With our unbeatable location on the prominent Keizersgracht, surrounded by the charm of the 9 Straatjes, The Dylan lives and breathes the Amsterdam spirit. That’s why we collaborate with local powerhouses to bring you the most authentic experience during your stay.
For this month’s Concierge’s Choice, we are introducing you to one of our culinary partners: De Kaaskamer. De Kaaskamer and The Dylan Amsterdam are practically neighbours and we use this proximity to bring guests the ultimate in culinary craft and delight.
Decades of an Unbeatable Cheese Experience
The Netherlands is known for its cheese. But as Loek de Loor, the founder of De Kaaskamer, knew, not all cheeses are created equal. He founded De Kaaskamer almost 30 years ago with the purpose of curating and selling cheese delicacies with the finest flavors. With this in mind, he started visiting small farms across Holland, Belgium and France, to scope out the best the world of cheese had to offer. Nowadays his daughter Sophie and her husband Joost run the store with the same care and attention to quality.
De Kaaskamer are experts in cheeses and everything that goes along with that. More than 400 cheeses from around Europe are on offer in their central Amsterdam location, including local specialties, like over 100 different types of Gouda.
The Road to the Best Cheeses
“We still drive daily through the Netherlands, Belgium and France to discover and select our favorite cheeses,” describes Joost Hammann, co-owner of De Kaaskamer. “Amsterdam covers a critical audience in terms of quality and taste. As a small store with lots of competition, we want to make a difference in assortment, heritage, quality and taste.”
Those unfamiliar with the cheese market might assume it ends there. But, after the cheese is selected and purchased, it still has to age. “This is called affinage,” explains Joost. “It’s our job to age the cheese as perfectly as possible, so when it is served on your cheese platter, the flavor and structure will be at their absolute best.”
Culinary Class at The Dylan
The fromagers from The Dylan Hotel, Jasper van Amerongen at Vinkeles and Jouke Veenstra at OCCO, work together with the team at De Kaaskamer to select the most suitable cheeses for the menu and the season. Considering that we are neighbours, our fromagers visit De Kaaskamer in person to do this on a daily basis. On occasion, we get together to learn more about the current offerings and receive training and insights from De Kaaskamer, in order to learn more about their products and presentation possibilities.
“It’s a close partnership,” says Joost, “And that’s important when you work with a product as complex as cheese.”
You can sample De Kaaskamer’s offerings during your next meal at The Dylan. Make it a full spread by adding on savory meats and luxury nut mixes, also available to purchase from the De Kaaskamer shop at Runstraat 7.
NL
DE
