Heel Holland Bakt winners: what are they doing now?
The sixth season of Heel Holland Bakt is in full swing, but how are the winners of the previous seasons actually doing?
Season 1: Rutger van den Broek
It may already be five years ago that Rutger won the first season, but he is far from finished baking. In August 2018, he published his fifth book: the Koekjesbijbel. And there are still three more planned, including a cake book, at the very least. “I have ideas for at least five more cookie books,” he says in an interview with AD. “Apple pie, Snickers—you can incorporate all flavors into a cookie.’’
Yet he kept his job as a nurse for quite some time. It was only in April last year that he quit, and since then he has been working full-time on his company Rutger Bakt. He no longer wants the shop he once dreamed of owning. “Ultimately, I enjoy inspiring people more than producing.”
Season 2: Menno de Koning
When Menno de Koning won Heel Holland Bakt in 2014, things really took off. His first book, Bakken met Menno (2015), became an instant hit, and Menno appeared on, among others, 24Kitchen and at the Linda Festival with his own workshop. At one point, it all became a bit too much for him and he suffered a burnout. Getting a manager helped, and in May 2017 his second book was published: Menno’s Superheroes Kookboek, in which his love of American comic books came to the fore. He is currently available for baking workshops, (TV) appearances and content about cooking and food.
Season 3: Sarena Solari
After her victory, Sarena Solari started her company La mia Italia, which organizes culinary trips to Italy. In October 2018, she announced that she would be scaling back her activities until at least the end of March 2019. “I organized fourteen group trips (211 guests!) and, in addition, several tailor-made trips and lots of other fun workshops and events in the Netherlands. As wonderful as it all is, I haven’t had a proper break in between, and I’m unfortunately starting to notice that now. That is why I’ll be taking a much-needed break in the coming period—not only to rest, but also to come up with wonderful and fun things for the coming years,” the Italian woman wrote on Instagram.
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Season 4: Annemarie Pronk
Annemarie Pronk has no time for rest. She wrote a book and baked every other week on the EO program Van Harte. She currently runs a studio in Scheveningen where she gives workshops and demonstrations: Annemarie Bakt. But Annemarie’s ambitions are not limited to baking; she is also active in politics. Last year, she was a list pusher for ChristenUnie/SGP in the municipal elections in The Hague.
Season 5: Hans Spitsbaard
Despite his victory, Hans Spitsbaard felt he still had a long way to go. By now, he spends two days a week training at patisserie De Rouw in Vught. “Pure luxury: I spend an entire day learning at the side of chocolatier Roderick Oosterbos, who can tell with the naked eye whether the chocolate is at 30 or 30.5 degrees. There is no better training ground,” he says in AD. According to Hans, he can now do twice as much as when he won. He is also still taking a chocolatier course in Antwerp. But he is quitting that. “I’m getting too far ahead of myself.”
Chocolate is what really makes his heart beat faster—bonbons in particular. His biggest dream is therefore to open his own chocolate shop within two years. For now, he is putting his Technical Business Administration studies on hold. And his living situation? Still at his grandmother’s. “She took care of me for so many years; now it’s her turn.’’
HHB fan? Then be sure to read Emma’s Heel Holland Bakt talks too!
