Brunch goes Dutch: Why London is taking inspiration from the Netherlands

From waffles to vodka — Amsterdam has the answer to fuelling your morning, says Samuel Fishwick
Typical Ottolenghi twist: Iranian pistachios, served with orange yoghurt and mixed berries

Brunch is a global phenomenon. From the Full English to New York’s finest waffles and bottomless Peruvian pisco sours, the world’s best mid-morning mouthfuls have all found a home in our hungry capital. If you’ll eat it, they will come.

Now, we are looking to the Netherlands. Dutch brunches are the talk of the table. The food itself is all hagelslag (meaning “hailstorm”, essentially sugared sprinkles on buttered bread), poffetjes (small, spongy and fluffy pancakes, made with yeast and buckwheat flour) and bitterballen (crispy bite-size dutch beef croquettes).

They can be difficult to pronounce, especially after a couple of traditional vodka Bloody Marys, but once you try them you will understand what the fuss is about. If you thought food from the Netherlands just meant pancakes from My Old Dutch, think again.

‘We want to make it rain chocolate, caressing our waffles with buckets of caramel and cream’

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“The Dutch have a sweet tooth when it comes to breakfast,” says Michael Zee, who has curated a Dutch Brunch series at Paradise Garage in Bethnal Green on June 25 as part of London Food Month. “While the Brits are scoffing back a meaty plateful, the Dutch are making it rain chocolate and caressing their waffles with buckets of stroop and slagroom.” Zee’s brunch, inspired by his Dutch boyfriend is going to be made in collaboration with Ketel One vodka, so expect plenty of liquid brunch options. Ketel One will continue the Dutch theme with BBQ food and a terrace outside Paradise Garage throughout the summer.

It’ll look good too — Zee is known for Symmetry Breakfast, the aesthetically appealing Instagram sensation specialising in mirrored photoshoots of dishes such as steamed matcha or blueberry corn and oat bread.

“Sharing is absolutely key,” says Zee. “They’ll also love not having to travel to Amsterdam to get their fix of Dutch love. If it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much.” Is he confident it’ll catch on? “I honestly hope so, as long as the Dutch keep the raw beef filet American to themselves.”

Completely bottomless brunches in London

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Not to be outdone, Ottolenghi Spitalfields recently launched its Dutch baby pancake with poached pears, rhubarb and, in a typically Ottolenghi twist, Iranian pistachios, served with orange yoghurt and mixed berries (£10).

This sweet dish has proved so popular that it’s currently developing a savoury version. “Dutch Babies have long been popular in America and are now catching on here,” says Yottam Ottolenghi. “Light and pillowy, they make the perfect breakfast food.”

Where the Pancakes Are serves a Dutch Baby, which is a pimped out puffed pancake. There’s a cox and bramley apple version with raisins, cinnamon, cream and maple or a satisfying thyme and parmesan version with radicchio salad to provide crunch. The colours are worthy of an old master painting.

If, for you, the Netherlands is synonymous with beer, go straight to De Hems pub where bitterballen and loempia (like Dutch spring rolls) are washed down with a strong selection of beer from Leffe to Lindeboom. Load up on Dutch courage.

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