Family van der Poel
Only by boat
Hugo and Marije van der Poel are the third generation of cheesemakers at Hoeve Waterrijk, a farm on a 70-hectare island in the heart of the Kagerplassen lakes. Everyone gets here by boat.
Cheese with a kiss from Mother Nature
"Our cows spend as much time outdoors as possible, day and night, because fresh grass makes the most delicious farm cheese," says Marije. "The island is entirely ours, so fences are unnecessary. Herbs and flowers grow everywhere, so each cow chooses its own diet. They eat what they need. And you can taste that in the cheese."
The old fashioned way
Every morning, six days a week, Marije embarks on a craft reminiscent of the Middle Ages. In wooden barrels, lined with linen cloths, she lovingly and patiently crafts around 18 cheeses a day. Work only pauses in December, when the barrels are varnished and sanded, ensuring they're ready for the new year.
Farmers Gouda Laying Cheese
The pride of the farm is the Boeren Goudse Oplegkaas: a creamy, robust cheese weighing 21 kilos, made by only two cheesemakers in the Netherlands. This cheese has won multiple platinum awards at Cum Laude competitions. It also appears on a very special list: the Ark of Taste. This international list of endangered culinary heritage is managed by Slow Food, an organization dedicated to preserving traditional culinary heritage. The goal of the Ark of Taste is to preserve traditional recipes and methods and to encourage their production and consumption.
Quality comes first
Marije always strives for the highest possible quality. She wants to ensure that the cows are milked with care. That's why she only makes cheese when Hugo is milking the cows. When Hugo broke his collarbone, Marije didn't make cheese, because she doesn't compromise on quality.
We are a good match!
"Our collaboration with Marije began about 18 years ago," says Kees Remijn. "Initially, we bought a small batch of cheese, which was very popular. From that point on, we started aging the cheeses ourselves. Today, we are the only company that ages the Van der Poel Family's Boeren Goudse Oplegkaas."
