Jef Schuur BIJ JEF*

Back to basics

“We go back to basics together. We have a single seven-course menu that essentially takes you with us on a journey. Our dishes are pure and rich in flavour, full of culinary treasures from the sea, the countryside, and our own garden. It’s a taste of everything that lives and grows on Texel.”

Crisp, fresh vegetables

“Our vegetable garden is over 5,000 square metres. You name it, we grow it. We have two really good gardeners to look after it every day, and when the last guests have left in the evening, we send our order for the next day. They start harvesting at around 6 am, because we have fresh vegetables and herbs every day, but they’re only really crisp in the morning. As soon as the sun shines on them they stop being crisp, so you need to be there at the crack of dawn.”

Mother Nature is in charge

“We work with what nature offers, so we’re thankful for all the wonderful products we get from the Waddenzee. It’s an amazing landscape with a diversity of habitats, which is why it’s on the UNESCO World Heritage list. We also enjoy a wide year-round range of fish and seafood from the North Sea, and apart from that our menu is seasonal. In the spring and summer, we get all the vegetables and herbs from our own garden, and we use techniques such as canning and fermenting so we’re still using this harvest after September. From April to November, we get Texel lamb. It’s all the best the island has to offer!”

Jef Schuur (b. 1970) has been awarded the title of Master Chef by the Stichting Vakbekwaamheid Horeca. Before opening his own restaurant, Bij Jef, on the island of Texel at the age of 25, he earned his spurs with thirteen employers, including Michelin-starred restaurants in the Netherlands and abroad. While he may be the island’s leading culinary ambassador, he is also a citizen of the world. He gained a Michelin star in 2009.