When Lambert Matheï set afoot 'the small candy factory' for his children in 1930, he could hardly have predicted that the company, anno 2004, would make the production of candy into real art.

Alfons, one of his eight children, had followed a training as confectioner at the pastry shop 'Le Vainqueur'(the victor) in Liège. The palm of honour, awarded to the victor, was the source of inspiration to the search for a name for their own confectionery; 'De Palm' was born. The small company was located in the Kattebroekstraat 1, in the centre of Bilzen.
The assortment - which in those times was produced completely according to traditional methods - consisted until 1965 of all kinds of candy, like drops, liquor bonbons, gums, marshmallows, cuberdons etc. Afterwards, the focus was switched to hard confectionery. In 1973, Alfons took over the company and a first fully automatic lollipop production line was bought. Alfons for his part handed over the ownership of the company to his sons Lambert and Paul. In 1983, this association was made into a 'BVBA' (~Ltd.) and at the end of 1988, Paul sold his shares to his brother and his wife Daniëlle Brepoels. They established 'NV Confiserie De Palm' (Confectionery The Palm plc).

  
In 1980, after the machine park of a competitor was partly taken over, the business gained momentum. The old property in the Kattebroekstraat soon became too small. The current supply was insufficient and a move to an industrial building urged itself. A new building was constructed in Spelver in Bilzen, a zone destined for handicrafts. In 1988, the company was finally settled in the Spelverstraat 26a.
From that moment onwards, the assortment and the volume of trade were steadily increasing. By consequence, the necessity to extend the plant forced itself sooner than expected; in 2000, 3000 m² was added to the building, so nowadays 4150 m² of manufacturing space is available. A considerable surface, which complies with all the requirements for producing lollipops in an efficient and safe way. An average of one million lollipops comes out of the assembly line every day.
Thanks to a small but very professional organisation, one can guarantee great flexibility and service nowadays. Next to the attention spent to the maximal safety of the workers, one also always applies the most stringent demands concerning food safety. The HACCP-norms have already been applied since 1997 and in December 2004, the company was awarded the IFS-certificate version 4, higher level. Despite ultramodern boiling techniques and production machines, the handicraft aspect involved in producing lollipops has never been forgotten about, and will also be treasured in the future.
With some feeling of pride, the people behind confectionery De Palm can state that they were able to make the production of lollipops into an art. This is mirrored in a series of their products, like the unrivalled Salmiak lollipops, richly filled with salmiak powder, and the Ghost lollipops with their spicy flavour. Product innovation is considered of paramount importance. Under the competent management of Lambert Matheï and his son Johan, new ideas constantly pop up in the kitchen, resulting in products that can give an extra dimension to the lollipop assortment. By the way, a considerable number of these ideas were fed by the international business traffic, for every country has -next to the standard product- variants based on taste habits: from very sweet or extremely sour to extra salty.
 
This international approach was asking for an international name, because 'De Palm' was not considered as such in a lot of countries. One had to look for a name that lived up to all international criteria. After a long period of brainstorming, a name was found that fully covered its significance:


Cand'Art® will continue with the greatest care the many years' tradition of De Palm as confectioner. Our activity remains the production and selling of sugar lollipops, mainly pinpointed at a target public of wholesalers and importers. Quality, professionalism and a customer-oriented approach will also in the years to come be the trumps of the company. It will continue anticipating trends, taking into account the environment, hygiene and ethical aspects, and it will try to live up to its customers' desires. The board gives priority to food-safe production. Tasks, responsibilities and qualifications are strictly determined, based on a founded HACCP-plan.
The Matheï family is still active in the leading positions of the company and makes sure the staff of Cand'Art® are duly educated and that they receive good assistance. The workers master the relevant hygienic principles. The ones in charge have sufficient knowledge about critical checkpoints and hygiene of food articles to be able to judge potential risks and take the necessary measures if needed.

Once a year, a board evaluation concerning the IFS-system takes place, during which concrete aims per working year will be formulated. Every trimester, the IFS-system is verified by internal audits so we can take the necessary actions (if any) to constantly guarantee and improve the food safety and quality.

So be smart, choose