The surprise was huge on Monday for former Hoogeveen Corine Kleine (32) and her partner Jelle Jansen (33) from restaurant De Woage in Gramsbergen. The couple unexpectedly obtained a Michelin star.
‘Gramsbergen. Jelle Jansen’, blares through the hall of the DeLaMar Theater in Amsterdam. The couple look at each other in surprise, get up and walk forward. Corine put her hands over her mouth. They are totally overwhelmed. “Educated at the Groene Lantaarn and you know ladies and gentlemen, Jelle started very carefully in 2019 with schnitzel, chicken and applesauce,” says the presenter.
Jelle and Corine nod. They are handed a bottle of champagne. “If I have to believe the chief inspector and inspector who have visited you, it is unbelievable how simple, but how unparalleled delicious the food is. And that is a very big compliment. Bravo!”
Watch the presentation of the Michelin star for De Woage from minute 54.00:
‘Have a nice go’
Corine and Jelle are busy in their business in the village on Tuesday, one day after the award ceremony. “We were already in bed at 10 p.m. on Monday night. We were demolished,” says Corine laughing on the phone. She is still stunned by the star. “We received an invitation because we are listed in the Michelin guide. We’re just going to go with the four of us, we thought. With the guys who have been in the kitchen with Jelle from the start. The year before we couldn’t because we had a catering party.”
They started during the presentation in the theater by naming the place name. ,,When Gramsbergen was mentioned, Jelle and I looked at each other in surprise. Huh, which restaurant would that be? Until the penny dropped.”
Schnitzel and mustard soup
Corine agrees that they started in 2019 with a simple, but good card. “We wanted everyone to cross the threshold and eat with us. That meant schnitzel and mustard soup indeed. Due to the corona outbreak, we changed something on the menu every time, but we remained ourselves. We really do what we like and we have been rewarded with a star for that.”
Corine doesn’t have to think long about whether things will change now. ,,Absolutely not. We will continue to do everything as we do now. The reservations have been pouring in all morning. Even for September and October. I haven’t watched everything yet, but this is very nice.”
The Woage
Jelle and Corine were both trained at restaurant De Groene Lantaarn. Now located in Staphorst, formerly in Zuidwolde. Corine lived in the Weide district in Hoogeveen and was looking for a catering job close to home. The Green Lantern was within cycling distance. ,,I did the Hotel School and worked at Kruidvat, but I wanted to gain more experience in the hospitality industry. At that time I had no idea what they were all doing in the Green Lantern. Because Jarno and Cindy, the owners of De Groene Lantaarn, also just started, Jelle and I grew along. It has been a great learning experience.”
In 2018, Jelle and Corine said goodbye to the two-star restaurant. “We wanted to start for ourselves. A friend of ours is a hairdresser in Gramsbergen and she heard that owners were being sought for De Woage. We started chatting and Jelle and I were immediately sold. It is an attractive building with a nice appearance. Not too modern, because neither of us like that.”
Proud of pupils
Jarno Eggen and Cindy Borger of the Green Lantern kept their own stars on Monday and are happy that their pupils also obtained a star. ,,It is great that Jelle and Corine receive this recognition on their own account. With us they had a responsible task and our success is also partly their success. They have experienced the good of the Green Lantern from A to Z. It’s nice that the craft is passed on in this way. They will also train employees who will learn the trade with them. Cindy and I are very proud of them”, says Jarno from Bali.
The star chef went there to cook for a select group on Fridays and Saturdays. “Then Jelle knows what awaits him”, says Jarno with a chuckle while the pan flutes and xylophones can be heard in the background. “You can get used to this.”