Testimonials

Testimonial

Rick de Jong, owner restaurant StrAnders, Ameland, The Netherlands

"Very crispy, Guaranteed!"

Restaurant owner Rick de Jong was born and raised on the Dutch island of Ameland. He currently has two businesses on the island, De Hekseketel in Nes (together with partner Louise and brother-in-law Robert) and StrAnders in Buren (with Louise). "De Hekseketel focuses on grill specialities, spareribs, chicken, and pork tenderloin. StrAnders is the only fish restaurant and has luxurious, refined fish dishes on the menu." And Smedes Batter Mix has acquired a permanent place in the kitchen of StrAnders.
 
Rick de Jong grew up in a foodservice family, his parents had a restaurant on the Island. He started out working for a fish monger, but then followed an ICT training on the mainland and then returned to the foodservice industry. He bought the business,after running StrAnders for three years and says, "I still work in the kitchen, but I also do the purchasing and office work."
 
De Jong always made his own batter but in his search for a ready-to-use batter, he came across Smedes Batter Mix. "That turned out to be excellent and a guarantee for crispiness". " And I have to say that even though it is a ready-to-use batter, we always give it our own twist. Mixing Maribor herbs and a bit of salt, for example, gives a nice crispy sole." For the Karaage Japanese chicken (StrAnders has more than just fish) he adds some wheat flour to the Smedes Batter Mix.
 
And there is also a Gluten Free version of the Smedes Batter Mix, which is very practical. "There is a great demand for gluten-free dishes. We used to use tapioca flour for our gluten free dishes but have switched to the batter from Smedes. It gives our dishes a very nice crispy crust and the gluten free batter leaves no aftertaste!"


 

Testimonial

John Bode, Head Chef at De Veldhoek in Heino, The Netherlands

"Where have the mushrooms gone?"

Head Chef John Bode from De Veldhoek in Heino (Overijssel province in The Netherlands) describes it as "A beautiful rural conference centre including a restaurant". He continues: "We do everything we can for our guests, from breakfast buffet to dinner. In the summer, our terrace is filled with guests from a local camping site. Like all other guests, they expect mushrooms in beer batter to be on the menu. When we take this off the menu, they immediately say: where have the mushrooms gone?"
 
Previously, John Bode made the batter himself for the well-known 'Dordogne mushrooms' - with flour, beer and an egg. But he has moved away from that, now he uses Smedes Golden Crispy Batter Mix. "The consistency of the product is a great advantage; the batter is always the same and it simply creates a beautiful end-product. But what is also important: anyone in the kitchen can prepare the batter. If the ratio of batter to water is measured correctly, you can't go wrong. "We put the mushrooms on a beetroot salad and romaine lettuce and serve them with a warm garlic sauce. A beautiful dish that is also perfect for vegetarian guests."


Testimonial

Charlie Beyhan - Van der Valk Schiphol Amsterdam

Regenerate at peak times

Smedes' batter is perfect, especially in times of staff shortages. You can prepare dishes during off-peak hours and regenerate them at peak times and it will remain crispy. In addition to this, the batter is more convenient and quicker to prepare, tastier and suitable for fish, chicken and vegetables. I started experimenting and use it now much more widely – fry cauliflower florets dipped which are in batter. Or Asian style chicken, such as the orange chicken from the American cuisine.  Smedes batter is really beautiful.


Testimonial

Bart van Lierop - Fletcher Hotels

“Everyone can use it, the elementary chef as well as the chef that likes to experiment”

Executive Chef Bart van Lierop is ultimately responsible for everything food-related within Fletcher Hotels (106 locations in The Netherlands). He remains inspired through the contact with his chefs and suppliers as well as reading magazines. The current trend is vegan, a development that goes much further than the target group of vegetarians and vegans. “That group used to be poorly served, but now there are many more people looking for balance in the food sector. And vegan food is part of that, but it must be done tastefully of course. Everything must have flavour,” says Bart van Lierop.

At the invitation of Smedes chef Klaas van de Groep, Van Lierop was introduced to Smedes Batter Mix Gluten-free. “It is allergen-free, and that is a big advantage. I also wanted to do innovative things with batter and we developed a rösti of parsnip, batter mix and water and turned that into a vegan dish with avocado burgers and roasted vegetables.” The dish turned out to be a hit and not only with the core vegan target group. “It appeals to a much wider group of our guests.”

