A growing number of bakers in Drenthe are enthusiastic about Dubbel Drents, the quality mark for breads baked from grain, wheat and rye flour from their own province. “Since the Dubbel Drents story, sales of these regional products have tripled,” says baker Roger Steenbergen from Ruinen.
At the Steenbergen bakery, founded by grandfather in 1941, there were already some regional products in the store, but with the arrival of Dubbel Drents the range only expanded. “I was alerted to Dubbel Drents about three years ago by colleague Patrick Harms from Vries and I took a look. I found it very interesting, it is wonderful to come up with beautiful regional products together with other craft companies in the province. With the farmer, the miller and the baker in this case.” The grain comes from fields throughout the province, including De Wijk and Zuidwolde. The mill in Kropswolde grinds it into high-quality flour.
Drenthe Millstone
It has been nine years since four arable farmers, a miller and a few bakers joined forces to develop a Drenthe bread. The Southwest Drenthe Area Cooperative with Jan van Goor played an important role in this. Over the years, the number of participants expanded to 16 bakers and more than 25 points of sale in Drenthe. Moreover, more and more products were produced by the bakers. “We have the Drentse Molensteen here, the Halve gare – a kind of currant-sugar bread with almond paste -, floor bread with rye, Italian buns, the Drenthe bun and even Focaccia. You can replace conventional flour one for one, that’s great,” 55-year-old Steenbergen cheers. Elsewhere in Drenthe, rusks, gingerbread and Easter and Christmas wreath are also available in stores, while special sandwiches are baked for the catering industry.
Roger Steenbergen is very enthusiastic. Compared to the previous regional products he sold, the quality of the raw materials at Dubbel Drents is more consistent. “The miller at Mulder Pot in Kropswolde has done a good job and mixes the grains very precisely. He also tests the wheat carefully.”
Dozens at a time
The bakers are logically pleased that Dubbel Drents is a hit with the public. “It is fun to work with traditional raw materials, but the customer must find it worth it. Well, we knew that with three times the turnover. As a baker you have to take it up yourself, put energy into it and convey enthusiasm. We present the products as Dubbel Drents, complete with sticker. We have really had a sales boost, people come to Ruinen specifically because of this bread.” Tourists love it too. “When guests go home after a week’s holiday, they take home local products; sometimes dozens at a time.”
When asked whether it is also better bread than that Steenbergen bakes with conventional flour, there is silence for a moment. “No, it is not better, but different. There is an experience in it, there is a story attached to it that can be told in the store. I can tell people exactly where the grain comes from and where it was milled.” His other flour comes from France, which is especially interesting from a price point of view given the quantity.
Dubbel Drents is not only bread, but also dairy, vegetables, meat, drinks and delicacies. “Collaboration is important, it is inspiring to spar with other craft people and meet them at meetings of the area cooperative. It would be great if even more bakers would participate.”
‘The whole of Drenthe bakes’: looking for the Dubbel Drenthe Cookie Baker
To make even more residents enthusiastic about products from their own region, the ‘Heel Drenthe Bakt’ campaign will start on March 1, a baking competition for every resident, in which the tastiest cookie in Drenthe is baked from the special Dubbel Drents flour. Each baker may choose one winner locally and take him to the provincial final, which will take place in April at the Alfa College in Hoogeveen. The organization indicates that the cookie must have a typically primal and strong Drenthe character. The winning cookie is ultimately also sold by the bakers.
Residents who want to participate can go to the Dubbel Drents bakery in their hometown to buy a registration form and a pack of Dubbel Drents flour. The affiliated bakers can be found at www.doubledrents.nl .