LEGAL NOTICE
The Wallonie Gourmande website, available at www.walloniegourmande.be, is devoted to discovering, selecting and showcasing establishments, participants and initiatives connected in particular with restaurants, gastronomy, food products, drinks, crafts and the hospitality sector in Wallonia.
The website also presents the communication, marketing, consultancy, content creation and production of materials offered under the Wallonie Gourmande brand.
Purpose of Wallonie Gourmande
Wallonie Gourmande is both an editorial guide to gastronomy in Wallonia and an organisation offering services related to communication, marketing and the promotion of establishments and projects.
The editorial section of the website aims, in particular, to present restaurants and other establishments that Wallonie Gourmande considers interesting according to its own editorial approach.
Criteria that may be considered include the overall quality of the cooking, the work carried out with ingredients, the artisan character of preparations, service, welcome, the establishment's coherence, the choice of drinks, the presence of Walloon or local products and the establishment's overall identity.
These criteria provide editorial guidance and do not constitute official certification, a legal standard or an inspection system recognised by a public authority.
Independence of editorial selection
An establishment's inclusion in Wallonie Gourmande's selections, recommendations or favourites cannot be bought.
A restaurant, shop or other establishment therefore cannot obtain favourable editorial selection simply by paying Wallonie Gourmande.
Wallonie Gourmande retains the freedom to choose which establishments it wishes to discover, present, recommend or leave out.
An establishment may also become a Wallonie Gourmande client for a communication or marketing service without that commercial relationship automatically entitling it to inclusion in an independent editorial selection.
Similarly, an establishment's absence from Wallonie Gourmande does not constitute a negative judgement about it. It may simply not yet have been visited, researched or selected.
Visits and meals
As part of its editorial activity, Wallonie Gourmande may visit restaurants and other establishments to discover their offering and experience.
When a visit is made as part of an independent editorial selection, Wallonie Gourmande does not accept free meals, complimentary invitations, free products or other benefits intended to influence its assessment.
This rule is intended to preserve the independence of the assessment and Wallonie Gourmande's editorial freedom.
When a specific commercial service necessarily involves organising an event, a shoot or a demonstration, or providing products needed to create content, that situation may fall within the service's contractual framework and will be separate from an independent editorial selection.
Editorial and commercial content
Wallonie Gourmande publishes different categories of content.
Some content is created entirely independently, on Wallonie Gourmande's initiative. This may include a favourite, a discovery, a selection or an article about an establishment the team spontaneously wishes to highlight.
Other content may be produced as part of a commercial service paid for by an establishment, company, brand, producer or other partner.
These two situations must not be confused.
When content constitutes advertising or results from a commercial consideration, Wallonie Gourmande takes care to ensure that its commercial nature can be clearly identified.
Belgian legislation requires advertising to be recognisable as such, particularly when a content creator receives payment or another benefit in exchange for highlighting a company, product or service. FPS Economy
Depending on the nature of the content and the medium used, labels such as 'Advertisement', 'Commercial content', 'Commercial collaboration' or sufficiently explicit equivalent wording may be used.
The fact that an establishment is the subject of a Wallonie Gourmande commercial campaign therefore does not automatically mean that it has received an independent editorial distinction, ranking or recommendation.
No automatic ranking
Wallonie Gourmande does not operate as an open platform where establishments can freely register to obtain a rating.
An establishment's presence, order of appearance or prominence on the website does not necessarily constitute an objective ranking from best to worst.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, selections published by Wallonie Gourmande should be understood as editorial choices corresponding to the guide's own approach and criteria.
Wallonie Gourmande also reserves the possibility of creating different categories, selections, distinctions or recommendation levels as the project develops.
Editorial assessments and opinions
Comments, descriptions, assessments and recommendations published on Wallonie Gourmande reflect Wallonie Gourmande's analysis and editorial opinion at the time the content is produced.
A gastronomic assessment necessarily includes a subjective dimension.
As tastes, expectations, experiences and preferences may vary from person to person, a Wallonie Gourmande recommendation does not guarantee that every user will have exactly the same experience.
The published texts are intended to inform and share an editorial assessment, not to provide a contractual guarantee concerning a third-party establishment.
