Maker · Fish
Prins & Dingemanse
Yerseke, 1880. What started as oyster trade under Jacob Prins is now the Netherlands' largest mussel and oyster house. Zeeland shellfish from the Oosterschelde, with quality control that traces back to the sector's first ISO certificate.
The story
Who's behind it
It begins in 1880, when farmer Jacob Prins sets up a business at Havendijk in Yerseke for oyster cultivation and trade. Five generations later the name Prins still stands in management: the fifth generation took over in 2013. Along the way the company grew from oysters to lobster (1927), shellfish trade (1931) and fresh mussels (1951).
The name as you know it now emerged in 1980, when Prins and Dingemanse joined forces into Prins & Dingemanse BV. In 2006, when the company was 125 years old, it received the Royal warrant from Queen Beatrix. In 2020 it merged with Roem van Yerseke. Together they are now the Netherlands' largest mussel and oyster processing company.
What makes it genuinely different
Two things. First, the waters. The shellfish come from the Oosterschelde and Grevelingenmeer, the only two Dutch oyster waters. Oosterschelde mussels are salty and refined, Wadden Sea mussels fuller in flesh. You taste that difference on the plate, and it's useful when you want to build a dish on a specific flavor.
Second, the cultivation method and assurance. Oysters are cultivated by throwing old mussel shells in the water, where larvae attach. They're harvested with nets, the drag lines. Prins & Dingemanse moreover led in quality assurance: in 1995 it was the first Dutch fish company to be ISO-certified. Following tastings, they won Prix d'Elite distinctions in 2009 and 2012.
How you stand out with this
The creuse is available year-round except July and August when oysters spawn. That makes it the workhorse for your raw shell. The flat oyster, native to the Oosterschelde, is finer and rarer; use that when you want to give your guests something they won't see everywhere. Order oysters by number, so you can match size and portion to your dish.
For mussels you have two routes. Fresh Zeeland mussels from summer onward, where you choose between the salty Oosterschelde and the fuller Wadden Sea. Or cooked mussels that arrive ready-made, per kilo or in two-kilo boxes, so you just finish during service. On your menu "Zeeland mussels from Yerseke, Oosterschelde" says exactly enough: origin, water and a name that goes back 145 years.
Chef’s tip
Cooked mussels come ready-made into the kitchen: cold from the pan into a salad with fennel and citrus, or quickly reheated in their own broth with white wine. Fresh Zeeland creuse you finish raw with nothing more than a drop of mignonette, so the salt of the Oosterschelde stays put.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Mussels in their own broth
Fresh Zeeland mussels briefly steamed with celery, onion and white wine. The classic plate where the quality of the shell is immediately clear.
Creuse raw with mignonette
Zeeland creuse to order, served raw with a sharp shallot-vinegar dressing. Let the oyster provide the salt.
Flat oyster, pure
The native flat oyster is finer and rarer than the creuse. Serve cold, with at most lemon, as menu opener.
Cold mussel salad
Cooked mussels from the pan, mixed with fennel, apple and citrus. Quick to build during service since the cooking is done.
For your menu
“Zeeland mussels and oysters from Prins & Dingemanse in Yerseke, cultivated in the Oosterschelde.”
Products from Prins & Dingemanse
What we carry from this maker
Cooked Zeeland mussels
Ready-cooked, per kilo or in a box of two kilos. Directly usable.
Fresh Zeeland mussels
In season, from summer onward. Oosterschelde is salty and refined, Waddenzee fuller in flesh.
Zeeland creuse oysters
Available by number/size to order. Year-round, except during spawning in July and August.
Zeeland flat oyster
The native species. Fine-flavored and limited in supply.
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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