A passion for pure quality

Chef Ludovic Ghyselen breeds his own Black Angus cattle. The meat goes straight from the farm to the kitchen of Argendael.

Chef: Ludovic Ghyselen
Since: 2008
Meat: Angus Grand Cru, from his own herd

Ludovic Ghyselen and Arnaud Vandenbogaerde smiling in the meadow, behind two of their Black Angus cattle

Ludovic Ghyselen in a black polo shirt at the chopping block, with a cleaver and a bone-in cut of beef

“I wanted to know everything about meat.”

Ludovic Ghyselen in Made in West-Vlaanderen, 15 April 2026

Ludovic GhyselenChef and owner

Ludovic went to hotel school in Kortrijk and then trained as a butcher. So he knows a cut of meat from the chopping block to the plate. Argendael has been open since 2008.

Since then he has made his dream come true: he breeds his own Black Angus cattle, with care for top quality and animal welfare, and brings the meat straight from the farm to the kitchen of Argendael.

Craft and freshness, on every plate.

Over the years we have built a close bond with our suppliers and producers, based on mutual trust and a shared passion for quality. That is why we know the origin, the craft and the character of every ingredient.

Our kitchen works with fresh, seasonal produce as much as possible. Being fully self-sufficient is not always possible, but we want to work sustainably and independently in as many ways as we can.

Sliced bavette with finely chopped tomato on a wooden board, next to a basket of garlic and tomatoes

A hand shaves black truffle over a tartare on a wooden board

From field to plate

We want to contribute to a fair food chain and reduce our ecological footprint.

From embryo to plate.

Angus Grand Cru is Ludovic Ghyselen and Arnaud Vandenbogaerde’s own meat brand. This is how an animal grows up with us, from the embryo until it is on your plate.

2015: the embryos
Since 2015, American Black Angus embryos have been carried by local surrogate cows. The genetics come from the top 1 percent of the breed.
Six months with the mother
The calves are almost always born naturally and stay with their mother for at least six months.“The family bond in Black Angus cattle is naturally very strong, and we want to respect that.”
24 months in the meadow
For at least 24 months the animals graze outdoors, with no added concentrate feed.
Four months on straw
They are then finished for four months on straw, in groups of five to ten animals, with classical music in the background.
Our own feed
During those four months the animals get our own mix of roughage, grain and linseed flakes, with no GMOs or soya.
At around 28 months
The animals are slaughtered when they are about 28 months old.“We do not aim for fast growth or weight gain, but for quality.”
Dry aged
The six-rib joint for our côte de bœuf is dry-aged on the bone in our ageing cabinet. This makes the meat more tender and gives it a deeper flavour.
On the fire
In the kitchen of Argendael, the meat goes on the grill.
On the plate
In the kitchen we use as many different cuts of the animal as possible. That way the whole animal is used.