Changes to establishments
The restaurant business can change quickly.
A menu may change, as may prices, opening times, the team, chef, suppliers, owners, ingredients used, recipes, services offered or an establishment's overall quality.
Information that is accurate at the time of a visit or publication may therefore subsequently become outdated.
Wallonie Gourmande endeavours to keep published information as reliable as reasonably possible, but cannot guarantee that every item on the website will be updated immediately.
Readers should therefore take account of the date of publication or update.
Information about establishments
Some information presented on Wallonie Gourmande may come directly from the establishments concerned or from public sources available at the time of writing.
This may include:
opening times, address, contact details, menu, prices, services offered, the names of those in charge, booking methods, ingredients used or other practical information.
Wallonie Gourmande takes reasonable precautions to present correct information, but cannot guarantee the total absence of errors, changes or omissions.
Visitors are advised to check decisive information with the establishment before travelling, including opening times, closing days, prices, a dish's availability or booking arrangements.
No public review system
Wallonie Gourmande is not a community platform for consumer reviews.
Website visitors cannot freely publish a rating, comment or review about a restaurant or establishment.
The content and assessments presented on Wallonie Gourmande therefore come from Wallonie Gourmande's editorial team and approach, unless content is clearly identified as originating from a third party.
This distinction helps avoid confusing Wallonie Gourmande's selections with the participatory rating systems offered by some online platforms.
Communication and marketing services
Wallonie Gourmande may offer communication, marketing, consultancy and creative services to professionals as well as individuals, associations, institutions or other organisations.
Services may include:
communication strategy, analysis of an establishment or project, positioning, brand identity, promotion of services, creation of advertising campaigns, content creation, photography, video, design of printed materials, posters, flyers, menus, promotional documents, digital materials, local communication initiatives and any related service agreed between the parties.
The presentation of these services on the website constitutes general information.
No purchase or payment can be made directly on www.walloniegourmande.be.
Visiting the website or submitting a contact form therefore does not, in itself, automatically conclude a contract.
The precise arrangements for a service may be set out in a separate offer, quotation, contractual terms or general terms and conditions.
No guarantee of commercial results
Communication and marketing services are intended to implement measures designed to improve a client's communication, visibility, image, positioning or promotion.
Unless expressly agreed otherwise by contract, they do not guarantee a specific number of clients, bookings, sales, turnover, views, visitors, subscribers or economic results.
A campaign's results may depend on many factors beyond Wallonie Gourmande's control, such as the quality of the client's offering, its prices, reputation, local competition, season, location, campaign budget or public behaviour.
Any specific commitments concerning a particular campaign are determined in the corresponding offer or contract.
Website content
Wallonie Gourmande takes particular care in preparing and presenting information published on its website.
Nevertheless, unless mandatory law provides otherwise, Wallonie Gourmande does not guarantee that the website is free from factual errors, temporary interruptions, technical problems or outdated information.
Website content may be changed, supplemented, reorganised or removed at any time as the project develops.
Website availability
Wallonie Gourmande endeavours to keep the website accessible under normal conditions.
Access may nevertheless be temporarily interrupted, including for maintenance, updates, technical problems, incidents affecting the hosting provider or circumstances beyond the publisher's control.
Temporary unavailability of the website does not automatically create an entitlement to compensation.
Intellectual property
Unless otherwise indicated, the general structure of Wallonie Gourmande, together with texts, selections, articles, descriptions, graphic creations, visual elements, photographs, videos, illustrations, logos, emblems, graphic concepts and other original content created for Wallonie Gourmande, is protected by applicable intellectual property rights.
The fact that content is freely accessible on the internet does not mean it can be freely reproduced.
Any reproduction, distribution, adaptation, substantial extraction, republication or commercial exploitation of content belonging to Wallonie Gourmande requires prior authorisation where such authorisation is required by applicable legislation.
Wallonie Gourmande brand and identity
The Wallonie Gourmande name, visual identity, logos, emblems, distinctive signs, recommendation systems and associated visual elements may not be used in a way likely to create confusion about the existence of a partnership, certification or official recommendation from Wallonie Gourmande.
