In the far north of our province, on the Wadden coast, the fresh sea breeze blows over the Groningen fields. The soil here is different, saltier, richer, and more than just grain grows there. On this clay soil, chef Stefan Kollumer of Herberg Restaurant Molenrij and arable farmer Hero Havenga de Poel of Landgoud find each other and share the same mission: to show that short chains, local products and sustainability are not only necessary, but also irresistibly tasty.
Hero: A distinctive farmer
Hero and his family run an organic arable farm in Kloosterburen. The family has been active here for over 75 years; he's the third generation on the farm. But Hero's path to farming wasn't easy. "I'm actually a career changer. Before 2019, I worked as a strategic advisor for aldermen and provincial executives. It wasn't until I was in management training that I realized: I was born a farmer, and I have the choice to become one. That felt like a blessing."
What makes Hero special is his distinctiveness and dedication. He grows organic grains for baking quality. 'That means that you can bake real bread from just water, flour, salt and sourdough. Incredibly pure. And in the whole of the Netherlands there are only a handful of farmers who can do that', he emphasizes. 'The way we grow makes us unique. We grow it in such a way that we deliver good quality, and can therefore also ask a different price.'
The area in which country gold is mainly focused on potato cultivation. Which according to Havenga is also very good because those potatoes go all over the world and feed many people, especially in Africa. But the business operations of these types of farmers work very differently. 'I keep the lines short, the personal contact that I have with my buyers.' And he has that. His grains do not disappear anonymously in a bulk transport. 'Ten minutes before you got here, there was a baker from Friesland at the door. He comes every other week to get his flour. That contact with your buyer, that is so valuable.'
Stefan: A passionate chef
Stefan Kollumer runs the business together with his wife Simone Inn Restaurant Molenrij, an atmospheric restaurant in the Groningen countryside. 'In 2019 we took over an old B&B building and turned it into a restaurant again. Not easy, because the location is quite remote. But, that also forces you to be creative.'
His secret? 'We cook with fresh, regional, organic products. As pure as possible, with as little fuss as possible. And I like to tell that at the table.' He succeeds, because guests come back especially for his spelt risotto with black garlic, a dish in which the collaboration with Hero is literally on the plate. 'That spelt comes from Landgoud. And the story that goes with it makes it complete.'
Mutual appreciation
What makes the collaboration between this farmer and chef so powerful is that it stems from a genuine interest in each other's work. 'We make beautiful things, they make beautiful things,' says Hero, 'and then it's nice if you can strengthen each other in that.'
Stefan adds: 'What I appreciate so much is that Hero always thinks along. I only have to call or send an app and then it is ready an hour later. No impersonal order list at a wholesaler, but a real conversation. And of course my restaurant is just around the corner, so I can just drive by.'
The contact between the two goes beyond delivery. 'Sometimes we take students from the cooking school to Hero's company,' says Stefan. 'They get an explanation about how grain grows, how spelt is milled. They learn the real story of the ingredients.'
Sustainability as a given
Sustainability is a daily practice for both gentlemen, a given. 'For me, sustainability is mainly in the soil,' Hero explains. 'A healthy soil life ensures a healthy plant, with more flavour and resilience. We only use solid manure, no liquid manure. If I were to erode my soil here, I would have no yield. It's that simple. And sometimes sustainability is really on a postage stamp level. For example, if there is a bird's nest in the middle of the land. Then I can't plough there.'
Stefan wants to know exactly where his ingredients come from. 'I am certainly prepared to pay more for quality. If a cauliflower looks beautiful and comes from a local grower, then I have a product that I can stand behind, and that my guests can taste. But that doesn't always work. For example, I recently had a locally grown Romanesco. It was a very small head and I had to pay something like five or six euros for it. That's all well and good, but then you really miss the mark.'
Convenience is the enemy of quality
Choosing sustainable isn't always the easiest path. "People have become lazy," says Stefan matter-of-factly. "We want everything fast and ready-made. But that means we lose the edge." Hero recognizes this. "With the wholesaler, you call and it's there tomorrow. With me, you have to think ahead. But my customers know that. They consciously choose this because they also want to be proud of what they serve."
Transparency on the board
The importance of transparency works out very well for both parties in the collaboration. 'We are in mill row on the menu, but what I really like is when guests hear at the table: this risotto comes from Landgoud, this grain was grown in Kloosterburen,' says Hero. 'That makes you proud. And as a restaurant you are not just a kitchen, but a stage for producers.' Stefan continues: 'People appreciate that. They love to know where something comes from. And we like to tell them. It is a big part of the experience at the table, and that is also what you can distinguish yourself with as an entrepreneur.'
Start small, but start!
Both Hero and Stefan hope that more catering entrepreneurs and farmers will take this path. 'It doesn't have to be all at once,' says Hero. 'Just start with one product. One farmer. One ingredient that you really know. That's where it starts.' 'If you know where your potato comes from, if you pick up your fish yourself at the fish auction instead of the wholesaler, then something changes,' says Stefan. 'You start cooking differently. I even think you start cooking better.'
From pride to future
Whether it's risotto made from local spelt, homemade mustard, or yoghurt from Waddenmax, at Herberg Restaurant Molenrij you can taste the region. And at Landgoud you can see the love for the earth in every grain.
Together, Stefan and Hero show that a sustainable future starts with cooperation, craftsmanship, and attention. Attention for soil, product, dish and people.
The Green Choice
Want to read everything about the Green Choice? The Green Choice is a project in which Groningen hospitality entrepreneurs, chefs and local producers work together to make sustainable food routes visible. By means of portraits, interviews, videos and cooking demonstrations, the journey of local products - such as grains, potatoes, game and shrimps - from producer to dish is visualized. The project stimulates the short chain, strengthens regional cooperation and offers inspiration for both professionals in the hospitality industry and conscious consumers. De Groene Keuze is an initiative of the Northern Netherlands Economic Cooperation Foundation supported by the Province of Groningen en Municipality of Groningen
© 2025 ESNN Foundation
Text: Tanja Tuinstra
Photography: Jasper Bolderdijk
Video: Twan Siertsema
