Guillaume de Beer

How do you keep track with so many businesses?

“Of course i’m in this together with Johanneke van Iwaarden and Freek van Noortwijk. Having a great chef in every restaurant is the most important thing. They determine the way of working and also come up with new dishes. Eventually we make the menus all together. This way we help our chefs grow and feel responsible for the companies.”

Your new restaurant is kind of a test kitchen?

“At Maris Piper we have a separate room with a Chef’s Table and a regularly changing menu. There we can experiment as much as we want with for example fruit and vegetables. We also experiment for our other restaurants. And eventually certain dishes will be used in some of them. The things we do at Pita in the Foodhallen speaks for itself: the most delicious pita’s with kebab of chicken and veal, but also a delicious white bean falafel for the vegetable enthusiasts. At Breda we cook a la bistronomie. Guts & Glory is a bit looser and there we work according to themes. Maris Piper is a brasserie without a menu; you choose your own menu.”

And then also a Piepershow!

“At the Red Light District we recently openend a pop-up where everything was about the potato. For example a mash of Maris Piper potatoes, a variety that originally comes from England but which is grown especially for us in Medemblik. Served with Kingcrab and XO sauce. Yes, very tasty. What i’m really excited about at the moment is the Beef Wellington of Maris Piper. We didn’t invented this dish, but to get it this beautiful… The road to it is often the case with dishes like this.”

Are you a great meat fanatic?

“Some restaurants are perfectly set to vegetarians; we are to a certain extent. But we don’t have a separate vegetarian menu; we do not have the right public for that. But we do have at least one vegetarian course in a menu and we always try to put one thing in the spotlights. Whether it is fish, meat or vegetables. I like to work with salty vegetables and also love to work with mushrooms this time of year. At Breda we have a nice soup made of salsify with autumn truffle and hazelnuts. I also like tubers, dark flavors. Not too greasy: we like to keep our dishes light.”

Can you name another dish!

“Just a quick look on Instagram what else we serve… Oh of course: cauliflower. One of our classics. With a sauce of ham, young Romero cheese and autumn truffle. And the cauliflower nice and golden fried in beurre noisette, but with sweet and sour shallots. To keep the dish fresh.”

Why Rungis?

“Because i like the visits from Frank of Rungis when he brings all new products. That inspirers me, working with things not everyone has. Whether ir are fresh Dutch herbs, unknown Asian products or oils.”