The well-known Moeke Vaatstra cafe. In an old parsonage, which used to belong to the church next door. In recent decades the building has had various functions. That of a shop, liquor store, and catering industry for quite some time now. It has also been a brown café for a long time. And the building still exudes that.
Who was Moeke Vaatstra
Robert Wolters has been the owner of Moeke Vaatstra for 9 years now. But the name Vaatstra was not invented by him. "The Vaatstra family was once the owner and then linked their name to it," says Wolters. "Just like Cafe Hammingh, this has also become a household name in our province," he continues. 'The son of the Vaatstra family ran the business and his mother also ran the business. She was a little woman and everyone always called her mama. When she died it became Moeke Vaatstra. We have always kept the name that way and we are not going to change it now.'
Everything homemade
You can go to Moeke Vaatstra for all kinds of things. A high tea, lunch or drinks, and then on to dinner. 'The menu is very diverse,' says Wolters. 'Where there used to be a ready-made culture here, we have taken a completely different approach. We make everything ourselves. The pastries, the cookies, the soups and sauces. Everything. And that's the nice thing, because when you come in here you don't expect that. It is not haute cuisine, but we would like to surprise guests with nice, tasty dishes that are also affordable.'
Lines with the hunter
In the summer, Moeke Vaatstra has a busy terrace and they often have to turn out crowds. "Then you should think of satay, spare ribs and hamburgers," says Wolters. 'But really good, fresh, and of course homemade. In winter, when it is a bit quieter, we can cook more elaborate dishes, such as a nice deer stew. We have direct lines with a local hunter who then supplies us with the deer.'
Home smoked
But there is more because they also smoke pork belly and fish themselves. 'There is currently a large ham in the marinade, which will be on the menu in January as house-dried ham. We are very proud of that. That's something you don't often see in a cafe. When you enter here it really is a brown pub. If you can be surprised with home-smoked pork belly and restaurant-worthy dishes, then that is really nice. That's what I cook for.
Everything is negotiable
'Our strength is the conviviality, the conviviality and normal behavior. Everything is always possible, at least within the possibilities', says Wolters. 'Even if you have a party or something like that, there is always a lot to discuss.
Moeke Vaatstra is open from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.
For more information, go to: www.moekevaatstra.nl