These are the big winners of the FavorFlav Food Top 100, 2022 edition

Who are the true tastemakers in the world of food and drink? That’s the question we ask ourselves every year when compiling the FavorFlav Food Top 100, our annual celebration honoring the hundred most influential people in the food scene. The top spot? This year, it goes to Miljuschka Witzenhausen.

For the sixth consecutive year, we put together a mouthwatering list of the movers & shakers of Dutch gastronomy. For months, we worked on answering the questions: Who matters in the Dutch culinary scene? Who determines what we eat and drink? What do we eat, and where do we order it? Who shines? Who fails? Who scores?

And above all: who does so this year?

Hall of Fame

We received countless suggestions from foodies across the country and from our Hall of Fame, made up of previous winners and gastronomes with an impressive track record, including star chefs Joris Bijdendijk (Rijks*, Wils*), Jonnie and Thérèse Boer (De Librije***), Robert Kranenborg and Jacob Jan Boerma (The White Room*).

The top 3

It resulted in an exciting list of 100 nominees: a colorful mix of (star) chefs, food producers, restaurateurs, startups, culinary journalists, cocktail shakers, brand builders and other important players in the culinary scene. All of them have made a proven contribution to enriching food culture and food awareness in the Netherlands. And, like the FavorFlav editorial team, they have a beating heart for better food and drink. We proudly present the winners, along with the accompanying jury report.

Number 1: Miljuschka Witzenhausen

One culinary magazine after another is going under, so who would dare launch a new food magazine in that market? Miljuschka. Now that’s guts! Her magazines are flying off the shelves. This is publishing in a new style – readers order a copy online in advance, so there are never piles of unsold magazines at the newsstand again. And with zero advertising. Together with a dream team of editors and stylists, she creates an enviably beautiful magazine, which now appears four times a year. Also admirable: part of the magazine’s proceeds goes to the Epilepsy Fund.

And 2021 was Mil’s year anyway – for those close to her. She finally launched her long-awaited website, with an impressive archive of her recipes (lemon cheesecake anyone?). She was also back on television in full force, spreading her message that delicious food doesn’t have to be complicated. With her own cooking show Miljuschka Kookt on RTL4, on Bak met Miljuschka on 24Kitchen, as the regular food expert on RTL Boulevard and as a roving reporter on Snackmasters.

And then there’s her series of culinary podcasts, Eetgeheimen, personal conversations in which she quizzes her favorite foodie friends about their culinary secrets. Kitchen confessions that we devour every time. Everybody loves Miljuschka, and so do we. In 2019, she came second in the FavorFlav Food Top 100; this year, she takes home the top prize. Congratulations, Miljuschka!

Number 2: Alain Caron and sons

Culinary phenomenon and professional Frenchman Alain Caron is a familiar face on the widely watched TV program BinnensteBuiten.
Meanwhile, despite corona, he is steadily building a modest family-restaurant empire together with his sons David and Tom. In addition to editorial favorites Café Caron and Petit Caron in Amsterdam’s De Pijp, they added De Gouden Reael (on Reaeleneiland) and Cantine de Caron (at the Westergas grounds). Everything follows the tried-and-tested formula of classic French bistro cuisine.

The famous culinary family’s recipes were collected in La Table de Caron: from oeufs durs mayonnaise and mackerel rillettes with tarragon mayonnaise to salmon en croûte, boeuf bourguignon and bouillabaisse. Eating like the Caron family at the table—you’ll want to lick your fingers clean.

Number 3: Robèrt van Beckhoven

Robèrt van Beckhoven, known to the general public as the judge with the soft southern accent on Heel Holland Bakt, may make you think of cakes or perfect bread. He is, after all, the only person in the Netherlands who is both a master pastry chef and a master baker. Less well known: Robèrt is an internet nerd. At least, he has set up an extremely successful and innovative online platform. Through the Meesterlijk van Robèrt website, enthusiasts can take courses, find recipes, exchange baking experiences and buy baking supplies online. If all those bakes go wrong, you can even order a ready-made cake or bag of cookies from the master baker through the website. Smart businessman!

Special dinner

The FavorFlav Food Top 100 #6 was announced on Monday, June 13, 2022, at restaurant Daalder during the annual FavorFlav Food Top 100 dinner, presented by Horace Cohen & Pim Veth and FavorFlav’s editor-in-chief Sharon van Lokhorst. Top chefs Dennis Huwaë (Daalder*), Jermain de Rozario (De Rozario*), Alain Caron (including Café Caron, Petit Caron), Menno Post (Olivijn*), Jonathan Karpathios (The Farm Kitchen) and Bart de Gans (De Dessertclub) prepared the six-course dinner. Curious about their dishes, the awards ceremony and the evening as a whole? You can watch it all in the video below.

You can read the complete TOP 100, including their achievements, here: FavorFlav_Top_100_2022

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