A chef and his mission
Several years ago, the Basement Chefs made a concrete decision to work with local producers from the Amsterdam Metropolitan region wherever possible. “It’s important to be aware of the small things one can do to make the world a better place, both now and in the future,” says executive chef Rientz Mulder. The producers we work with guarantee daily fresh, animal-friendly, sustainable and tasty products that are grown and made on a small scale. Moreover, the short distance from the production location to the RAI guarantees that the food is super fresh while also reducing CO2 emissions and traffic on the roads.
The combination of our choice to work with regional producers and other sustainable decisions and partnerships we’ve established have been blended together in the regional Heartwarming Amsterdam catering concept. This allows us to realise any catering demands with regional and/or seasonal products, and to make a clear statement of our intention to benefit society.
Sustainable and conscious choices
The Heartwarming Amsterdam concept includes partnerships with many suppliers in the region. For instance, the tomatoes used for products such as our own RAI ketchup are produced by the Stadskwekerij Osdorp urban farm. In addition to fresh & healthy vegetables, the farm provides meaningful activities and training to its employees. For a tasty bit of cheese, we purchase goat’s cheese from the Ridammerhoeve farm in the Amsterdam Forest, just 14 minutes from the RAI.
Sustainable concepts and behaviour
We believe that sustainable concepts should go hand in hand with sustainable behaviour, which is why we procure our products economically and provide a weekly three-course meal to some fifty guests at the Salvation Army facility in Amsterdam North. The lunch is composed creatively from the remaining usable food from our central kitchen. In addition, any leftover food like fruit is donated to the Amsterdam Food Bank, and we also work with the Humanitas foundation to ensure almost no food is wasted.
