Rootz new beer and food concept crowned with ‘The Netherlands’ best beer restaurant 2014' award. Café-restaurant Rootz is the winner of the Bier aan Tafel (beer at the table) Trophy 2014. Every year The Low Countries Beer Society awards this prize to the restaurant offering the best food and beer combinations. Roland Meerloo received the trophy by herald Olav Blancquaert. In previous years the Belgisch Biercafé Olivier in Utrecht and Restaurant Lieve in Amsterdam won the award.
Rootz offers a beery experience, where atmosphere, service, the selection of beers and the food go together in perfect harmony. The combinations of beers and dishes always hit the mark. The menu even offers two alternative beer suggestions for every dish – one supplementary, the other contrasting. Rootz is a modern company that has found the perfect formula for eating and drinking.
“For over 16 years, Rootz has been a household name in The Hague. Rootz Harbour in Scheveningen opened its doors two years ago. Having been The Hague’s Belgian for 16 years, we reinvented ourselves last year. In times of crisis one has to keep a critical eye on oneself and, above all, listen carefully to what the market demands.” says proud owner Roland Meeloo. “Therefore we have enlarged our assortment from 60 to over 190 beers (2015 even 240 beers). Moreover, our beers no longer come from Belgium exclusively, but also from The Netherlands. We now have a true `Low Countries list, which makes us unique in our country”. “What we are pleased to see is that people have a growing interest in where their food and drink comes from as well as a growing appreciation for small-scale initiatives. The big brands are losing market share and small breweries spring up everywhere. We offer our guests the best of both these worlds and give them te opportunity to do a sampling and find out what matches their taste.
Together with a zythologist in training and the general managers of Rootz The Hague and Rootz at the Harbour, Meerlo ‘sacrificed himself’ to taste all of the beers beforehand and select the right ones to combine with various dishes on the menu. This greatly enhanced Rootz’s chances of winning the Bier aan Tafel (beer at the table) Trophy, for what matters here it is not only the assortment but also, and especially, the combination with the menu.
“One of the Low Countries’ Beer Society’s goals is promoting beer as a beverage accompanying our meal”, states organizer Jan Laurijssen. “To this end, for the sixth time a contest was held for winning the Bier aan Tafel (beer at the table) Trophy. Sixteen cafés and restaurants took part in this.” After the semi-finals at HANOS in Eindhoven, the jury, led by Henri Reuchlin of the Beer Bureau, visited six finalists. In addition to Rootz, these are Restaurant Dwars in Amsterdam, Jopenkerk n Haarlem, De Dorpsherberg in Ospel, Degust in Hoogenveen and Eetcafé Den Hoek in Zundert. “What we notice is that the quality of beer suggestions improves every year”, says Reuchlin. “More and more often, guests venture to order a matching beer with their meal, because they discover that it is really good.”
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