The local heroes of Vroeg
Vroeg's Christmas packages are carefully composed with artisanal delicacies. All made by professionals. The story of each item in your package begins in a local kitchen where dedication and love for the craft are worked on. No bells and whistles, just honest craftsmanship.
Fresh from Cothen
For over forty years, the Vernooij family has been growing apples, pears, blackberries, berries, potatoes and pumpkins in the Kromme Rijn region. These always retain a pure taste thanks to the environmentally conscious way in which the trees and the land are cared for. With Vernooij juices and jams, you can enjoy seasonal fruit all year round. We process the fresh fruit in Vroeg's kitchen into the most delicious dishes.
VERNOOIJ FRUIT, COTHEN
Natural award-winning cheeses from Cothen
The Merkens-Hamoen family has been living and working on their cheese farm in Cothen for three generations. The cheeses are handmade and have a characteristic flavour. This is due to the use of natural ingredients and the maturing process. The cheeses from Brienenshof have won several awards, including the Cum Laude Award for the tastiest cheese in the Netherlands.
THE BRIENENSHOF, COTHEN
Wines with a story
This wine expert from Amersfoort knows every winegrower by name. Winegrowers who make wine in a traditional way and have a small-scale production. All in Europe. Their wines are mostly organic and sustainably certified. Pieter tastes the wines personally and provides delicious combinations with the traditional products in Vroeg's Christmas packages.
WELDAM WINES, AMERSFOORT
Butchers delicacies from the Green Heart
Ferry has been interested in the craft for as long as he can remember. As a small child, he would ride his tricycle behind his neighbour. He was a butcher. He now works six days a week in his own sausage and smokehouse. His dried sausages have won several awards. The secret? Only the freshest ingredients from local farmers and a lot of passion for the butcher's trade.
FERRY LEMPERS, MONTFOORT
Brewed with the best from the area
Jos Eberson, Vroeg's home brewer, is considered by many to be the best brewer in the region. Together with his partners, he started Brouwerij Hommeles with a clear vision: to put Utrecht's specialty beer culture on the map. And he succeeded. Thanks to brewing demonstrations and a specialty beer festival with only local brewers, Utrecht's specialty beer has become an indispensable part of life. Hommeles brews with an eye for the story by using regional ingredients. Utrecht bog myrtle, cherries from the Kromme Rijn region, local fruit and Houten honey are the muses of this brewery.
BREWERY HOMMELES, SCHALKWIJK
Specialist in delicatessen
Fifteen years ago, Sjoerd walked into a nut shop, asked for a part-time job and was sold forever. To perfect the craft, he followed a ten-year apprenticeship to become a master roaster and professional in taste. Together with his equally passionate business partner Spencer, he started the Nut Factory in Bilthoven. Love for good food and for the catering industry resonates in everything the company does.
THE NUT FACTORY, BILTHOVEN
Nature restoration to lick your fingers
The boys from Wilder Land work together
with farmers, tastemakers and gourmets
to a wilder land. By sowing more native (un)weeds, more and more healthy meadows and fields are created. And the flowers of these herbs attract insects. These are natural pollinators that are essential for our food supply. Matthijs and Daan, the founders of Wilder Land, show that the culinary applications of local crops are endless. Think of botanical syrups, wild beers, sparkling iced tea, wild multigrain pastas and (un)herbal teas.
WILDER LAND, AMSTERDAM
Italian cheeses from the Dutch polder
Suddenly they decided that things had to change. Rutger and Marieke wanted a different life. No more meetings and boardroom meetings, but making cheese. Good, artisanal cheeses, according to an Italian recipe. For weeks they apprenticed with an award-winning cheesemaker in Northern Italy, Cesare Ribolzi. The craftsmanship that he shared with them still forms the basis for the handmade semi-soft cheeses of Oudwijker. Dutch farm milk, in combination with Italian mold cultures, ensure the incomparable taste of Oudwijker cheeses. You have to taste it.
OLD WIJK CHEESE, LOPIKERKAPEL
Port syrup made from the best ingredients
Ernesto Maximillian Victor discovered his passion for cooking at a young age and started at a young age in the village restaurant. From there he started cooking at an increasingly higher level at various restaurants. After years of making his syrups in his restaurants and for dinners with friends and family, he now wants to give everyone the opportunity to taste his syrups.
Ernesto is convinced that you need good ingredients to make good products. So he uses really good wine, pure herbs and fresh fruit. Nothing else.
ERNESTO PORTSTROOP, BLEISWIJK