restaurant specializes in handmade stuffed meatballs, served with stoemp (mashed potatoes and vegetables) or a fresh salad. The meatballs are made with meat from Ballieu's family farm, and vegetarian options are also available. While the concept began as a pop-up restaurant in Ghent and expanded to other Belgian cities, including Brussels, Balls & Glory now has only two restaurants, in Antwerp and Ghent.