“I saw the message on RTV Drenthe in January that Bitter en Zoet was for sale. Then I immediately texted my wife Suzan that this could be something for us.”
These are the words of Gertjan Polet, the new owner of hotel restaurant Bitter en Zoet in Veenhuizen from May. He sits at the long reading table in the monument, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. A laptop opens in front of him, books and magazines about the unique area surrounding him.
It still takes some getting used to for the brand new owner, who will officially take over from Loes Talens and Rik Dortmond from May 1. “After my wife was also enthusiastic, we contacted the real estate agent. Then everything suddenly happened very quickly.”
Out of four serious candidates, the Polet family came out on top. Not because they have a lot of catering experience. “We hardly have that,” Polet laughs. “But it depends on what you mean by catering.”
Gertjan Polet is in business development, where he helps recreation and catering companies to grow. His wife Suzan is a food technologist. “So we know a lot about business operations and nutrition. But don’t ask me to prepare a nice piece of meat, because I can’t do that. Fortunately, we will soon have staff who can do that much better,” he laughs.
It was not the catering experience that was decisive. “They want to continue the story of Veenhuizen and the UNESCO World Heritage. They continue our work and do not want to create a new concept,” says current owner Loes Talens.
Gertjan and Suzan Polet certainly have a warm heart for the Colonies of Benevolence. “We got married in the colony church in Wilhelminaoord. That says enough.”
The couple wants to spread the story of the Colonies even more. “Buying a hotel or restaurant is not that difficult,” Polet explains. “But we specifically wanted to buy something that has a rich history and where a story can be told. For example, Veenhuizen was a closed, self-sufficient village until 1980. Before that, in addition to prisoners, only prison staff and their families were allowed into the village. We want to bring that story more to the hotel.”
The couple from Assen takes over the entire furnishings and staff. They will finally take over on May 1. Talens and Dortmond will then be by their side for another two weeks to guide the couple where possible. “Of course I sometimes think: what have we gotten ourselves into? But I have a lot of confidence in it,” Polet laughs.
