4 - Recognised
i
De Boterwaag holds Green Key Gold certification, the highest level of the international Green Key sustainability label for hospitality, awarded following an on-site audit. The kitchen operates entirely on electricity, lighting uses LEDs with motion sensors and timers, and the terrace has replaced gas patio heaters with electric Sit & Heat cushions, reducing terrace heating energy by an estimated 95%.
The Grote Markt Groep cooperative runs a shared logistics hub outside the city centre to consolidate deliveries and reduce urban freight traffic, with a preference for emissions-free vehicles. Plastic straws have been replaced with straw-based alternatives, and in-house baking of cookies has eliminated plastic-wrapped imports.
Head chefs across the group have completed dedicated sustainability training covering waste reduction and plant-based alternatives. The restaurant participates in The Hague's Good Food City initiative and is a registered training company (leerbedrijf) for hospitality apprenticeships.
The impact dimensions
Low waste & circular practices✓
Sustainable animal products✓
Seven named suppliers identified across multiple categories, several local to The Hague or the wider Dutch region.
Seven or more named suppliers identified across multiple categories: Brood van BRO (organic sourdough, The Hague), Haagsche Croquetterij (bitterballen, The Hague), Kaasboerderij van de Weert (cheese), Palmesteyn (beef), Vleeschhouwerij Cru (chorizo), Teo Pace (Italian deli), and Citta Del Gelato (gelato). Several are local to The Hague or the wider Dutch region, though some (Teo Pace, Citta Del Gelato) are Italian rather than local.
Vegetables, fish, chicken, and staple ingredients lack named sourcing. Approximately 50% of key ingredient categories show traceable origin, and independent corroboration from Den Haag Centraal and Good Food City articles confirms the sourcing programme. The central logistics hub operated by Grote Markt Groep further supports local and efficient distribution.
Self-declared seasonal language present on the menu (soup of the week, seasonal vegetables) but no independent verification of seasonal rotation found.
The restaurant describes its products as 'dagverse, seizoensgebonden producten' (day-fresh, seasonal products) on its website. The menu includes a 'soep van de week' (soup of the week) described as using seasonal sustainable ingredients, and the stoofpot references winter vegetables.
The core menu (burgers, pizzas, steak frites, coq au vin, tortellone) appears largely fixed year-round. No archived menus showing seasonal rotation were found, and no independent source describes the restaurant's seasonal practices.
Green Key Gold certification validates strong performance across food waste, plastic and packaging, and energy reduction practices.
Strong performance across all three sub-areas, independently validated by Green Key Gold certification. Food waste: head chefs completed dedicated sustainability training covering waste reduction and plant-based alternatives, and in-house baking of cookies eliminates plastic-wrapped imports. Plastic and packaging: plastic straws have been replaced with straw-based alternatives.
The kitchen operates entirely on electricity, lighting uses LEDs with motion sensors and timers, and the terrace has replaced gas patio heaters with electric Sit & Heat cushions, reducing terrace heating energy by an estimated 95%. The Grote Markt Groep cooperative runs a shared logistics hub outside the city centre to consolidate deliveries and reduce urban freight traffic, with a preference for emissions-free delivery vehicles.
Green Key Gold certification (the highest tier) has been independently verified, and the practices are also corroborated by Good Food City and Den Haag Centraal articles.
Named suppliers for beef (Palmesteyn), chorizo (Vleeschhouwerij Cru), and bitterballen provide partial traceability, but welfare standards and fish sourcing lack documentation.
The restaurant names specific suppliers for some animal product categories: Palmesteyn for bavette beef (steak frites), Vleeschhouwerij Cru for chorizo (pizza), and Haagsche Croquetterij for beef bitterballen. These are named, traceable producers with verifiable online presences, providing partial traceability.
Fish (cod for Korean fish and chips, Dutch shrimp for garnalenkroketjes), chicken (spicy chicken, coq au vin, pollo pizza), bacon, ham, and salami lack named suppliers. No MSC, ASC, or Beter Leven certifications were identified, and no welfare or sustainability standards are described for any animal product category.
Registered training company for hospitality apprenticeships, participant in The Hague's Good Food City initiative, and head chef sustainability training across the group.
The restaurant is registered as an approved training company (leerbedrijf) for hospitality apprenticeships on Stagemarkt.nl, providing structured work-based learning (BBL) for hospitality students. It participates in The Hague's Good Food City municipal initiative, and head chefs across the Grote Markt Groep have completed formal sustainability training. Free weekly salsa workshops are offered as a community event, and the Grote Markt Groep cooperative structure itself supports shared investment in sustainability infrastructure across the square.
Approximately 30–35% of menu items are vegetarian or vegan, with explicit plant-based options throughout including a vegan bittergarnituur and wild mushroom pizza with plant-based mozzarella.
The menu includes meaningful vegetarian and vegan options across all sections. Dinner mains: approximately 29% vegetarian (ricotta spinach tortellone, vegetarian burger out of 7 mains). Pizzas: approximately 38% vegetarian or vegan (Margherita, wild mushroom vegan pizza, Alla Norma out of 8 pizzas). Snacks: approximately 55% vegetarian (vegetable croquettes, organic cheese sticks, spring rolls, onion rings, olives, sourdough with aioli, plus a dedicated vegan bittergarnituur). Overall across all menu sections, approximately 30–35% of items are vegetarian, with 5–10% explicitly vegan. Vegan options are explicitly listed (wild mushroom pizza with plant-based mozzarella, vegan snack platter) and are not just available on request. Chef sustainability training included learning about plant-based alternatives. However, the menu remains structurally centred on animal proteins (burgers, steak frites, coq au vin, stoofpot, croquettes), with vegetables functioning as accompaniments rather than the focal point of dishes.
Sourcing signals
✓
Direct named-farm sourcing
Multiple named farm and artisanal producers are listed directly on the menu, including Kaasboerderij van de Weert (cheese), Palmesteyn (bavette beef), Haagsche Croquetterij (bitterballen and croquettes), Brood van BRO (organic sourdough bakery, The Hague-based), and Teo Pace (Italian deli ingredients).