In particular, an establishment may not present Wallonie Gourmande as a partner, certifier or current recommendation if this is no longer accurate or if the corresponding authorisation has been withdrawn.
Specific conditions for using any Wallonie Gourmande badge, sticker, plaque, logo or distinction may be subject to separate rules.
Photographs and videos
Photographs and videos published on Wallonie Gourmande may have been produced by Wallonie Gourmande, commissioned specifically for a publication, supplied with permission by an establishment or used in compliance with applicable rights.
No photograph or video belonging to Wallonie Gourmande may be reused commercially without authorisation where such authorisation is legally required.
When content belongs to a third party, that party's rights remain applicable.
Third-party logos, names and trademarks
The website may mention or show the trade names, business names, trademarks, logos, products or other distinctive signs of restaurants, producers, companies or partners.
These elements remain the property of their respective owners.
Their presence on Wallonie Gourmande primarily serves to identify or present the establishment, product or service concerned and does not transfer any ownership rights to Wallonie Gourmande.
Links to third-party websites
Wallonie Gourmande may contain links to websites, social networks, booking systems or other services operated by third parties.
Wallonie Gourmande does not necessarily control these external services.
A user who leaves Wallonie Gourmande to consult a third-party service is subject to that service's terms and policies.
Wallonie Gourmande cannot be held liable for the general operation, availability or specific practices of a third-party website within the limits provided by applicable legislation.
Restaurant bookings and transactions
Wallonie Gourmande is not a restaurant booking service.
When a user decides to contact, visit or book with an establishment presented on the website, the relationship is established directly between the user and the establishment concerned.
Wallonie Gourmande is not a party to any contract concluded between the consumer and that restaurant.
Prices, booking conditions, cancellations, services provided and the establishment's own obligations are its responsibility.
Allergens, dietary requirements and food information
Any descriptions of dishes or products appearing on Wallonie Gourmande are provided for information.
As recipes and ingredients may change, anyone with an allergy or intolerance or following a particular diet must obtain the necessary information directly from the establishment before ordering or consuming.
Information provided directly by the restaurateur or professional concerned at the time of ordering must take precedence on questions about allergens and a product's actual composition.
Reporting an error
A restaurant, company or user who notices a factual error in a publication may contact Wallonie Gourmande at:
Ideally, the report should specify the page concerned, the information considered incorrect and, where possible, information enabling it to be checked.
Wallonie Gourmande may review the request and, if necessary, correct or update the content concerned.
This reporting facility does not mean that an establishment can demand a change to an editorial assessment simply because it disagrees with it.
Right of reply and content-related requests
Any person or company directly concerned by content may contact Wallonie Gourmande to provide clarification, request correction of a factual error or report a difficulty.
Each request will be assessed according to its nature and applicable legal obligations.
Wallonie Gourmande nevertheless retains editorial independence regarding opinions, analyses and assessments expressed in compliance with the law.
Personal data
Wallonie Gourmande may process certain personal data, particularly when a user uses the contact form or communicates directly with the team by email.
Information about data collected, processing purposes, legal bases, retention periods and data subjects' rights is detailed in a separate Privacy Policy.
That policy supplements this legal notice.
Cookies and similar technologies
Any cookies or similar technologies used by www.walloniegourmande.be are, where necessary, covered by specific information in the cookie policy or the website's consent-management system.
The exact configuration of this section may change according to the tools actually installed on the website.
Changes to the legal notice
Wallonie Gourmande reserves the possibility of amending this legal notice to take account, in particular, of changes to the website, its activities, services, organisation or applicable regulations.
The version published on the website is the version applicable at the time of consultation.
Last updated: 07 January 2024
Applicable law
This website is operated from Belgium.
Subject to any applicable mandatory rules, this legal notice is governed by Belgian law.
Rules on the competent jurisdiction will be applied in accordance with applicable legislation and, in particular, any protective provisions applicable when a user acts as a consumer.
Contact
For any questions about Wallonie Gourmande, a publication or the website's operation:
Wallonie Gourmande
Email: calista@walloniegourmande.be
Website: www.walloniegourmande.be