Gideon Loerakker, Café De Ceuvel

Gideon Loerakker, co-owner and bartender at Café De Ceuvel in Amsterdam, tell us a about De Ceuvel as a clean tech playgroun!

• De Ceuvel is the first circular office park in Amsterdam. Since its start, De Ceuvel has been a showcase for social and ecological experiments – a floating hotel and café run by entrepreneurs and artists. Compared to regular new developments, however, sustainability is and always has been at the core of all our operations.

How important is it for you that your produce is organic?

• It means everything to us; that’s what we’re built on. My background is in environmental studies, so I wanted to have a restaurant that fitted my philosophy. We even try to look for what goes beyond the label of organic; going for a more holistic approach. Most of our produce is not just organic but biodynamic.

We’re all exposed to challenging times; how is that affecting Café de Ceuvel?

• We always try to find a good balance between the financial and ecological aspects. And it hasn’t affected the quality of our operations. Rather, we sometimes must set prices higher than we wish. Although for people tight on cash, we have a special offer where they can have a meal and drink for a reduced price. Everyone should be able to enjoy the comfort of being and eating in a restaurant from time to time.