He is perhaps the most famous Drent in England: Christiaan de Vries. He was the first Dutchman ever to reach the final of the popular program The Great British Bake Off.
Despite his success, Christiaan remains himself. “Yes, then you are walking somewhere and people start screaming and running towards you… Then I am still such a down-to-earth Drent, that I think: ‘Yo, I’m just Christiaan’!” he says laughing.
Christiaan now lives in London, but around the holidays he is back in Emmen to honor traditions with the family. “Now it’s extra special, because I haven’t actually been home much this year because of Bake Off. So the fact that I’m here now is really nice. And that we can keep the traditions alive, with baking cookies and so on,” he says.
He discovered his love for baking in England, partly due to homesickness for the Netherlands. “I really like taaitaai. You don’t have that there. And I thought: yes, I’m not going to the Netherlands again before December 5, how do I get taaitaai? So then I thought: I can also bake it of course!” he explains. “The actual baking, the beginning, was a kind of homesick feeling.”
Christiaan scored highly in the English baking competition with his original recipes and surprising flavor combinations. But when it comes to kneelers, he stays true to tradition. “As much as I enjoy experimenting with flavors and textures, look, when it comes to tradition, you simply shouldn’t touch that. Kniepertjes are just kneelers with us, and they will remain that way.”
While the baking is in full swing, Christiaan is enjoying time with his family. “It’s just really nice to be home for a while, especially after such a busy year.” And Christiaan will remain busy for a while. “I am currently sharing recipes on social media. Dutch things, apple pie for example.”
He is also working on big plans for the future: “I’m talking to people behind the scenes about a baking book, or maybe something for TV. We’re going to see what the new year will bring!”