Make your own signature Dutch cheese
Would you, as chef or company, like to make your own signature Dutch cheese with Mirjam, feel free to contact her!
Mirjam van Hest, daughter of chef Martin Willemsen, started her cheese making profession after finishing her education at the Hotel Management School. Together with her husband, William van Hest, she runs the wholesale cheese company Fromagerie Guillaume, since 1995. Nowadays their son Bas also works at the company which is specialized in composing cheese assortments for the top notch restaurants.
The idea for creating signature cheeses
A while ago Mirjam had the idea to create a cheese with Cas Spijkers (famous Dutch chef), based on his herbs and spices-knowledge and her cheese knowledge. Because of the unfortunally and early death of Cas Spijkers this remained just an idea. Now, a couple of years later, the first cheeses have been created with some other inspiring chefs. Mirjam uses Dutch milk from cows which are grass-fed in the area between Heusden and Altena as a base for her artisan, extra creamy farm cheese. She also has her own website for these cheeses; Mir’s Heart & Soul, at the website you can find where her cheeses are sold.
Mirjam & Rogér Rassin, chef at the Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam, made the Amstel cheese
In collaboration with Rogér Rassin, chef at the InterContinental Amstel Hotel and its restaurant La Rive, Mirjam produced a cheese that has a touch of the history of Amsterdam. Rogér Rassin has opted for a blend of exquisite herbs and spices that the VOC (The United East India Company) transported to Amsterdam in the past. The cheese is also served at the InterContinental Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam.
Taste sensation of the Amstel cheese
Various types of peppers from Java are used in the cheese because Rogér is thankful that these herbs and spices came to Amsterdam 200 years ago via the Amstel (river). The Penjap pepper is one of them and that tastes a bit like cloves, other ingredients are juniper, fennel and mustard seeds, together with a touch of freshly ground cinnamon!
Website: Mir's hart en ziel
