With Sanne and Jeroen Achtien from Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen, in the Netherlands (members of @lesgrandestablesdumonde), we explored two key themes: on one hand, their environmental commitment — perfectly illustrated by the dish “No Waste” — and on the other, management: Jeroen Achtien draws on his past experience to better lead his team today.
“No waste” : A committed dish
Sanne and Jeroen Achtien explain us “No waste”, a committed dish that reflects the mindset of @jachtien at @inter_scaldes (Kruiningen, The Netherlands): “It is made from ingredients that many consider to be ‘waste’: wild oysters, a turbot fin, crisp cod skin, and extra by-catch. It’s unfortunate that these products are discarded when they are actually so interesting. This dish represents our way of proving it.”
Management
With extensive experience in top kitchens (in the Netherlands at @JonnieBoer in @DeLibrijezwolle , where he met Sanne, and later in Switzerland at @Vitznauerhof ), the chef told us how he draws on that past today to better manage his team:
“I remember my first day when I started cooking at the highest level: I had to cut vegetables into tiny cubes and sort herbs. I quickly felt discouraged. But everything changed when we began plating the dishes and I understood what those perfectly cut tiny cubes were for. In that moment, something clicked. I realized that this was exactly what I wanted to do. And that’s why today, I always involve interns and new team members in plating from their very first day.”
Jeroen Achtien
Sanne and Jeroen also told us about their latest “jaw-dropping” experience at a fellow member’s restaurant (@Boury) — and their next destination: they’re heading to @Julien Royer in Singapore!
Interview with Sanne et Jeroen Achtien, Interscaldes :
Jeroen Achtien and his wife Sanne played along with our questions for this portrait series produced with @lesgrandestablesdumonde, showcasing members established across the globe.
A few words to describe the guest experience you wish to offer, and your vision of hospitality:
What would you like your guests to feel in your restaurant?
We would like our guests to feel comfortable. Comfortable enough to “take off their jacket”. We want them to feel the luxury, but not in a stiff way. They need to be able to be themselves. Next to that, we of course want them to be in awe, amazed by the kind, personal service and above all, by the food.Your restaurant is committed: which of your social or environmental commitments matters most to you, and why?
For us it is very important to get our products as close by as possible. But the quality is even more important. So we try to search for the best quality, as close as possible. It is astonishing how much quality is very close by if you just look for it.
What do you love most about your establishment?
For us it is the private atmosphere, but still spacious. The feeling of outside being inside. Luxurious, but relaxed.
Is there one dish that is especially meaningful to you, and that reflects who you are as a chef?
Could you describe it and tell us why it holds such importance in your culinary identity?
We call it our “No Waste”-dish. It is a dish made of ingredients that other people see as “waste”. We use wild oysters, the fin of the turbot, cod skin, the bycatch of the fish and overripe tomatoes, that would be thrown away otherwise.
For us it is really special and important to make a dish out of “waste”. We think it is a loss that all these ingredients are not good enough for most people and we would like to show everyone how beautiful the ingredients can actually be.What has been your most memorable experience at another Grandes Tables du Monde restaurant?
What made it so special—was it the cuisine, the service, the setting, the people?
at @Boury ! It was the combination of all details. The rooms, the restaurant, the tablepreparations. It was a perfect complete experience and we loved every minute of it, from check-in until breakfast. We felt very welcome and the food as well as the wine were exquisite!Which Grande Table would you most like to visit (or revisit), and why?
What draws you to this particular place?
Odette. We’ve following Julien Royer already for a long time. The perfection and tranquility that he radiates as a person and on the plate are something we would love to experience.
Sanne and Jeroen’s career path
After eight years at Jonnie Boer’s “De Librije,” Sanne and Jeroen left for Switzerland, to the Vitznauerhof — “a magical place, where you feel as though you’re stepping into a fairy tale.” At the end of 2023, they decided to return home and took over from Jannis and Claudia Brevet at Inter Scaldes.
Welcome to the polders
“Inter Scaldes” literally means “between the Scheldt rivers.” The village of Kruiningen is located in the Netherlands, on the Zuid-Beveland peninsula, and takes its name from the Scheldt — a 350-kilometre river that crosses three countries: France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, where it flows into the North Sea via a delta that separates into the Western Scheldt and Eastern Scheldt.
Inter Scaldes sits just outside Kruiningen, in the heart of the vast Zeeland polders. The Zeeland polders (reclaimed land protected from the sea by dikes) have been won from the water since the 10th century, thanks to an ingenious system of dikes and drainage: flat, open, highly fertile landscapes, often used for agriculture and livestock farming.
The centrepiece inside the restaurant is a sofa with undulating lines, evoking the meandering course of the Scheldt.
“Even today, we still find it hard to believe. For Sanne and me, Inter Scaldes is not just a job: it’s our life project.”
Photos ©insterscaldes excepted Boury et Julien Royer ©Le Coeur des Chefs