3 - Endorsed
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Tespelduyn has documented practice across three areas of responsible cooking and estate keeping.
The kitchen works to the seasons: the card changes each quarter and the set menus are built around what is being harvested, from asparagus in spring to game in autumn. On waste and energy, the estate buys only electricity generated from renewable sources and runs around 300 solar panels, a heat pump in the main building and electric mowers on the course, alongside waste separation and certified cleaning products. On the social side, the King's Day golf tournament raises money for named local causes, among them Fietsmaatjes in Hillegom, Lisse and Noordwijkerhout, which received 4,750 euro, and De Honingraat in an earlier year; the estate is also a registered training company for hospitality apprentices.
Green Key has awarded the estate its gold level for seven consecutive years, assessed on site by an independent inspector.
The impact dimensions
Low waste & circular practices✓
Sustainable animal products
Local and regional sourcing with fresh ingredients from a nearby greenhouse, but no named suppliers.
Local and regional sourcing is stated and independently corroborated by Euro-Toques Nederland and the local press Green Key reporting. The restaurant works with regional ingredients and short supply chains, drawing vegetables and fruit from a nearby grower's greenhouse.
No individual grower, farm or supplier is named in any channel beyond the generic reference to the neighbour's greenhouse and regional suppliers. The scale of local sourcing is not quantified.
Quarterly menu changes with named seasonal programmes: asparagus in spring, lobster weeks, game and French themes in autumn.
The card changes every quarter and is built on seasonal availability. Euro-Toques Nederland names the recurring programmes: asparagus menus in spring, lobster weeks, game dishes and French theme weeks. The published dinner card reinforces this with a daily catch of the day and a butcher's daily selection.
Seasonality shapes the menu structure rather than appearing as occasional dishes. The rotation is documented in the restaurant's own pages and independently reported by the chefs' association.
Green Key gold for seven consecutive years: 300 solar panels, heat pump, renewable electricity, carbon-neutral operation, electric mowers, waste separation and certified cleaning products.
Landgoed Tespelduyn holds Green Key gold certification, the scheme's highest tier, for seven consecutive years as of 2025. The certification is independently verified by the assessor Groen Belicht under the Foundation for Environmental Education.
Documented practices span energy and waste. The estate has around 300 solar panels, a heat pump in the main building, renewable electricity exclusively, carbon-neutral operation, electric and hybrid mowing machines, energy-saving lamps with light sensors, timers on heating and air conditioning, waste separation, certified cleaning products and water conservation measures.
Meat and fish are named by region and breed (Zeeland mussels, Clare Valley beef, dual-purpose cattle) with no named suppliers or welfare certifications; eel sourcing unconfirmed.
Meat and fish are central to the menu. The published card names regional origins and specific breeds for some items: Zeeland jumbo mussels, Clare Valley beef for the burger, and a dual-purpose breed entrecote. A daily butcher's selection also suggests a butcher relationship.
No individual butcher, fishmonger or farm is named beyond these regional and breed descriptors, and no animal welfare certifications (Beter Leven, MSC, ASC or organic) appear in any channel. Eel appears on the card as a starter and in the cauliflower curry soup; the European eel is critically endangered and its sourcing warrants clarification.
Annual King's Day charity golf tournament with a prize fund over 7,500 euro supporting named local causes (Fietsmaatjes received 4,750 euro); the estate is a registered training provider.
The estate runs an annual King's Day charity golf tournament with a prize fund over 7,500 euro. Named recipients include Fietsmaatjes in Hillegom, Lisse and Noordwijkerhout, which received 4,750 euro, and De Honingraat in an earlier edition. Both organisations are independently verifiable and the event recurs across years.
On employment, Landgoed Tespelduyn is registered on Stagemarkt, the national platform for accredited work placement providers. The head chef, Geert Pennings, progressed to co-ownership of the family business after four years leading the kitchen. The Green Key gold assessment also records significant social involvement as a ground for the award.
The menu includes vegetarian dishes (carrot steak tartare, beetroot burger, spiced cabbage with basmati rice), comprising roughly a fifth of the mains, with no vegan options.
The menu is built on meat and fish, but vegetables are composed as whole plates rather than adapted sides. Three vegetarian dishes appear on the published dinner menu: a carrot steak tartare among the starters, and a beetroot burger and spiced cabbage with basmati rice among approximately 11 mains.
Vegetarian dishes comprise roughly a fifth of the mains. No vegan dish is marked or offered, and every main comes served with fries as the default accompaniment.
Sourcing signals
Sauces, soups, desserts and garnishes are made in house on classical technique. Reported by Euro-Toques Nederland, the chefs' association, rather than the restaurant itself.
