The pigs of Edwin and Petra Spa of the Waddenslager in Uithuizermeeden are happy and healthy. Their pigs are always outdoors, fed on residual waste, and live longer. However, they are not certified organic. Yet, their meat is more honest than many other cuts with a green label. Together with Hans and Jitka Over of restaurant Voilà en Feu in Groningen, they demonstrate that truly sustainable food starts with visibility, trust, and craftsmanship.
Everything starts with a question
For Edwin and Petra, it all started with a comment from their daughter: 'We eat organic meat, but did those animals actually have a good life?'
A simple question with major consequences. The couple, one working in childcare and the other in the timber trade, both without any agricultural background, set out to investigate. What they saw on farms, even organic farms, didn't meet their expectations. "We thought, if that's what we're supposed to eat, we might as well just raise pigs ourselves." No sooner said than done. They rented a plot of land in Uithuizermeeden and started with four pigs. Not as entrepreneurs, but as parents who wanted to know what was on their plates.
But four pigs became forty. And soon friends and neighbors wanted meat too. Instead of slaughtering them, Edwin and Petra decided to have their animals bred. "We were quite attached to those animals," Petra says. "But then we suddenly had forty pigs. So, suddenly, you're serious pig farmers." What started as an idealistic private project slowly grew into a business with a clear mission: good meat, from happy animals, without intermediaries.
Entrepreneurship without frills
Also with There you go in Fire It all began with a vision. Hans and Jitka, both long-time hospitality professionals, decided to open their own restaurant in Groningen in 2011. They opted for a concept that was still unusual in the Northern Netherlands at the time: a single, five-course menu based entirely on seasonal ingredients, with attention to detail.
From the very beginning, it was all about personal attention, for both the guest and the product. "Exceed expectations," says Jitka. "You're always one step ahead. No one has to ask for anything."
They were also pioneers in transparency. Online reservations were always followed up by personal phone calls. The result: virtually no-shows, strong guest loyalty, and an opportunity to share their stories—about origins, preparation methods, and the farmers and butchers behind the plates.
Ham on your neck
That transparency was extended to Voilà, making it even more visible to the guests. Even literally so, when another pig farmer they used to work with brought his own ham during dinner, a full house. "We asked him, 'Could you come a little later? Then all the guests will be there and they can see you come in with that ham on your neck,'" Hans laughs.
That direct line makes the difference. '"Guests really appreciate that," says Jitka. "It's not just a beautiful piece of meat, it's a story. And you can taste it."
The collaboration between Voilà and Feu and the Wadden Sea butcher arose spontaneously. Hans and Jitka were curious about the pigs they saw walking around Meerstad and decided to just stop by. '"A piece of pasture with a thirty-centimeter electric fence. You just walk over it, and suddenly you're standing among dozens of happy pigs," Hans recalls. During the coronavirus pandemic, their contact blossomed into a full-fledged collaboration.
What is sustainable
For both Edwin and Petra, and Hans and Jitka, sustainability isn't a label or a sticker. It's a choice. A series of choices, actually, every single day. Pigs given a second or third chance. Chicken with muscle mass instead of white, watery meat. Lamb necks that are cooked for three days. Mackerel instead of tuna. Although even tuna isn't so common anymore these days.
Organic is a trickier concept, says Hans. "We regularly get calls asking if we're an organic restaurant. "We're not," I tell them. Sometimes people say, "Oh, then we won't be there." And that's a shame, because organic isn't everything. You can cycle to the supermarket for organic meat imported from Africa or South America. That's definitely not sustainable. I'd rather have something from here."
"Our ecological footprint might not be any smaller than that of the industry," Edwin says honestly. "But our animals have had a good life. And the customer knows what they're eating. That's sustainability for us. And every pork chop we sell is one less from the big industry, that's how we think about it."
Hans adds: "Anyone can put a ribeye on the menu. But that's only a fraction of the animal. What do you do with the rest? We make something beautiful out of the other 98%."
"What I sometimes find frustrating," Edwin continues, "is the amount of plastic we have to use. You simply can't avoid it. A lot of meat is vacuum-sealed for the freezer. We now have the advantage of being able to sell a lot of fresh produce in our store. And that can also be done in paper, or customers can bring their own containers, which is even better."
Strong together in the short chain
The strength of their partnership lies in its simplicity. No wholesalers, no detours, no opaque logistics. The pigs are born, raised, slaughtered, and processed by Edwin and Petra. Hans and Jitka sometimes pick up the meat themselves, or Edwin delivers it. There's no one in between. That makes the story short, yet powerful.
"It sells itself," says Hans. "But it helps that we also spread the word. You're ambassadors for each other." Petra agrees: 'Our customers know they're always welcome to come and see us. Everything is visible.' And no, they don't use social media. Petra says dryly: 'I don't feel like it. I'd rather be with the pigs than behind a computer.' Yet their visibility is enormous, precisely because of their openness and transparency. And not just in Groningen; they deliver throughout the Netherlands.
More than a meal
What both parties want is for people to change their perspective on what they eat. Not necessarily organic, not perfect, but consciously. Hans: 'We have regulars who have been coming here since the beginning, and their food has really changed over the years. That's great. That's what we do it for.
And it's not always easy. Availability can sometimes be a challenge. Some farmers still rely on a single large buyer. But that's changing, thanks in part to partnerships like this one. Hans and Jitka also advocate for more collaboration between restaurants. 'We all face the same challenges: energy, personnel, suppliers. Let's learn from each other.
Bacon like in the old days
What There you go in Fire And De Waddenslager has nothing to do with big words, but everything to do with honest choices and the courage to do things differently, or perhaps just the way it should be done and the way it used to be done.
"Our bacon is the real bacon, just like you used to eat," says Petra. And that's no lie...
Goodbye, Voilà
After fifteen years, Jitka & Hans are saying goodbye to their restaurant Voilà in Groningen. What began as a dream has grown into a place full of memories, hospitality, and culinary delights. The restaurant will close its doors permanently at the end of September. Until then, from August 13th to September 27th, 2025, they will return to the essence of Voilà with surprise menus for lunch and dinner. After the closure, the entrepreneurs will continue their activities with catering and events.
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
