Crafting memorable dishes with chef Thijs Vervloet

Thijs Vervloet loves immaculately ironed table linens, silverware, cut glass and white porcelain. ‘I am committed to a classic French-Belgian, gourmet cuisine. This includes classic dishes: recognisable, high quality products on the plate. Asparagus from Pertuis, shrimps from the North Sea or lamb from the Pyrenees. We try to present these products with a suitable finesse and focus on contemporary structures and techniques.’ This has earned Maison Colette two Michelin stars and 17 Gault&Millau points. ‘Together with my wife Lore and our team, I domy utmost to deliver a top performance here every day. We are happy with all of the listings and accolades we’ve received in guides and lists.’

‘Litres of cream flow through our kitchen.’

The dress code in his restaurant is casual chic: flip-flopsand shorts are not allowed. And it is possible to arrive by helicopter. Welcome to Maison Colette** in Westerlo, Belgium! Here, Chef Thijs Vervloet manages the kitchen. ‘Gastronomy runs in my blood. And the quality has to be perfect in everything we do.’

Thijs calls himself a classic, French, nostalgic soul. And that means he can’t cook without butter or cream. ‘They are the most important products in our kitchen: they form the basis of all our recipes. Kilos and litres of butter and cream are a must! Without this, I can’t even get started.’ Because of the modern twist in his dishes, Thijs often replaces rich sauces with consommé, made with vinegar, to keep his dishes a little lighter and fresher. Nonetheless, Debic’s cream flows profusely in his kitchen. ‘We use cream with 40% fat for sauces, and cream with 35% fat for pastry preparations and mousse. One of the things we make with butter is our puff pastry brioche.’ Thijs was delighted to become a Debic ambassador. ‘I love a sustainable, local story. And I have a great appreciation for our farmers. Without farmers, we wouldn’t be able to run a restaurant: people sometimes forget that. I also appreciate the efforts of a cooperative like FrieslandCampina. Therefore, I’m happy to endorse a Belgian, sustainable product that comes from our cows. And which, in our kitchen, produces perfect, consistent and reliable results.’

For Thijs, cooking has a lot to do with having a feel for things. ‘It’s a gut feeling, from deep in my soul. And it is expressed through my hands.’ The fact that many dishes are prepared as fresh as possible creates considerable challenges in the kitchen. ‘Making a perfect sauce is a tricky task. For example, during the game season, we have a Fine Champagne sauce, which is flambéed à la minute, with cognac from the season. Because of the cream you add, the sauce can easily separate or curdle. Achieving the right degree of freshness and consistency is a daily challenge since we always prepare the sauce à la minute. It requires skilled hands and high-quality base products, such as Debic’s cream.’

Even in Westerlo, Thijs is regularly short of hands in his kitchen. ‘We have recruited a number of our employees from Greece. We’re extremely pleased with this, and it enriches us personally too. You learn new things, tastes and techniques from each other. Chefs no longer have an absolute say in everything. We try to pursue an open communication policy and make sure to regularly express our gratitude to our employees who are here every day. Employees who want to carry the load with us and share our ambitions. Without them, I could never do what I do. It’s not a one-man show here: it’s teamwork.’ Prices for energy, transportation, labour and ingredients
continue to rise. So Thijs too has a lot of figuring out to do. ‘Your restaurant must be full at all times, so you have to make sure to maintain top-of-mind awareness among your guests. We try to share our stories and dishes via social media and newsletters to create a sense of engagement with our guests. Michelin stars attract people, and our cuisine and philosophy should speak for itself. Another key word is resilience. As part of the hospitality industry, we need to be resilient. After all, we don’t have control over everything: the past coronavirus years have clearly demonstrated this.’