La Vie Est Belle

History

The adventure began in the early 1980s, when Katrien Steeman and Stefaan Deraeve had just finished their nursing studies. The young couple flew to Rwanda where Stefaan had chosen to do his civilian service. Used to a traditional diet, they arrived in a region where meat was non-existent and vegetables were scarce. They soon decided to set up an organic vegetable garden where they grew all sorts of vegetables, seeds and pulses. It is thus under duress that they become vegetarians...

Return to Belgium and development of La Vie est Belle

Back in Belgium, Katrien perfected her organic veggie burger recipes. Letting her imagination run wild, she laid the foundations for what would later become the family business.

In 1992, La Vie est Belle was launched. Since then, the company has been growing and innovating. Since the 2010s, three of Katrien and Stefaan's four children have joined the family business, and one of their sons, Lieven Deraeve, runs the company's experimental kitchen. In the workshop there is only one motto: 'Let yourself go'. And one criterion: the quality and taste of the finished product.

La vie est belle products are organic, free of artificial preservatives and prepared with seasonal and, where possible, local vegetables. For La vie est belle, sustainability is a process in which the company constantly challenges itself and imposes strict standards on all levels to optimise its operations.