With the new kitchen in the Spoorlaan, comes a new chef! He invents and makes the tastiest dishes for you, and that's not surprising with the experience he has on his resume. So let's get to know him a little bit better.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am Pim, 34 years old. I'm from Den Bosch and I really enjoy cooking.
What else do you do in your spare time?
Skateboarding but I also love rock'n'roll music. I absolutely love the 70s/80s.
What did you do before joining us?
Anything and everything. I lived all over the Netherlands to be able to cook there. Including a number of michelin restaurants: De Librije, De Bokkedoorns and Triptyque.
Did you get into that world like that or did you follow an education?
I started at De Rooi Pannen, the HOM, that's hospitality entrepreneur/manager. During that study, I was allowed to do an internship in Barcelona and was put in the kitchen there. I never thought I could cook but was always very interested in the kitchen and never left after that.
You worked at De Librije and now The Grass Company. Why The Grass Company?
I think it's a really fun challenge. A cafe with a twist and I think it would be really fun to put something crazy in a coffeeshop. Just another challenge that I think fits right now in my life.
What is your favorite dish to eat? What could we wake you up for?
Actually, for a lot of things. It's especially important that it's made with love. I can enjoy a tasty potato just as much as a piece of meat, but it has to be well made and of good quality. So also, for example, seasonal cooking. If you have a nice bowl of strawberries, you can do something with it in the summer. So you can go through every ingredient and make something beautiful with it. That's actually how I see it. But I also love Asian cuisine. I love it all.
So is there really something you don't like that you're avoiding?
There is only one thing I don't like, that is very firm blue cheeses. That really spicy one, I find it difficult.
Cooking is simple, but to cook simply is very difficult.
What would you like to cook for yourself again that you haven't made yet? Something on your bucket list that you would like to work with or that you would like to make?
I would like to work in a really good Chinese kitchen for another month to learn the tricks of the trade. The true authentic Asian cuisine. But I also love ramen. I can do it quite well, but still... They all have very special pressure boilers, making it all very easy to make. I would like to learn that again. Really fly to Japan and then apprentice there for a month. I would really like that. I've also been to Japan once and was allowed to spend a day at a sushi restaurant. Only then do you really see what's involved.
You cooked at quite a high level, what should we imagine?
Let me put it this way, I was very enthusiastic at the time and if you are a footballer, you want to play in the Champions League, that's your goal. So I'm just so crazy myself that I went for that too. That was sometimes quite a pain. At my previous employer, I worked 80 to 95 hours a week. Just ramming constantly for five days. Then, at some point, the fun was also over. I do have a lot of respect for what they can do there, to keep that up for so long. But it was just really stressful and also the reason for me to stop there. I also wanted to be a bit human again and see something of life. Then I thought, well, if I work fifty hours, it's okay too.
Now with a view to the future. How are you going to process your turn or your Pim here in The Grass Company?
I feel like I'm already doing that because I get to come up with the menu and organize it myself. I've already made a few things, this includes my way of cooking and I really like that.
So what is your way of cooking?
Not too much stuff on your plate. Everything has a function and I also try to make it look nice. I try to omit as much as I can and add at the same time, a bit of a balance. That is something from De Librije that I learned there. Cooking is simple, but to cook simply is very difficult.
Do you have any other goals you want to pursue here in the kitchen?
Create a quality kitchen where people can just eat well at a nice price. And it should be that simple. Simple, yes, that's just the bottom line.
And then you can make it as fun as you want?
Yes, absolutely! I'm also someone who prefers a very small menu and everything on it is just quality.
Do you want to say anything yourself or do you think no, I've already told you everything? Do we need to know anything else about you?
Yes, I think it's a fun challenge and I'll just do my thing. I'm not that concerned, really. It always works out, but with the right attitude.
Share this article
