Fewer and fewer Bossche Bollen for sale: what’s going on with the famous Jan de Groot?
The hospitality staff who left during the coronavirus crisis are still far from returning, and it’s not just bar staff or waiting staff who are in short supply—there is also a major shortage of other skilled workers. This is also the case at the country’s best-known Bossche Bollen bakery.
Although it has been quite some time since the Netherlands was in full lockdown, its consequences are still being felt by many hospitality entrepreneurs. Staff shortages, sky-high debts… It is the reason many hospitality businesses are still only partially open—or worse: going bankrupt, like the iconic Le Garage restaurant in Amsterdam, which recently went under.
Jan de Groot: closed for an extra day
The hugely popular Bossche Bollen bakery Jan de Groot has also had to make that difficult decision. Together with his team, Jan sells around 1,500 ‘sjeklade’ buns a day—something sweet tooths are more than happy to queue up (for a long time!) to buy.
‘Something had to be done’
Third-generation Bossche Bollen baker Jan, who has been working at the business for 21 years, tells Omroep Brabant that he had no choice but to close his business on Mondays from now on. ‘This is the first time I’ve been forced to close for a day.’ The bakery now has around 20 percent less revenue. ‘I’m not happy that we’re closed on Mondays either, but there was no alternative. It is also to protect the staff. We were all running on empty. Something had to be done,’ says Jan.
Solution to the staff shortage
Jan de Groot’s story is one of many. The search for staff is not only difficult in the pastry industry; butchers, bakers and fishmongers are also struggling to find employees—the profession of boning meat is even practically dying out in the Netherlands. The new chair of Koninklijk Horeca Nederland, Marijke Vuik, is therefore determined to achieve her mission of attracting and retaining hospitality staff. She will focus primarily on the labour market and education.
And if you’re in Den Bosch: brave the queue and enjoy the one and only real Bossche Bollen!
Also read:
- Oh nooo: chocolate is getting more expensive and the bars are getting smaller
- In this province, frikandellen are the cheapest (and the most expensive!)
- Bizarre: oat milk is becoming more expensive because of the ‘soft-drink tax’
Source: Omroep Brabant
