I have something with olives, actually.
I used to find them really, really disgusting. But when I started working in my brother’s kitchen at 14, I had to learn how to marinate olives for his bistro. Every time, he would say, "Here, have an olive." I would put it in my mouth and think, "Oh, this is so gross, so disgusting." He could see my face twist, but I kept chewing. Then he said, "Okay, you can spit it out if you want." So, I spit it out. And then he told me, "But you have to promise me that you’ll try again every week. You can spit it out, as long as you taste it. Keep tasting."

So that’s what I did. He told me, "Start with black olives, and then we’ll move on to green ones because they’re more intense." But I still found them really gross. Eventually, I was marinating olives every week, and at some point, instead of spitting them out, I started swallowing them. Then, without even realizing it, I took a second one. And another. At some point, I started snacking on them and found them delicious. That memory is really special to me. Now, I absolutely love olives.

And it’s kind of the same with drinking wine because of him. Yeah, maybe I was a little too young, but I learned to drink wine and to appreciate it. I don’t come from a family of wine drinkers at all, we were more of a beer-drinking family when it came to alcohol. My brother started me on white wine, I tried it, but I didn’t like. And sweet wine was even worse, even though white is usually the entry-level wine for beginners. But my brother said, "We’re going to try something unusual. I’ll give you a glass of red wine." And I actually thought it wasn’t so bad.

He said, "This is completely backwards. Nobody starts drinking wine with red wine because it’s stronger, more intense, with more tannins. But you like it better." So we just started with red wine, flipped the process, and worked our way back. We sort of did the same thing as with the olives. It’s funny.

My brother has two restaurants in Sneek, and at the time, he had a restaurant in Heerenveen.

At some point, we worked together at De Librije – I was in the restaurant and my brother and his wife in the cooking school. Which was an interesting dynamic because I was his superior, at around 27 years old, and he is 8 years older than me – but it went very well.

About a year after that, an opportunity came up, and they moved on. Now, they run two restaurants in Sneek, and it’s going really well. We both ended up in the hospitality business.

I don’t really care about celebrities, presidents, or politicians to be honest. What interests me are gastronomes, chefs, or service professionals whom I deeply respect. But there are so many of them!

I never get nervous when Michelin inspectors or top chefs come to eat. I actually love it because they understand the effort that goes into every dish, not just the food but also the whole team, the service, the experience. Yesterday we didn’t have a lunch service, but we were here from 9am to 6:30pm to get ready for the dinner service. There’s so much work and passion that goes into it, and if you’re not aware you might not see it. So I love cooking for someone who understands and sees it all.

There are a few international chefs I’d love to cook for, like Andreas Caminada from Schloss Schauenstein, or my former chef Jonnie Boer. He hasn’t dined here yet, though he did come to the opening party. I’m sure he will visit eventually, and I’d love to cook for him and his wife, whom I also deeply respect.

For them, I’d just do what we always do, because that’s what makes me happy and what I’m proud of.

As for trends I’d love to see return, I’d say more attention to texture and flavor. That’s the most important thing, and I’d love for that to make a comeback. Because it has been a focus in the past, and of course, it’s not gone everywhere. But in many places, aesthetics seem to have taken precedence over structure and taste. We saw something similar in the world of El Bulli.

Ferran Adrià came up with all these wild techniques, he was the absolute master of that. He invented them, and I’ve never eaten at El Bulli, but even the places he runs now… Look, they created something brilliant, and they know exactly how to execute it. But then you get all these imitators who think, "Oh, I can make that foam too." Sure, you can make it, because they’ve developed a great technique. But it still has to be a delicious foam.

I just hope that as chefs, we continue to be creative and focus more on local food and local ingredients.

And what does "local" even mean? And what does "organic" mean? Organic isn’t always local. I could take products that come from Hungary or China, they’re organic, sure. But are they necessarily better?

Of course, it’s good to have organic produce, I completely agree with that. But some farmers grow organically without certification because they can’t afford the official label. It costs a lot of money every year. So, that’s another discussion.

We have one thing on the menu that’s really not “local”. A dessert, something with pineapple. Something with kumquat. Citrus. Yeah, it's very simple, we just don't have those here. But they are truly in season right now. I don’t see a problem with buying a bit of citrus from abroad. It’s like I said—local when possible, but above all, being conscious of the seasons and the choices you make.  

For example China has amazing caviar, but I don’t need to buy it from China. I also don’t really like farmed caviar from the Netherlands or Belgium – which is more local. It’s not bad, but for me, it’s just not quite top-tier. So, I get mine from a producer who farms outdoors, with locations in Greece and Spain. That’s what works for me because, in the end, the product has to be excellent and fit the identity of the restaurant.  

As for fish, they come from the French coast, the English Channel, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the North Sea. Given our location in the Netherlands, practically in Belgium, I think that’s a great starting point. 

Yes, I think taking over Inter Scaldes was a major shift. We also took over some of the staff, and since then, my cooking has evolved, partly consciously, partly unconsciously.  

We didn’t want to lose too many of the restaurant’s regular guests. We are a very different restaurant, we do things our way, with new dishes, and the old concept is gone. That’s just a fact. But from a business perspective, it made sense to ease the transition for loyal guests rather than shock them with some of the more experimental dishes I used to create.  

In Switzerland, we were known for bold combinations, mixing fish and meat, unusual sauces, fermentation, we pushed boundaries. We built an audience that appreciated that, so they kept coming back. If we did the same thing here right away, we would have alienated a lot of long-time guests.  

So, we decided to make the cooking style a bit more classical, with more approachable flavors, while still keeping my identity. It was about experimenting, finding a balance. And honestly, I’ve become much more comfortable with this style of cooking. I enjoy it more than before.  

We still introduce unique combinations, but in a more gradual way. For example, last season, we served lamb with a lukewarm salad of green beans, sea buckthorn berries, and a poached oyster. You ate the oyster with the lamb, the briny flavor pairing beautifully with the richness of the meat.  

It’s not something you’d want as a full dish, but in the context of a tasting menu, it works. Some people find it shocking, but others absolutely love it. I enjoy taking guests on that journey, slowly changing their perspective.  

Yes, definitely. I think it comes down to being mindful of what you do, especially with food waste.  

Young chefs today often don’t think twice about throwing things away. I used to be the same, but now we try to use every part. For example, when cutting brunoise (tiny cubes of 4x4mm), some people discard a quarter of the vegetable just because it doesn’t look perfect. But why? You can use it for stock, staff meals, a purée, there’s so much you can do with it.  

Food is taken for granted because we can order anything from anywhere in the world at any time. But that’s not sustainable.  

When it comes to fish and meat, I don’t believe we should all become vegetarians or vegans. If someone chooses that for ethical or environmental reasons, I respect that. But should everyone do it? I don’t think so.  

What we should all do is be more aware of how we use animal products. Use the less "noble" cuts, too.Right now, I have venison on the menu, and from one loin, we serve over 30 guests. That’s because we also use the legs. A deer isn’t just a loin, it has many parts, and we need to respect the whole animal. The same goes for bycatch, if we want premium fish, we need to use the bycatch as well. If we don’t, it just goes to waste.  

Take turbot, for example. Most places use the fillet, but we use the side fins, the "swim fins”, which are incredibly flavorful. It’s not waste, it’s a delicacy. But people don’t realize that.