Cook and Drink

On February 2^nd, the prize-giving ceremony of the 2026 Johannes van Dam award took place in the main auditorium of the University of Amsterdam. Previous winners of the prestigious Johannes van Dam award are Harold McGee, Yotam Ottolenghi, John Halvemaan, Carlo Petrini, Alice Waters, Claudia Roden, Alain Passard, Asma Khan and Jeroen Meus. 

The 2026 Johannes van Dam prize was awarded to Jonnie and Thérèse Boer. In 1992 they opened their restaurant De Librije in Zwolle (the Netherlands). One year later they received their first Michelin star and since 2004 the restaurant holds three Michelin stars.

Inspiration

In 1965 Jonnie Boer was born in Giethoorn, not far from Zwolle. He was proud to use and serve local products (fish, game, herbs, plants, roots, meat) in his restaurants. One of his many signature dishes was zander with apple syrup and Riesling accompanied by a glass of Chardonnay. Very often guests were impressed by the quality of the zander. Jonnie would happily explain that the fish was caught in a river, two kilometers from the restaurant. If they served lamb, it wasn’t from New Zeeland or from Sisteron or Pauillac, it was from a farm in Giethoorn, managed by Jonnie’s nephew. Why import it from France when quality is available next door?

Nature was the basis of his food and techniques. In this video (in English) for instance, he uses oysters to kick-start the fermentation process. Brilliant idea! His style was imaginative with a focus on the food and the customer.

Thérèse Boer is co-owner of De Librije, sommelier and overall responsible for the restaurant. Together they wrote several books, most of them in Dutch. One of their books in English (PURER: Cooking, Wine & Spirits Bible) is available via the usual channels.

Sadly, Jonnie Boer passed away in April 2025 at the age of 60. Thérèse and her team continue running the restaurant, and they were able to keep the three Michelin stars.

The Prize

Professor Louise Fresco, chair of the jury of the Johannes van Dam award, emphasised that for decades Jonnie and Thérèse Boer led the gastronomic development in the Netherlands. With the award the jury also wanted to recognise their mentorship for younger generations. Jonnie and Thérèse Boer have put the Netherlands firmly on the global culinary map. They are pivotal in the history of Dutch food and cooking.