HEMA opens new food store in Tilburg

HEMA has opened a completely renovated flagship store in Tilburg, featuring the debut of the LEKKER HEMA concept. And that’s good news for every foodie. We went to take a look straight away and sampled, among other things, the new HEMA burger.

Okay, we at FavorFlav don’t always feel like cooking, or have the time to do so. With the new LEKKER HEMA food concept, HEMA is responding to the growing group of food lovers who enjoy food that’s quick, tasty and easy. Less hassle, more enjoyment, as HEMA puts it. That’s why the food department has been expanded considerably. Starting in Tilburg. We were pleasantly surprised: tasty, fresh and (almost everything) prepared à la minute.

Take-away
As soon as you enter, you walk straight into the to go department. Toasted sandwiches, sandwiches and a counter with freshly pressed colourful smoothies, juices, iced tea and salads. Naturally, the HEMA classics are also there: the smoked sausage roll (presented in a glass smoke cabinet), meatball sandwich and sausage roll. There’s also an extensive cake department featuring the HEMA tompouce and the award-winning red velvet cake from its own bakery.

Surinamese chicken
But HEMA takes a major step further when it comes to food. For example, there are filo pastry quiches, sandwiches with grilled vegetables and the Surinamese chicken sandwich: a fine sourdough roll with spicy Surinamese chicken and crunchy cabbage. Everything is freshly made and, always a bonus, available at the pleasant prices we know from Hollandsche Eenheidsprijzen Maatschappij Amsterdam.

Craft beer
Don’t feel like cooking? In the fresh food department, you can pick up a ready-made meal: spinach mash with a meatball or hotchpotch (naturally with HEMA smoked sausage). You’ll also find an extensive selection of charcuterie (think: homemade meatloaf and warm grilled sausage) and cheeses. Delicious with a bottle of wine from the widely acclaimed HEMA wine selection or a craft beer from Oedipus or Jopen, sold in the beer department.

HEMA burger
On the first floor, you’ll find a super-size self-service restaurant (with no fewer than 175 seats). The centrepiece is the community table, with a tree in the middle. On various islands, you can walk past mouth-wateringly delicious displays of food: pizzas from the stone oven for € 5,- and an island full of soups and salad bowls (which aren’t called poké bowls here; HEMA remains wonderfully true to itself).

Another recommendation: the HEMA cheeseburger. A delicious juicy burger (two stars from Beter Leven) with melted cheddar, caramelised onion and barbecue sauce. Served on a black-coloured (!) brioche bun with sesame seeds (which, upon inquiry, naturally turns out to be coloured using fermented plants). The organic fries are cut on the spot, nice and thick, unpeeled and served with special toppings such as spicy tex mex or chilli con carne. Very good.

Breakfast
The famous HEMA breakfast has also been completely revamped. For just three euros, you can now choose from five items (coffee/tea/orange juice, various eggs of your choice, bread rolls, toppings, fruit). This is served from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Or you can choose the all-day breakfast: an omelette with salad, hummus and toast, served all day.

All in all, there’s an enormous amount of delicious food to discover here. 013 has gained a highly successful food hotspot.

LEKKER HEMA is now also available as a pilot concept in the HEMA stores in Antwerp, Brussels, Maassluis and Veghel. Hopefully more locations will follow soon.

This article was produced in collaboration with HEMA.