He cultivates them carefully in Spijk, and they give them a new platform in the kitchen of The Market Hotel. Potato farmer Menko van Zwol and Daniel Oudman & Cor Alders of The Market Hotel know for sure: if you take taste and provenance seriously, even the most ordinary potato becomes a gastronomic choice.
The taste of origin
Potatoes? They're often tucked away in fries, mashed potatoes, or as a side dish, drowned in sauce. But speak with Menko van Zwol and you'll hear love. Love for the crop, for the clay, for time.
"When you go out into the fields early in the morning and the dew still hangs on the ridges… then you remember what you're doing it for," he says. "And you can clearly taste the difference. Here, on the clay of North Groningen, a potato with character grows."
In the 80s, his father went door to door selling potatoes. "He was a real salesman," says Menko. Around 2500 households were supplied with the potatoes every other week. But that changed when Menko took over the company in 2012. "We saw potato consumption declining, so we started focusing on greengrocers, farm shops, and the hospitality industry. The days when everyone had a large house with a cellar where 100 kilos of potatoes were always in stock were over."
Van Zwol I grow, among other things, Frieslanders and Bildtstars, using organic fertilizer and minimal chemicals. "That's sometimes necessary, otherwise you simply won't reach your target numbers. I'm currently converting to organic, but I've been working on nature-inclusive farming for ten years. Clay is fickle, but generous. And if you let nature do its thing, you get more back than you put in. Healthy soil is the most important thing."
Being good for the planet and people
"Planet, people, profit" is, for me, the definition of sustainable entrepreneurship. And yes, it might be a bit old-fashioned, but I do see us as stewards. We only have the property here on loan, and we must try to leave everything in even better condition. That was even in my great-grandfather's construction plan from 1880. Besides that, you simply have to be good to the people you work with.
His approach means making choices: not squeezing the maximum out of the soil, but working in balance with the soil, the seasons, and biodiversity. "You build soil life, and that's ultimately reflected in the quality of the harvest. It takes more time, but you get a potato that truly tastes good."
A potato with a story
For The Market Hotel At the Grote Markt, that provenance was a reason for the collaboration. "We're cooking for a wide audience here," says executive chef Cor Alders. "You can buy cheaply through a wholesaler, but then you taste it. We wanted a potato that combines story and flavor." Daniël Oudman, an intern, adds: "What Menko grows is locally sourced and delicious. We don't need truffle potatoes from France. Why fly something in when you can get it just a half-hour drive away?"
"The potato is a fantastic product," Cor continues. "You can do so much with it, it's a wonderful staple, and it's a perfect fit for our province."
Living room of Groningen
The Market Hotel, with Café Willem Albert as the city's living room, stands on historic grounds on the Grote Markt. This is where the Scholtenhuis once stood, the home of agricultural industrialist Willem Albert Scholten, who started producing potato flour at a young age. A history that aligns beautifully with the choice of Groningen potatoes.
Not a side issue, but a main character
The potato is at The Market Hotel Not at the back of the plate, but in the middle. "We're going to make a potato millefeuille. We'll combine it with a piece of Groningen beef, a combination of Groningen blaarkop and Belgian blue," Cor explains.
The beauty of it is that you can choose between young potatoes first and later potatoes later. Both have a completely different and distinctive flavor. If you combine this with Groningen asparagus or leeks from the province, you have a whole plate that's locally sourced. That's always my goal, to source at least two components of a dish from the region.
According to Cor, it's not about complexity, but about attention. "You have to dare to choose simplicity. Good products don't need embellishments. What you do need is a good story." This approach is reflected throughout the kitchen. "Whether it's meat, vegetables, or potatoes, we want to know what we're serving, and why."
Floor and floor price
Yet, collaboration isn't a given. Many farmers barely get a fair price, and chefs are used to getting a front-row seat for next to nothing and buying in bulk from wholesalers. "It's always a matter of finding a balance," says Menko. "But I'm noticing that chefs are becoming more open. They want to know where something comes from. How it grows. And that builds trust."
At The Market Hotel, that transparency is a conscious choice. "We don't base our decision on the product's price," says Daniel. "We first consider: what's it worth? And how can we prepare it so guests will appreciate it?"
That story also plays a role for the guests. "People like to hear where something comes from," says Cor. "Especially if it's local. You're not just eating a potato; you're eating a piece of Northern Groningen."
Short lines
From farm to fork: at Van Zwol, the supply chain is truly short. "We grow our own produce, buy the seed potatoes from farmers we know, store everything ourselves, process it ourselves, and ultimately bag it ourselves. We even keep an eye on things in the supermarket. How are they doing? Are they being handled properly? That's the short supply chain."
This short supply chain also creates more connection. "You know who you're feeding," says Cor. "Who's behind the product. That makes the product less anonymous; it gets a face."
It's also inspiring for the kitchen staff. "Our chefs see where it comes from. They hear Menko's story, they can still feel that Groningen clay in their hands. That makes the work even more meaningful," says Cor.
The future lies in the ground
What unites them is a love for the craft. For simplicity, as a choice. "There's nothing wrong with fries or mashed potatoes," says Cor, "but you can do so much more with them." Menko hopes more chefs will take the step. "If you know who you're feeding, and who prepares your product, food becomes real again. That's where sustainable agriculture begins."
And maybe, just maybe, that everyday potato will become what it once was: a hero on the plate.
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
