Café de Ceuvel is committed to making a difference in the world, and it starts on your plate. The world food system is the biggest cause of climate change and a range of other social problems. We are therefore in search of what really constitutes good food and drinks. That goes beyond a label that says ‘organic’.
We work together with a whole range of initiatives that ensure that every plate, beer and drink we put on the table makes the world a little bit more beautiful. For example, we make our own soda with the organic syrups of Saru Soda and our beer comes from Gulpener or small brewers. Since the cafe was newly acquired on November 1, 2020, we cook completely vegan, we have CO2 free coffee from Kaap Koffie and we are completely off gas!
Read more about the origin of the products here.
For us, the social component of sustainability is as important as the ecological and sometimes an even greater challenge. It’s about offering a sustainable product for every individual from all corners of society. Unfortunately, organic and local products, as strange as it sounds, are more expensive than airplane-imported fruits and vegetables that have traveled thousands of miles. Although we prefer to keep all of our prices below average, that is not always possible. We have therefore entered into a partnership with the Stadspas so that we can always offer a cheap meal and drink for people who are a bit tight on cash but still want to consume responsibly. However, it remains a continuous search for how we can make sustainability accessible for everyone and not just for the well-off.
Since November 1st, 2020, Café de Ceuvel has been taken over by the cultural programmer of De Ceuvel, the head bartender of the Café and a shipbuilder from the NDSM. The BV they started is called De Volharding, named after the old shipyard that was once located on the Ceuvel. This not only emphasizes the future, but also the long history of the Ceuvel terrain with its rich history as a shipyard. The sustainability mission that the founders of the café embarked on is ambitiously continued by the new captains on the ship.
Apart from the sustainability mission and the social character of the café, the new owners also have a new challenge. On January 1, 2024, the 10-year term of De Ceuvel will expire. Together with former chairwoman Coby van Berkum, the team of new owners, the De Ceuvel association and Metabolic will forge plans for a Ceuvel 3.0.
The building was designed by architect Wouter Valkenier. He made the entire building from upcycled materials. For example, the Café consists of 80-year-old mooring posts from the port of Amsterdam and the old lifeguard pavilion from Scheveningen. Studio Valkenier also designed Hannekes Boom, BRET and the Stadstimmertuin.
In 2014, Toon Maassen, Joey Hodde, Esmee Jiskoot and Bart made a radical choice: they quit their studies and started the sustainable Café de Ceuvel at new incubator De Ceuvel at the age of 22.
After years of putting blood, sweat, tears, dances and fun into Café de Ceuvel, it was time to take a new path in 2020. But how do you let a place go that you have fought for for so long? Fortunately, there appeared to be a solution for this! Because with the arrival of the new owners, the ideals of this club have been upheld.