Holtkamp Horeca

Who's behind it

Holtkamp Horeca makes croquettes, bitterballs and pastries exclusively for hospitality. The roots lie in the Amsterdam pastry tradition: demand for the deep-fried specialities grew so fast that a separate hospitality division came about. What was once a sideline is now its own production that daily draws ragout, cools it back down, hand-shapes and coats it. Alongside beef there are shrimp, aged cheese and lobster on the list, plus a pastry side with cakes and ice cream.

The ragout

The ragout is made fresh, cooled and shaped by hand. The coating comes from their own bakery and gives a crust that crisps. The sizes suit the kitchen: bitterballs of 30 grams, shrimp croquettes of 75 grams, beef croquettes of 85 grams and mini croquettes of 40 grams. The beef croquette uses slow-braised shredded beef, the shrimp croquette puts the shrimp first and the cheese versions use aged cheese. You get a consistent ball that goes straight from the fryer to the plate.

In your kitchen

A 75 gram shrimp croquette on a slice of toasted brioche with herb mayonnaise makes a full starter. The lobster bitterball works as an amuse with the aperitif, the aged cheese bitterball next to a glass of beer or wine at the bar. For a snack board, combine beef, shrimp and cheese so guests can taste three ragouts side by side. On the menu you can name them by type.

Beef, cheese and the shrimp croquette usually come from stock. The lobster bitterball and the shrimp bitterball are made to order with a few days' lead time, so put them on your order early for a busy week.