Smedes Batter Mix Gluten Free is now used throughout the Fletcher organisation. Bart van Lierop sums up: “It is convenient and easy to use, and the batter does not discolour or retrogrades”. “It can also be used in different ways - as a wet batter and in powder form. A very versatile product and, as said before, the Smedes Batter Mix Gluten-free is allergen-free. Everyone can use it, the elementary chef as well as the chef that likes to experiment.” Fletcher Hotels now also uses the specialty batters: Beer Batter and Asian Batter; they make the work of chefs even more effective.

Smedes Batter Mix is a very useful product especially with a view on the current staff shortage in the catering industry, says Bart van Lierop. “It has come to the point that we have to serve more guests with fewer people. So, getting your mise-en-place done quicker is crucial. This batter mix helps our chefs a lot, also because products in batter can now be frozen.”

Bart van Lierop, Executive Chef Fletcher Hotels in The Netherlands about Smedes Batter Mix.

Testimonial

Warren Somers - The Shack Pub, Athlone

The Smedes batter we use for our fish & chips is so unbelievably light & crispy as well as very tasty - our customers love it! A great product that is very easy to use - we definitely recommend it!

Warren Somers - The Shack Pub
Athlone


Testimonial

David Gorey - Beachcove Café, Waterville

We have been working with the Smedes batter for the last few months and are delighted with the results. Our fried fish is lighter and crispier and we also have less oil changing to do! This is definitely a product that we will keep using - highly recommended.

David Gorey - Beachcove Cafe
Waterville


Testimonial

Hugh O'Donnell – Village Grill, Tipperary

Initially I was very cautious changing our batter, as it affects several different menu items. But I am also interested in trying new products if it means an enhanced experience for our customers..... and I was not disappointed with Smedes BatterFlour.

I love this product, it's flavour and taste, the crispyness, the colour. I would highly recommend it. We have tried many different batter flours and mix's over the years and your product is by far the best. 

I hope this helps, and I will and have been recommending your product to friends in the trade.

Hugh O'Donnell – Village Grill
Tipperary


Conor Doherty - Eviston House Hotel, Killarney

Love this Smedes batter, perfect crispiness & colour, so very easy to use and it contains no dairy or egg - a super product, definitely recommended!

Conor Doherty - Head Chef
Eviston House Hotel, Killarney


Tetimonial

George Stephens – The Fish Market, Mullingar

What I love about the Smedes Batter Mix is the ease of use and consistency of the product. Combine this with a really great taste and you have a winner. It is far more time and cost-effective than creating batter ourselves, just one bag is all we need and any member of my staff can make it.

The taste is superb due to the fact that the batter seals the product immediately, so it does not soak up any oil. And no flour required before adding the batter – it goes straight into the fryer!

To sum it up: consistent, easy-to-use, cost-effective and very, very tasty!

George Stephens – The Fish Market
Mullingar, Co. Westmeath
Fishmonger of the Year


Tetimonial

Francis Doran – Bakers Takeaway, Carlingford

We would like to recommend the great new batter products from Smedes. The batter is very easy to use and our customer see and taste the difference. The batter leaves out fried products with an excellent crispy golden crust and has a reduced fat absorption which means that it not only tastes better but we use less oil making it great value for your money!

This is an outstanding product for fish but also works great on our homemade onions rings and sausages.

Francis Doran – Bakers Takeaway
Old Quay Lane
Carlingford, Co. Louth


Latest News

Irish fish mongers learn tricks of the Dutch fish frying trade during visit to The Netherlands

A delegation of Irish fish mongers recently visited The Netherlands to experience first-hand the exceptional quality of the Smedes batter products and enjoyed the company and guidance of experienced Dutch fish frying experts. The working visit consisted of a visit to the dedicated high-tech cooking studio at Smedes Fine Foods as well as frying fish on-site at one of the busiest and best fish mongers in The Netherlands.

The Dutch "Cook-to-Eat" approach combined with the Smedes Batter Mix delivers the best possible taste experience. After their return to Ireland the Irish fish mongers put in practice the on-demand frying of their fish in the Smedes Batter Mix and received great feedback from their clients – and improved sales!

The concept of a better taste experience gives greater client satisfaction and loyalty.

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Contact Smedes Fine Food for more information or questions about the Smedes Golden Crispy Batter Mixes.

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