Stephan Destrooper
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After training at Ter Groene Poorte, he gained experience at renowned establishments such as Huize van Wely in the Netherlands, Fauchon in Paris and Patisserie Mahieu in Brussels.

In 2007 he opened his own bakery in Sint-Idesbald, where he offered his artisanal creations to a growing audience. The success story of his Mello cakes began in 2010, when he participated in the TV programme 'De beste bakker van Vlaanderen'. His creation was so well received that demand rose dramatically, leading to a scale-up of production.

In Veurne a new production line was set up to meet the growing demand. Today he produces around 70,000 Mello cakes weekly, with plans to further expand this capacity. His products are sold to other bakers and chocolatiers at home and abroad.

At the end of 2022 Didess and Stephan Destrooper joined forces to bring the Mello cakes to the hospitality market. This collaboration combines Stephan's authentic recipes with Didess' distinctive look and feel.

The Mello Cakes stand out for their unique method of preparation: each component is chocolate-coated separately—first the crisp butter biscuit, followed by the hazelnut praline and finally the Italian meringue. The result is a refined treat that perfectly meets the high standards of the hospitality industry.

In 2025 the assortment expands with new flavours: mello cakes filled with speculaas paste, mello cakes filled with salted caramel, two iced pralines shaped like a mello cake and a chocolate-coated cookie with caramel filling, the 'coeur caramel'.

These innovations remain true to the artisanal quality and craftsmanship that characterize both Stephan Destrooper and Didess.