Sustainability, not used as a form of marketing, but as a way of working. And perhaps even more importantly: a way of thinking. In Groningen, two entrepreneurs don't explain sustainability, but put it into practice. Luuk Bouwman of Luuks Brood bakes bread that's just barely finished, so chefs can finish it themselves. Maaike van der Maar runs all-day breakfast restaurant Pernikkel the way you run a place you'd enjoy yourself: honest, thoughtful, and with the right choices. No avocado if it has to be sourced from far away. But eggs Benedict with eggs from a local farm.
Both companies are rooted in the city of Groningen, surrounded by a large network of suppliers, customers, guests, and partnerships. One cooks with ingredients they know who made them and where they come from. The other calls their miller if the wheat bakes differently than the week before. No middlemen, no detours. Instead: brioche, banana bread, whole wheat with seeds. And when Pernikkel runs out of bread, it's gone. Because waste is not on the menu.
Both pernickel Businesses like Luuks Brood are examples of entrepreneurs who started small and gradually found their place in the local ecosystem. They don't work from perfection, but from principles. They learn, experiment, and adjust, with a focus on taste and provenance. Simply good food, with both feet firmly planted in Groningen.
A baker with a mission
Luuk Bouwman started over twenty years ago in a tapas shop on Akerkhof in the city. He baked focaccias, garlic bread, and olive bread. Soon, the first chefs came knocking: whether he could also make custom bread. Now, his company delivers Luke Bread to over 35 hospitality businesses in and around Groningen. He calls himself a "hospitality baker," but he's actually much more than that. Product developer, brainstormer, helpline, supplier—all rolled into one.
His phone is full of WhatsApp groups: one per customer. This way, he keeps contact brief. A restaurant wants a slightly smaller roll? Then Luuk adjusts it. Is the wheat a bit moister this year? Then he calls Jan Mulder Pot, the miller in Kropswolde with whom he's worked for over ten years.
Luuk knows what's in his flour. No flour improvers or additives, just the whole grain, including the outer layer. "That's what gives the bread flavor, softness, and character," Luuk adds. He uses three types of flour from Mulder Pot: half patent, whole wheat, and spelt. "When I say whole wheat, I mean 100% whole wheat. Not a mix of white flour with a little coloring, like in many supermarket breads."
At Pernikkel they simply say 'no'
At Pernikkel restaurant, sustainability isn't just about the menu, but about the way choices are made. More local, less waste, and mindful portions. Maaike van der Maar and her team are happy to decline products that don't align with their vision. "If there's no local fish, for example, it's simply not on the menu," she says.
With this vision, they also express their own grand ambition: to create a mess-free world where mess-free food and local businesses are the norm. They're already making enormous strides in that direction, something many other restaurants would envy. "We go to great lengths to feature local products and stories," says Maaike. "The coffee comes from a roastery you can walk to. The eggs are from a well-known farmer not far from here, and the bread is from Luuk. Fresh, and baked just right so it gets a little touch in our own oven before we serve it."
Guests might not consciously notice it all, but it's everywhere. And if you ask, you'll get the whole story. From wheat to toasted sandwiches. Yet most people come 'just' for a delicious lunch. And that's exactly the point. "When people feel good and eat well, they sometimes automatically do something better," says Maaike. "Even if they don't realize it themselves."
A collaboration that works
The collaboration between Pernikkel and Luuks Brood began through connections, as is often the case in a city where communication is short. It's now much more than a delivery relationship. Luuk knows what Pernikkel needs, and Pernikkel knows what Luuk makes. If something needs to be adjusted, it happens without complicated and time-consuming consultations—a single message is all it takes.
For Luuk, it's important that his work is visible. "I can advertise on my bus that I'm a Groningen baker, but the story only really begins when a restaurant tells that story on its menu." Pernikkel does just that. And that makes all the difference. Not just for the guest, but also for Luuk. New customers often come through other chefs and sous chefs who already know him from previous kitchens. Word-of-mouth advertising, in the most literal sense.
Transparency and honesty always pay off
For both entrepreneurs it's all about stories that are real. A lunch at pernickel is never just functional. "We want to show people that good food doesn't have to be complicated," says Maaike. "You don't need ready-made things for a tasty meal." What you do need: people who dare to choose.
Luuk sees this reflected in his customer loyalty. Some temporarily switch to another bakery, but often return after a year. "Then the bread sells itself," he says with a laugh. His style is uncompromising: no rock-bottom prices, no bread with fillings or artificial coloring. Instead, it's about quality, personal contact, and a passion for the craft.
The future is to keep innovating
Luuk is always working on innovation, as long as it's not a fad. Potato bread, experiments with salt substitutes, natural fermentation—all to make better bread that has a longer shelf life, is more digestible, or simply tastes better. Not every experiment is successful, and that's okay. "If I'm not satisfied with it, it doesn't leave here," says Luuk.
Pernikkel also continues to develop. They want to collaborate even more with local producers, including for products like cheese and vegetables. "It's a journey, but an enjoyable one," says Maaike. "And if it works, it tastes even better."
Think small, make a big difference
Sustainability for Luuk and Maaike lies in small, consistent choices. In products without unnecessary additives. In collaboration without distractions. In being proud of what you make and do and communicating this in such a way that others are inspired by it. So that people start to see it as something 'normal', instead of something forced.
Pernikkel and Luuks Brood do not set up a chain, they are the chain.
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
