Very proud, 27-year-old Michelle van Ginneken takes orders in her chip shop in Oosteind on Wednesday evening. Her business ‘t Houts frituurtje has been named the best in Brabant. And that, according to the customers, is well deserved. “People from ‘s Gravenmoer even come here, even though they have two chip shops there,” says a man.
While the staff fills the container above the deep fryers, Michelle prepares the Variants. She threads mini snacks on a skewer and in the meantime the first customers are already on the square. Some have cast their vote for the chip shop, others hear for the first time that they are standing in line at the best chip shop in Brabant.
“We use the solid frying fat from the past and that gives it a little more flavor.”
“The fries are crispy, freshly baked and they do it with a lot of love,” says a man who comes to get fries with a colleague. He works in the insurance office next to the stall and makes it a weekly outing with his colleague. “They greet you here in a friendly manner and it is always fun.”
Michelle is available during the week with her stall in Oosterhout and Oosteind. On weekends she bakes fries in her hometown of Den Hout. But what is her secret now? “I think it’s our potato that comes fresh from the farmer and is cut our way every night. We also use the solid frying fat from the past, which gives it a little more flavour. I think that combination is the best for people.”
Her mother also works in the chip shop, but it is not a family business. “She did it all by herself,” says Miranda van Ginneken proudly. Michelle founded the stall herself seven years ago and her mother joined her. “I used to work in a snack bar and I really liked the contact with the customers,” says Michelle. She followed the catering course and things went quickly after that. “We had our own car built and now we have already been awarded twice to the best fries place.”
“If you come around dinner time it’s very busy.”
As the phone rings and one of the employees takes an order, an elderly lady arrives. She also visits the stall every Wednesday and places her regular order: a frikandel and a children’s fries. “I always come very early, because if you come around dinner time it is very busy. Here in the village we have nothing else, so we are very happy with this”, she laughs.
The entrepreneur may receive the prize on January 23 during the presentation of the Dutch Horeca Awards. With that they leave De Frietheuvel in Den Bosch (2nd place), Friet van Riet in Breda (3rd), De Frietbergh in Tilburg (4th) and Het Friethuys in Oss (5th) behind.
