4 - Recognised
i
De Nieuwe Winkel holds a Michelin Green Star and We're Smart 'Untouchables' status, the highest designation in the global green restaurant guide. All primary ingredients come from named local suppliers practising agroecological or regenerative methods: Ketelbroek food forest (permaculture, no pesticides, 13 km from the restaurant), De Ommuurde Tuin (organic walled garden with reported SKAL certification), and Bodemzicht (regenerative farm adjacent to Nijmegen).
The 100% plant-based menu eliminates animal agriculture from the supply chain entirely. Fermentation and whole-plant cooking techniques reduce ingredient waste, while the kitchen actively develops local alternatives to imported tropical ingredients such as cacao and citrus.
The chef is a signatory of The Chefs' Manifesto (SDG2 Advocacy Hub) and a member of Dutch Cuisine.
The impact dimensions
Low waste & circular practices✓
Sustainable animal products✓
Three named local suppliers (Ketelbroek food forest, De Ommuurde Tuin, Bodemzicht) provide the majority of ingredients, with the chef visiting Ketelbroek weekly to harvest personally.
Three named local suppliers provide the majority of key ingredients: Ketelbroek food forest (Groesbeek, 13 km; co-founded by chef van der Staak, 400+ species, permaculture), De Ommuurde Tuin (Renkum; organic walled garden, reportedly SKAL-certified, 450+ varieties), and Bodemzicht (adjacent to Nijmegen; regenerative farm). The chef visits Ketelbroek weekly to harvest personally.
Rungis is used as supplementary supplier when seasonal supply is exhausted.
The menu rotates three times yearly across named seasons (Awakening, Growth, Abundance), structured entirely around seasonal availability.
The menu rotates three times per year across named seasons: Awakening (spring), Growth (summer), and Abundance (autumn and winter). The entire kitchen concept is structured around seasonal availability from the Ketelbroek food forest and partner gardens.
The chef has publicly stated that ingredients dictate the menu, not the reverse. Specialist guides (Michelin, We're Smart, Gault&Millau) consistently describe seasonality as a founding principle. No out-of-season ingredients were identified in any menu documentation.
Fermentation and whole-plant cooking techniques reduce ingredient waste; the kitchen actively develops local alternatives to imported tropical ingredients.
Fermentation is integral to the kitchen's approach, serving both culinary and waste reduction purposes: miso, kefir, SCOBY cultures, and preserved ingredients extend the use of seasonal produce. Whole-plant cooking (using roots, seeds, flowers, bark, and nuts) minimises ingredient waste.
The restaurant develops local substitutes for imported tropical ingredients, reducing transport footprint. It is a partner in the Bodemzicht circular agriculture network.
The restaurant operates a 100% plant-based kitchen, making this dimension not applicable.
De Nieuwe Winkel operates a fully plant-based menu with no meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or dairy on any offering. This sourcing dimension does not apply.
Signatory of The Chefs' Manifesto; active partner in regenerative agriculture network Bodemzicht; published cookbook PLANT for home cooks.
The chef is a signatory of The Chefs' Manifesto (SDG2 Advocacy Hub), a verifiable international commitment to food system change. The restaurant is an active partner in Bodemzicht, a regenerative agriculture network connecting the restaurant with municipalities and civic organisations.
The chef is a member of Dutch Cuisine and published cookbook PLANT, intended to make botanical gastronomy accessible to home cooks. The restaurant regularly participates in public events (InScience Festival, podcasts) and deliberately maintains an informal fine-dining atmosphere to broaden access.
Recognised as world's best vegetable restaurant by We're Smart World for two consecutive years (2022, 2023); holds Untouchables status.
De Nieuwe Winkel is a 100% plant-based restaurant where vegetables are unambiguously the centre of the kitchen's identity. The chef's stated mission is 'more plants, fewer animals.'
The restaurant has been recognised as the world's best vegetable restaurant by We're Smart World for two consecutive years (2022, 2023) and holds 'Untouchables' status, only the third restaurant globally to receive this. Press, guides (Michelin, Gault&Millau, World's 50 Best), and the chef's own positioning all centre on plant-forward cooking as the defining characteristic.
Sourcing signals
✓
Certified organic ingredients
✓
Direct named-farm sourcing
Key supplier De Ommuurde Tuin reportedly holds SKAL organic certification (the Dutch certifying body for EU organic). The restaurant sources a meaningful share of ingredients from this grower.
Chef Emile van der Staak co-founded Ketelbroek food forest (Groesbeek, 13 km from the restaurant), a six-acre permaculture operation with 400+ edible plant species, and visits weekly to harvest personally.
Three named local suppliers (Ketelbroek food forest, De Ommuurde Tuin, Bodemzicht) are confirmed across multiple independent sources, each with verifiable online presence. The restaurant's website features dedicated supplier pages.
