Zuivelhoeve Groningen Stad
Anton Klapwijk, Willie Oranje and their son Bart will open a Zuivelhoeve in Groningen on 9 November 2023. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, Anton used to help in his father's grocery shop. He realised his dream of having his own shop.
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They are a true entrepreneurial family: Anton Klapwijk and Willie Oranje, who will open a Zuivelhoeve at Akerkhof in Groningen together with their son Bart on 9 November 2023.
Anton's father was a milkman in Rotterdam and went round the customers with a horse and cart. Later, he started a small herb...
They are a true entrepreneurial family: Anton Klapwijk and Willie Oranje, who will open a Zuivelhoeve at Akerkhof in Groningen together with their son Bart on 9 November 2023.
Anton's father was a milkman in Rotterdam and went round the customers with a horse and cart. Later, he started a small grocery shop, and Anton helped before he could even look over the counter. As a boy, Anton had only one dream: to have his own shop. 'But then in the north,' said Willie, who grew up in Haren and loved the humour, down-to-earthness and honesty here. Eleven years ago, they started a Zuivelhoeve in the heart of Leeuwarden: an old-fashioned cheese shop where customers were soon queuing up at the door. Not just for the cheese, the freshly roasted nuts and the dairy, but also for the personal attention, the cosiness, the feeling of togetherness. Son Bart (29) soon joined in.
Together with their staff, Anton and Willie built their little shop into a household name in Leeuwarden, a place where it was cosy, where you could taste everything, where they thought along with you, wrapped presents, where people laughed. They rented a second premises just opposite the cheese shop: a special sausage shop, which also sold ice cream and fresh sandwiches.
Late last year, they got the chance to sell their shop. It was time for something new. Son Bart went on a trip around the world, Anton and Willie toured Europe with their caravan for months. But soon all three discovered that they had only one dream: a new shop. In Groningen. They found out there was a property for rent at Akerkhof, next to Van der Velde bookshop, and they went to consult Diane, the director of the Zuivelhoeve. She was enthusiastic, and encouraged them to take up the adventure. Meanwhile, the renovation is behind them, and the entrepreneurs are hard at work furnishing their new shop. With a shelf for freshly roasted nuts, chocolates, special beers and wines, the refrigerated display case for dairy and foreign cheeses, the table where you can have presents wrapped, and along the walls cheeses piled up to the ceiling.
'We are so looking forward to it!' says Willie enthusiastically. 'For us, every day is a celebration. Making the shop cosy. Wrapping presents. Advising. Giving people the feeling of being back in that village shop of old, where everyone knew each other. With old-fashioned tasty things, with a weekend bag of surprises every week.' 'With a special home bag for students,' Bart explains 'a tip from my sister who studies in Groningen. Of course, you have to have some goodies with drinks.'
Anton, Bart & Willie think it's important to collaborate a lot with other entrepreneurs. 'It's so nice when you have good contact and can strengthen each other,' Anton says. 'Showing Stadjers, students and tourists that nothing tops Groningen.' In any case, they already have good contact social-learning company Iedersz: employees with a distance to the labour market will help pack nuts, chocolate and nougat. 'Ideal that they want to do that for us,' says Willie. 'Are we so happy about it!' 'We can't wait until we can let loose!' says Bart. 'This is going to be really great!'
From 9 November 2023, Zuivelhoeve Groningen Stad will open its doors. Every week from Wednesday, the Weekendtas of 10 or 15 euros will be on sale, and on Tuesdays there will be the Home Bag for students. Zuivelhoeve Groningen Stad can be followed on FB and insta @Zuivelhoevegroningenstad
Hope to see you in our shop,
Anton, Bart & Willie Klapwijk
Opening hours
- Every Monday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Every Tuesday 09:00 - 18:00
- Every Wednesday 09:00 - 18:00
- Every Thursday 09:00 - 21:00
- Every Friday 09:00 - 18:00
- Every Saturday 08.30 - 18.00
- Every Sunday 12:00 - 17:00