Maker · Snacks
Holtkamp Horeca
The quality of a croquette lies not in the crust but in the ragout. Holtkamp Horeca draws it fresh, cools it back and shapes it by hand. What you deep-fry is not a bulk snack but a dish in itself.
The story
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 hard that a separate hospitality division came about. What was once a sideline is now its own production that daily draws ragout, cools it back, hand-shapes and coats it. Alongside beef there are shrimp, aged cheese and lobster on the list, plus a pastry side with cakes and confectionery.
What makes it truly different
The difference lies in the ragout. It is fresh-drawn, cooled and hand-shaped, not machine-formed. The coating comes from their own bakery, which you see again in a crust that crisps instead of crumbling. The formats are calibrated for the kitchen: bitterballs of 30 grams, shrimp croquettes of 75 grams, beef croquettes of 85 grams and mini croquettes of 40 grams. Not frozen bulk with lots of binder and little filling. The meat in the beef croquette is shred meat, the shrimp croquette really revolves around the shrimp and the cheese varieties use aged cheese. For the chef that means a consistent ball you put on the plate straight from the fryer without reworking.
How to set yourself apart with this
Don't tuck them away as standard snacks. A 75 gram shrimp croquette on a slice of toasted brioche with herb mayonnaise is a full starter, not a side dish. The lobster bitterball works as an amuse with the aperitif, the cheese bitterball with aged cheese alongside 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 and see the difference themselves. Because the flavours are recognisable, you can name them on the menu by type: that justifies the price and sets you apart from the frozen version round the corner. Keep delivery in mind. Beef, cheese and the shrimp croquette normally come from stock, the lobster bitterball and shrimp bitterball run on order with a few days' delivery, so get those in on your order early for a busy week.
Chef’s tip
Deep-fry at 180 degrees until the crust crisps golden-brown, then let the ball rest for thirty seconds so the ragout cooks through and doesn't run out of a croquette cut too early. Serve the shrimp croquette lukewarm, not piping hot: that way you taste the shrimp instead of just heat.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Snack board by type
Beef shred, shrimp and aged cheese next to each other, so guests can compare three ragouts.
Shrimp croquette as starter
75 gram croquette on toasted brioche with herb mayonnaise and a small dressed salad.
Lobster bitterball as amuse
One ball per guest with the aperitif, with a squeeze of lemon mayonnaise alongside.
Cheese bitterball with a drink
Aged cheese alongside a blonde beer or a sturdy white wine at the bar.
For your menu
“Shrimp croquette from Holtkamp, hand-shaped ragout, brioche, herb mayonnaise”
Products from Holtkamp Horeca
What we carry from this maker
Kaas bitterbal 42st x 30 gram
Kaas croquet mini 28st x 40gram
Prices and availability are in the portal. Not a customer yet? Become a customer or log in to order.
Taste it in your own kitchen
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