Cycle route: Culinary tradition and trendy bites

Story of the route

• Tramkade
  A laboratory for local and circular economy
  Nowadays you can eat, drink and enjoy the music among the imposing silos and industrial buildings of the Tramkade. The Kaaihallen, the Mengfabriek and the Werkwarenhuis which occupy these grounds, together form a breeding ground for experienced and starting entrepreneurs in art, culture and educational institutions. You can enjoy catering companies with names such as Koudijs Kafe, KoudijsLokaal, the Lekkere man, the Bossche Stokers, the Bossche Brouwers and Espressobar da Silva in the Mengfabriek, a former animal feed manufacturer. In future it will also be possible to sleep in the Mengfabriek. The Urban Scene here is represented by a boxing school, a breakdance hip-hop dancing school and various music schools and studios. Start-ups, education and the business community come together in the HUIS (Holland Urban Innovation Studios) on the KADE.
  The Werkwarenhuis (Work Store) is the home of Social Label, where they are working on the workplace of the future and a new look at employment. An inclusive world in which the emphasis will be on the quality of work rather than on large-scale production. Leading Dutch designers are involved with the Werkwarenhuis. Visit the concept store and enjoy a drink and a bite in Restaurant van Aken.
  The Verkade Factory is the best place for a mixture of the cultural and the culinary. This old biscuit factory which has been converted into a cultural centre offers an attractive programme of stage performances and cinema. Events now take place in the industrial setting of the Kaaihallen, where animal feeders were once produced.
• Boon
  Shell your own beans
  “The Dutch eat on average 80 kilos of meat a year, and less than a kilo of beans. We want to halve the consumption of meat by 2050." - Michael Luesink
  Michael Luesink, the former chef and founder of BOON (Dutch for ‘bean’), is working on his mission in ‘s-Hertogenbosch: to encourage the Dutch to eat more beans by making tempting products from them. While studying food innovation, he started on his ambitious graduation thesis: to get the Dutch to eat more beans. Bean burgers and bean balls can now be found in supermarkets next to the beef steaks. Michael: “If you present beans in a form resembling meat, people realise more easily that it is meant to be a meat substitute.” He spends about 40% of his time doing what he loves to do: making up new bean products in the ‘food lab’ next to his office.
• Museumkwartier
  Craft and innovation
  Discover ’s-Hertogenbosch’s rich cultural selection, where craft and innovation combine. The provincial capital of Brabant will surprise even the most seasoned culture lover. This is the place where master painter Hieronymus Bosch portrayed the Seven Deadly Sins and where design labs produce glass and ceramics.
  Visit the cultural gems in the Museumkwartier (Museum Quarter) which houses two museums under one roof. The Noordbrabants Museum, together with the Design Museum Den Bosch, form one of the largest cultural attractions in the Netherlands.
• Lunchcafé Toren 4
  Lunchcafé Toren4 is an official Brabants Fietscafé; a Brabant Bicycle Café. In these bicycle cafés, cyclists are made to feel especially welcome! You can stop by for a delicious bite to eat or a refreshing drink, and make use of facilities such as a repair kit, bicycle pump and e-bike charging station.
• Poule Den Dungen
  Culinary chicken
  Many a top chef and connoisseur can still remember the time when the exceptionally delicious La Bresse chicken was featured on the menus of various reputable restaurants at the end of the 1970s. In recent times, Poule Den Dungen, a notable descendant of the renowned Poulet de Bresse in France, has made its appearance in the green, fertile meadows of Den Dungen. It is one of the few breeds of chicken in the world that has achieved culinary recognition.
• Pollevie
  Vegetables in the leading role
  Sample wonderful vegetables at the Pollevie vegetable restaurant. Pollevie was named the best vegetable restaurant in the Netherlands in 2017, and this year it has been included on the list of the 100 best vegetable restaurants in the world.
  Chef Martin Berkelmans of Pollevie gives the leading role to the vegetables. Whereas in traditional cuisine, meat is given the leading role, with vegetables being merely an accompaniment, this is reversed in Martin’s dishes. He prefers to work with vegetables in season. Based on solid professional knowledge he follows ‘food trends’ closely and gives them his own creative twist. Martin: “We have been working with vegetables in the leading role for ten years, and always have dishes on the menu without meat or fish. We continue to evolve in this direction!” You can also enjoy a good glass of wine at Pollevie; a sommelier is available who can tell you everything you want to know about the various wines which best suit the dishes.