Star chef Hans van Wolde has written his own book about the future of the restaurant industry. That was presented on Sunday afternoon in his restaurant Brut 172.
Brut, that’s you is the name of the book in which Van Wolde also writes how he envisions the future of the industry.
More free time
“It’s not about me, it’s about the next generation. And they would rather have a little more free time and work less. They want to work, but they also want to live. My chefs used to let us spend 100 hours in the That is no longer the case with those boys and girls of today. They are absolutely not lazy, but they no longer want to live to work. And that means 3 and a half, maximum 4 days a week. “
Empty square farm
For many years Van Wolde had a 2-star restaurant Beluga in Maastricht. In 2017 he bought an empty square farm in Reijmerstok to start the new restaurant Brut 172. When he finally finished renovating, corona broke out. Not an easy start, the star chef agrees. “Two years was tough, actually four years. But we made it, luckily. And we still have enough staff.”
Brought with love
Van Wolde also puts his own role as a cook in perspective in how he sees the future. “The front is perhaps more important than the back. The chefs in the kitchen make the food, but if that girl or boy in the service doesn’t serve it with fun, with charm, then that’s less. Look, I like it no problem at all to pay EUR 9.50 for a sandwich in Maastricht, as long as it is made with love and served with love.”
Bought properties
The star chef is now expanding the business in Reymerstok. He and a number of partners have bought a row of buildings opposite the restaurant. There will be 14 rooms, a brasserie and a delicatessen. These are to be completed in 2024.
Is that the last project of the restless Van Wolde, or will he start something else somewhere else? “It always itch, but I’ll stay here for now. I’m going to put myself offside a little more, in about 5 years. Because, I’m also starting to get a bit older.”