4 - Recognised
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Local sourcing is anchored by named regional suppliers: FA Hesseling provides meat from farms in Waterland, Ilpendam, Purmerend and Beemsterlandt, whilst Robert Kempen supplies exclusively MSC and ASC certified fish. Bread comes from Bakkerszonen and Vlaamsch Broodhuys, both working with organic or traceable grains, and ice cream from Metropolitan, an organic producer delivering by cargo bike in Amsterdam. Seasonal cooking follows a quarterly menu rotation shaped by local availability.
Low-waste practices include a named partnership with Instock, which diverted approximately 2,000 kilos of food waste in 2023. Biodegradable cornstarch straws replace plastic, and all disposable items at events are biodegradable with no single-use materials.
The restaurant operates within Stichting Tolhuistuin, a non-profit cultural foundation with ANBI status, receiving multi-year City of Amsterdam funding and delivering approximately 1,000 annual cultural activities. Bottle-deposit revenue is donated to StreetSmart for homeless services in Amsterdam. The menu is structurally plant forward, with around three quarters of dishes vegetarian or vegan and the group menu entirely plant based.
The impact dimensions
Low waste & circular practices✓
Sustainable animal products✓
Multiple named local suppliers across most categories: meat, fish, bread, ice cream, chocolate, beer, spirits and kombucha.
Local sourcing is anchored by named regional suppliers: FA Hesseling provides meat from farms in Waterland, Ilpendam, Purmerend and Beemsterlandt, whilst Robert Kempen supplies exclusively MSC and ASC certified fish. Bread comes from Bakkerszonen and Vlaamsch Broodhuys, both working with organic or traceable grains. Ice cream comes from Metropolitan, an organic producer delivering by cargo bike in Amsterdam. Chocolate, beer, spirits and kombucha are all sourced locally within Amsterdam.
Food journalist Sheila Struyck's 2023 interview with chef Rob Hofland corroborates this approach, describing the chef's active supplier management and direct relationships with producers.
Menu rotates quarterly around seasonal local availability; imperfect produce is actively used rather than discarded.
The menu rotates quarterly per independent interview with chef Rob Hofland. The restaurant works with seasonal vegetables and herbs, building dishes around what is available from local suppliers. Imperfect seasonal produce is actively used rather than discarded.
Named waste-reduction partnership with Instock (approximately 2,000 kg diverted in 2023); biodegradable materials replace single-use plastic.
Low-waste practices include a named partnership with Instock, which diverted approximately 2,000 kilos of food waste in 2023. Biodegradable cornstarch straws replace plastic, and all disposable items at events are biodegradable.
Sustainability extends to delivery methods and sourcing: Metropolitan ice cream is delivered by cargo bike, and chocolate is delivered by sailing ship. A house beer uses recycled citrus peel.
Named suppliers provide certified meat (FA Hesseling, organic and welfare-verified) and MSC/ASC fish (Robert Kempen); eggs are free range, dairy organic.
Meat comes exclusively from FA Hesseling, supplying veal from Waterland, organic pork from Beemsterlandt, beef from wetland cattle in Ilpendam and lamb from Purmerend. Fish is exclusively from Robert Kempen, with all species certified MSC (wild) or ASC (farmed) and appearing on the Viswijzer green list. Eggs are free range from fruit orchards and dairy is organic.
The menu is approximately 75% plant forward, limiting total animal product volume. The restaurant's sourcing claims are self-declared; the named suppliers and certifications are specific and verifiable.
Bottle-deposit revenue supports StreetSmart (homelessness); restaurant operates within ANBI non-profit foundation delivering 1,000+ annual cultural activities.
The restaurant operates within Stichting Tolhuistuin, a non-profit cultural foundation with ANBI tax status, receiving multi-year City of Amsterdam funding. It delivers approximately 1,000 annual cultural activities including free community programming such as Sunday Sounds concerts, children's events, the Reading House, and jam sessions.
Bottle-deposit revenue is donated to StreetSmart, a named charity supporting homeless services in Amsterdam. Fair-trade partnerships via Bacchi coffee (supporting the Coffee Kids foundation for farmer families) and Charitea (donating 5 cents per bottle to the Lemonaid and ChariTea Foundation) extend social impact to supply chains.
Approximately 75% of dishes are vegetarian or vegan; group menu entirely plant-based; all staff meals are plant-based.
The menu is approximately 75% plant forward per independent interview with chef Rob Hofland. RestauPlant confirms 15+ vegan and 19+ vegetarian dishes out of approximately 51 total offerings. The group menu is entirely vegetarian and all staff meals are plant based.
This represents a deliberate plant-forward strategy, with the kitchen transitioning from approximately one third vegetarian at opening to the current level. Meat and fish dishes are secondary to a plant-based core, and the chef describes the creativity this approach demands at scale.
Sourcing signals
✓
Certified organic ingredients
✓
Direct named-farm sourcing
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Low-impact beverage program
Organic certifications confirmed across multiple categories: meat (Beemsterlandt), dairy (butter, milk), bread (Bakkerszonen), ice cream (Metropolitan), chocolate (Chocolatmakers), kombucha (Kraanvel), tea (Palais des Thés) and soft drinks (Bionade).
Direct farm sourcing from named producers: FA Hesseling (regional meat farms), Robert Kempen (MSC/ASC fish), Bakkerszonen and Vlaamsch Broodhuys (traceable grain), Metropolitan (Amsterdam ice cream), Chocolatmakers (direct trade cacao).
Fair trade coffee (Bacchi, Max Havelaar), tea (Palais des Thés), and iced tea (Charitea), with proceeds supporting Coffee Kids foundation and the Lemonaid and ChariTea Foundation.
Beverages source locally or fairly: house beer Paradijs (Walhalla Brewing), fair trade coffee (Bacchi), organic fair trade tea (Palais des Thés), locally fermented kombucha (Kraanvel), craft gin (Birchwood) and spirits (Wynand Fockink).
