Café Society is a photographic series which celebrates the spaces at the heart of Belgian beer culture. See more here.
Pascal Rubben is a chef who did not train formally but sharpened his knife in esteemed restaurants in Paris, Nice, and Marseille. He took over ‘t Molenhof 30 years ago from the brewer of nearby Brouwerij Dehaene. Just a few minutes walk from Struise Brouwers in Oostvleteren, and a short drive from the Sint-Sixtus Abbey (where the Westvleteren beers are produced), ‘t Molenhof is a restaurant and café with a respected menu of local beers, Geuze and Lambic, and numerous Trappist offerings. In the 1950s, ‘t Molenhof would house pigs that were awaiting transport via the tram station next door. Livestock from Oostvleteren was transported on a regular basis to the nearby towns of Poperinge, Ieper, and Diksmuide, and the pigs needed a waiting room. The pig is a revered animal in this region. Traditionally, on January 17, locals celebrate the feast day of Saint Anthony the Abbot (Sint-Antonius Abt), a Saint associated with pigs in Christian iconography. In rural Flanders, pigs symbolize abundance and sustenance, and up until recent times, were even walked through the village streets in processions. As if to mark this element of ‘t Molenhof’s eccentric backstory, there are a few small statues of pigs inconspicuously scattered around the café—some carved from wood and others out of clay. There is also a lot of non-pig related beer memorabilia. Rubben is an avid, and admittedly random, collector of brewery, religious, and cultural memorabilia. What catches his eye at local flea markets often ends up on the walls of his café. It is a mix of bird cages, enamel beer signs, old sewing machines, ceramic religious statues, and an old grandfather clock underneath a Menin Gate illustration. There are no pig processions in Oostvleteren any more, but Pascal Rubben admits that they’re still very much present in the café: “There are a few pork dishes on the menu,” he says.
More info:
‘t Molenhof
Veurnestraat 2, 8640 Vleteren
A café dating back to 1920 that used to house pigs waiting for transport on regional trains.
