Netherlands Shopping Tips by ATLC

Name of Shop: Films

The Dutch 'Oscar' is called Golden Calf and here's a list of winners.

What To Buy: Looking for Dutch films? The 'Nederlands Filmfestival' recommends http://uk.imdb.com/


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Theme: Art
Website: www.filmfestival.nl

Name of Shop: Theefabriek, Houwerzijl

Please see Off The Beaten Path tip for more info! The museum is located in the old church. The rectory is transformed into a tea shop. But you can also buy online from the link below.

What To Buy: Tea specialities like special Chinese teas, tea mélanges and local teas from Groningen and Friesland.
Also accessories like tea filters, etc.

Photo: from website

What To Pay: Tea: from € 2,45 per 100 gr.

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Theme: Food and Drink
Phone: +31 595 572 053
Address: Hoofdstraat 15-17, 9973 PD Houwerzijl
Website: www.theefabriek.nl/
Other Contact: info@theefabriek.nl

Name of Shop: Verkade, Droste

These are Dutch chocolate brands of which my favourite is Verkade.
Verkade also makes biscuits.
Both Verkade (since 1886) and Droste (since 1863) are very old brands with memorable advertisements that all Dutchies are familiar with.

Especially Verkade was a pioneer in advertising. With every product you used to get little pictures to collect in special albums. There were 30 albums before 1940 and five after 1965. The original albums are worth money, nowadays and are still being reprinted.
The name was on biscuit tins and is to this day associated with homely comfort and drinking tea with mum.

What To Buy: -
www.verkade.nl
www.droste.nl

They are the "Cadbury" of The Netherlands.
-


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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Any grocery shop or supermarket
Website: see above

Name of Shop: Senseo Crema

This coffee machine stormed the Dutch market in 2001. It was a huge success right from the start. In the beginning stock was sold out immediately after it arrived.

It's a machine which uses special pads to make coffee per cup (or per two cups). For the design and development, Philips (Dutch manufacturer of electric appliances) and Douwe Egberts (Dutch coffee company) collaborated.

The coffee looks like espresso with a firm creamy layer. Tastes very good. I have quite lost my wish to buy an expensive espresso machine. Though I'd be the last to admit that true espresso is something of a different order.

What To Buy: Even though coffee per cup is more expensive than percolated coffee, the Senseo Crema entered many households in The Netherlands. The product is now being developed for other countries.

What To Pay: Around € 70 for the appliance
About € 3 for a pack of18 coffee pads.

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Theme: Food and Drink
Website: www.senseo.nl

Name of Shop: Claudio Ferrici, my favourite handbag brand

Passing a shoe shop or bag shop is lethal! I really must contain myself if I see very well made, quality leather goods.

My favourite brand is Claudio Ferrici for bags. It's a Dutch brand but with the Italian quality, craftmanship and style. My business case and several bags are all from this brand. You'd think I have enough but no... new models will have me drooling in no time.

To some Dutch people it is a disappointment that Claudio Ferrici was founded in 1985, by Jef and Henk van Gils. I would think we should be proud that it is a Dutch family with generations of experience in the leather industry, providing a wealth of knowledge in the art of fine leather styling, and quality. Their main goal has always been to provide the finest quality at reasonable prices.
Reasonable prices? Ahem. It is still a lot of money!

Ferrici uses the "Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale" mark for the main part of her leathergoods. This mark guarantees that the leather used to make the product has been tanned exclusively with vegetable extracts and without using any chemical substance that can be harmful to man. Well, this is what the website tells me. But to be honest I never considered it (although it is a good thing) because these bags appeal to me strongly.

What To Buy: From casual bags to business cases and accessories. The attention to the quality finishing is exquisite.

There are speciality shops in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Maastricht, The Hague. And several retailers in The Netherlands and throughout the world.

What To Pay: Hmm, should I tell? A Claudio Ferrici bag is easily € 150. A business case can be from € 300

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Theme: Other
Phone: +31 765202900
Address: Breda
Website: www.claudioferrici.com

Name of Shop: Porceleyne Fles

Informative website in Dutch and English about Delft Blue and online shop for delftware.

What To Buy: How about Christmas tree decorations made of delft blue?

The objects on the photo I bought cheap and in large quantities at the flowermarket (Bloemenmarkt) in Amsterdam.

What To Pay: Not cheap but you can always afford something small.
Tip: go to a street market (even tourist attraction the "Bloemenmarkt" in Amsterdam is cheaper for souvenirs).

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Theme: Local Craft
Phone: 015 - 251 20 30
Address: Rotterdamseweg 196, 2628 AR Delft
Website: http://www.royaldelft.com/index.cfm?
Other Contact: info@royaldelft.com

Name of Shop: Fish stall

This is actually a permanent stall. You will find them all over The Netherlands.

What To Buy: Smoked eel, young herring, "lekkerbekje" (fried cod, much like what you get with fish 'n chips but TASTIER!), and any other fish


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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Everywhere!

Name of Shop: Cheese shop

This is an example of a Dutch cheese shop. Usually the staff can give good information about cheese. Usually if you point out a cheese you might like to buy, you are asked if you want to taste it. Or just ask!

Cheese shops usually also sell nuts, French cheese, some wine and crackers and other delicacies like special teas, paté's and olives.

What To Buy: A cut from any of those big wheels of cheese. Sample them all, from creamy and young to crumbly and strong.
With cumin or cloves, mustard seeds or herbs.

Tip: if you buy cheese, don't go for the small round Gouda cheeses with either a yellow or red wax layer. They're usually not the best tasting cheese. Choose a nice cut from one of the big wheels of cheese and ask to have them sealed airtight. The cheese shop usually does that for free or might ask a small fee. Just ask nicely

What To Pay: Generally a kilo cheese would cost about 8-10 €.

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: In any town.

Name of Shop: Vlooswijk Kaas-en zuivelboerderij Doruvael

This farm makes its products without additives, completely natural.
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Open Mon/Wedn/Fri 13.30-18 hrs and Sat. 10-16 hrs.

What To Buy: Le petit Doruvael, a French sounding name for a Dutch cheese. It is reminiscent of Munster, a bit strong but in that familiar Dutch shape: a large wheel of cheese.


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Theme: Food and Drink
Phone: 0348 472486
Address: Blokland 95, Montfoort
Website: www.groenehartlandwinkel.nl/doruvael/welkom.htm

Name of Shop: Pastry stand

You'll often find these stands on fancy fairs, markets and during the festive season in December.
They sell delicious deep fried pastry like Oliebollen, Appelflappen, Berliner Bollen and other variations.



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Theme: Food and Drink