A household name in Muiden: the fish stall of Dirk van der Plas from Katwijk. He has been selling herring, kibbeling and sweet treats from Vestingplein for forty years, but that is now coming to an end. “That’s a disaster, where do I get my fishing now”, responds a regular customer.
Fishmonger Dirk stops in Muiden after 40 years – NH Nieuws
“There is a time to come and a time to go”, says fishmonger Dirk van der Plas. “I started here in 1982 on April 22, that is more than forty years ago. I am 64 and then it has been beautiful.”
On August 13, he opens his fishing cart for the last time in Muiden. “These are the good times”, Dirk says, pointing to the sun-drenched weather. “Beautiful weather, lots of customers. Soon another winter will come and at some point it will become too heavy.”
A few years ago Dirk also decided to stop for a while. “That was forced at the time, I was overwrought at the time. Then I sold my stall to a boy from Spakenburg.” Two years later, however, he bought his own shop again and so the space in Muiden became available again. “Then I decided to only stand in Muiden and I was here again for about two or three years.”
“At a certain point you are part of the Muiden event of course”
Dirk did that with all the love, because Muiden now has a special place in his heart. “At a certain point you are part of the Muiden event, of course. I have customers here who first came my way with their parents and they still come now.” Dirk does not find it easy that this is now coming to an end. “I can hardly say goodbye,” he says somewhat moved.
New fish stall?
By the way, Dirk doesn’t know anything about a new fish stall in his familiar spot. “You notice that the center in Muiden is increasingly attracted to De Krijgsman, perhaps the municipality would like to set up a fishmonger there.”
Regular customers of the Katwijker would not like that. “There is already less and less here and we really need a good fishmonger here.”