4 - Recognised
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The kitchen demonstrates strong practice across five areas of responsible cooking. Local and direct sourcing stands out, with named regional producers including Kwekerij Eef Stel for vegetables, Remeker for dairy, duck from Ermelo, and pike perch from the IJsselmeer, alongside wild ingredients foraged from the waterways of Overijssel. Seasonal cooking is equally embedded, with the menu structured around regional availability for over three decades.
Low waste practices are evidenced through a whole ingredient approach, fermentation as a preservation tool, and nose to tail use across animal products. The kitchen's social contribution is well documented: the annual Chefs Revolution festival, founded in Zwolle in 2012, a structured mentorship programme, and a kitchen culture built on cooperation and dialogue. Vegetables sit at the centre of the menu, recognised by the We're Smart Green Guide with five radishes, placing De Librije among the top 20 plant forward restaurants globally.
De Librije holds a Michelin Green Star for sustainable gastronomy, is listed on the We're Smart Green Guide with five radishes, and serves as a Dutch Cuisine ambassador.
The impact dimensions
Low waste & circular practices✓
Sustainable animal products
Multiple named regional suppliers including Kwekerij Eef Stel for vegetables, Remeker for dairy, duck from Ermelo, pike perch from the IJsselmeer, and foraged wild ingredients from Overijssel waterways.
Exemplary local and direct sourcing across nearly all categories. Multiple named, independently verifiable suppliers documented: Kwekerij Eef Stel (dedicated greenhouse section growing specialty vegetables and herbs to order, Dalfsen), Remeker (Dutch Jersey cow cheese), Oesterij (oysters), Lokriet (crayfish), Dutch Wasabi (wasabi and passion fruit). Animal products locally sourced with named origins: duck from Ermelo (approximately 20 km), Dutch lamb from regional farms, pike perch from the IJsselmeer, North Sea shrimp from a dedicated fishing captain. Wild ingredients foraged from the Overijssel waterways.
This practice has been a founding principle of the kitchen for over 30 years and is corroborated by the We're Smart Green Guide listing (five radishes), the Michelin Green Star, multiple independent food journalism sources, and the Dutch Cuisine ambassadorship. Near complete local sourcing (estimated 80%+) with direct producer relationships across vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, and foraged ingredients.
Menu evolves constantly with seasonal ingredient availability, a practice maintained for over three decades, with wild foraged ingredients harvested according to the natural cycle.
Deeply seasonal kitchen organised around seasonal produce as a founding principle. The menu evolves constantly with the seasons, a practice the restaurant has maintained for over three decades, predating the Nordic seasonal movement. Diners choose from seasonal ingredient categories and the kitchen builds the tasting menu around them. Wine lists are dated seasonally. Foraging itself is inherently seasonal, with wild herbs and plants harvested according to the natural cycle. This seasonal approach is corroborated by the We're Smart Green Guide listing (five radishes) and multiple independent food journalism sources.
Whole ingredient approach with fermentation of vegetable juices, nose-to-tail use across animal products, and duck dry-aged and roasted in hay reduce food waste.
The Michelin Green Star sustainability statement explicitly references cooking techniques that maximise ingredient potential without creating waste. Food waste reduction practices include fermentation of vegetable juices (using what might otherwise be discarded), a whole ingredient approach (multiple preparations from single ingredients: shrimp heads made crispy, pike head used, crayfish stock repurposed for dessert), and nose to tail evidence with duck dry aged and roasted in hay.
Named regional suppliers for animal products including duck from Ermelo, Dutch lamb, pike perch from the IJsselmeer, North Sea shrimp, and Jersey cow cheese.
Named local suppliers documented across animal product categories: duck from Ermelo, Dutch lamb from regional farms, pike perch from the IJsselmeer, North Sea shrimp from a dedicated captain, and Remeker Jersey cow cheese. The kitchen has made an explicit stated commitment to animal welfare and sourcing.
Annual Chefs Revolution festival since 2012 bringing world chefs to Overijssel, structured mentorship of kitchen staff, and a culture built on cooperation and dialogue.
Strong and ongoing social engagement across multiple sub-areas. Community engagement: the annual Chefs Revolution festival, founded by Jonnie and Therese Boer in 2012 in Zwolle, brings world renowned chefs to Overijssel and has become a major community and industry event. Librije's Atelier operates as a cooking and wine school, providing culinary education.
Fair employment and talent development: the kitchen has been explicitly described as built on cooperation, encouragement, and dialogue. A structured mentorship programme has trained a generation of notable Dutch chefs (Sydney Schutte, Jeroen Achttien, Kees Meinderts, Bradley Deurloo, Nino Willems, and Nelson Tanate himself). Nelson Tanate was awarded SVH Meesterkok in 2024, and Jonnie Boer received a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2005 for civic contributions.
Ranked No. 20 in the We're Smart Top 100 with five radishes; dedicated vegetarian tasting menu positioned as a full equal; specific vegetable-centred dishes featured.
Plants are clearly dominant in the kitchen's identity. De Librije is listed on the We're Smart Green Guide with five radishes (the highest rating), ranked No. 20 in the Top 100 (2025), and holds the We're Smart Pure Plant Choices certification. A dedicated vegetarian tasting menu (EUR 299) is offered alongside the meat and fish menu (EUR 319), positioned as a full equal. Specific vegetable-centred dishes documented include romanesco baked in clay with nasturtium and cashew, watermelon prepared as steak tartare, and celeriac millefeuille with pistachio crunch. The kitchen's own greenhouse at Kwekerij Eef Stel grows specialty vegetables and herbs to order.
Sourcing signals
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Direct named-farm sourcing
De Librije has its own dedicated section in the greenhouses at Kwekerij Eef Stel (Dalfsen, a few km from Zwolle), where special herbs and vegetables are grown to order. Additionally, foraging from the Overijssel waterways provides wild herbs and plants year round.
Multiple named suppliers documented: Kwekerij Eef Stel (vegetables, Dalfsen), Remeker (Jersey cow cheese), Oesterij (oysters), Lokriet (crayfish), Dutch Wasabi (wasabi and passion fruit), duck from Ermelo, North Sea shrimp captain, pike perch from the IJsselmeer.
Extensive preparation in house includes sourdough and brioche baked fresh during meals, butter churned from smoked goat's milk and Dutch Jersey cow milk, in-house kombucha, fermented vegetable juices, cured attic bacon, and all sauces and stocks prepared in kitchen.
