From a personal story to a Belgian biscuit factory
Generous was born in 2013 from a very concrete situation: pastry chef Christophe Harou discovered he had a gluten intolerance and refused to let it become a limitation. While looking for good gluten-free baked goods, he and his wife Théodora met the Brussels couple Aurélie and Jean-Benoît Ghenne, who were already specialized in gluten-free patisserie with their bakery L'Arrière-Cuisine. The four complemented each other both in terms of craftsmanship and business — and founded Generous together. Today, the family-run company bakes in Tubize, in the Walloon region south of Brussels.
Craftsmanship, solar power, and a clear stance on waste
Generous understands its name as a program: product philosophy, sustainability claim, and personnel strategy all in one. The bakery works with solar energy, and cookies that break during baking are not thrown away — they are given away. For packaging, Generous has worked since day one with Travie, a sheltered workshop that offers people with disabilities meaningful, paid work. This collaboration is not a PR measure, but part of the business model from the very beginning.
When it comes to ingredients, consistent selection applies: dairy products and eggs come from Belgium, the flours from France, the Netherlands, and Italy — all organic-certified, without additives. Generous completely avoids refined wheat flour. Instead, buckwheat, tapioca, millet, or potato starch are used, depending on what the respective recipe requires. The company is certified as an organic operation by Certisys, and the products also carry a gluten-free certification.
A cookie family with character — and without compromising on taste
Every Generous cookie has its own name and its own little story: Céline Citron is the crispy lemon shortbread, Nicole Noisette the hazelnut-rich classic, Victor Vanille the buttery-soft vanilla shortbread. Parts of the assortment are additionally vegan and lactose-free. What all varieties have in common: Generous treats gluten-freedom not as a compromise, but as a starting point for recipe development — with the goal that the cookies taste as if they had never been baked any other way, even without wheat flour.
