Maker · Beef
Ouderkerks Blond
A bitterball with an address. The ragout comes from one herd of Blonde d'Aquitaine grazing on the Duiverdrecht Polder, ten minutes outside Amsterdam. Farmer Gijs de Nooij breeds, raises and processes it himself. What lands on your bar menu, you can trace back to the pasture.
The story
Who's behind it
Gijs de Nooij farms at Boschlust in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, on the edge of Amsterdam. His great-grandfather bought the farm in 1924; Gijs is the fourth generation and took over the business definitively in 1999. He raises cattle of the Blonde d'Aquitaine breed, originally a French beef breed. The herd numbers about 250 animals, with approximately 80 breeding cows. The cows calve naturally, with bulls running with the herd.
From April through October or November, the animals are outside, on the Duiverdrecht Polder and land managed by Landschap Noord-Holland. In winter they're on straw. Gijs sells through his own farm shop under two names: Ouderkerks Blond and Vlees van Gijs. With Jimmy Loves Food, it's the processed products: bitterballs and croquettes from his own beef.
What really makes it different
Most bitballs on a bar menu come from an anonymous factory line, with beef that has no address. Here it's the opposite. The ragout comes from animals Gijs raises himself, on pasture land you can see from the A2. One breed, one herd, one farmer who breeds and processes.
The grassland is herb-rich, and according to Gijs, you taste that in the meat. Blonde d'Aquitaine is also a slow-growing beef breed with fine-marbled meat. That turns a simple snack into a product with a story underneath that holds up, all the way to the pasture. For you, what matters is that you can back up the origin if a guest asks. Not vague "local," but a name and a place.
How you set yourself apart with this
A bitterball is for many guests the first thing they order and the last thing they remember. Put origin behind it and you lift the whole platter. Name on the menu the farmer and Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, and charge the price that goes with it; guests pay for a story that's verifiable.
It works strongest when you embed it. Pair the balls and croquettes with other regional products from the assortment, so the whole bar snack comes from the neighborhood. And dare to pull the croquette out of the garnish: on the lunch menu, on good bread, as a full dish. That way you're not selling a snack, but a piece of polder right outside the city.
“Herb-rich grass grows here, and you taste it in the meat.”
Chef’s tip
Put the croquette on the lunch menu or as a main plate, not tucked into garnish. Name the farmer and the place: beef from Gijs de Nooij, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. That one line does more for your margins than an extra sauce.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Bitterball with a name
The bitterball as the heart of your bar menu. Note on the menu that the ragout comes from one local herd and charge the price that justifies it.
Croquette as a lunch dish
On sourdough with whole grain mustard and a fresh salad. A familiar dish that suddenly has something to say through its origin.
Ragout as a building block
Use the beef ragout as a base under a vol-au-vent, in a pastry case or as a filling. Same flavor, your execution.
Bitterball garnish that works
Pair the balls with other regional products from the assortment, so the whole plate comes from the neighborhood.
For your menu
“Beef croquette from Ouderkerks Blond, one herd of Blonde d'Aquitaine from farmer Gijs de Nooij from Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.”
Products from Ouderkerks Blond
What we carry from this maker
Bitterballen rundvlees Ouderkerks Blond 32g 60st
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Taste it in your own kitchen
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