Monday the 15th of June was a special day. Alliance restaurant Merlet at Schoorl was celebrating their Michelinstar for already 10 years. The founder Alan Pearson and the chefs who followed him, came together to take care of a six course dinner. For only one time we were all together in this particular family restaurant. The menu that was served this day included;

Menu
Mackerel fillet served with a poultry- cumin seed, melon and culatello ham
Frank van Enter (sous chef Merlet)
****
Three different structures of lobster, foie grass and gold leaf
Onno kokmeijer (sous chef 2000 tot 2003)
****
Slowly cooked dory combined with a powder of citrus-spices, asparagus in wakame-cream and crispy cabanon oyster
Timo Munts (chef Merlet)
****
Coquilles with eastern pork belly, atjar tampoer and a sauce of curry-coconut
Alan Pearson (Chef Merlet till 2001)
****
Lamb with spring vegetables and morilles
Wilco Berends ( Chef 2001 untill 2007)
****
Tasting of strawberries
Martijn Geerds (Souschef 1999 untill 2001)

Honestly I have to say that this day was a day were I was looking forward to. Merlet has always kept a special place in my heart. When I started in 1996, this restaurant was a real eye-opener to me. After two years conscription as chef the parti, I turned back in 2000, as Souschef. This was the foundation for my further career. Sometimes you hear and read that there are cooks from the cooking school of Robert Kranenborg or Cas Spijkers. Merlet had the same impact with Alan Pearson. With pride many people and I can say that we learned from Alan.

When I started at Merlet in 1996, people in the Netherlands didn’t know Gordon Ramsey. In that time I came in contact with the English manner of work and communication. I believe that many people can still learn. It was your own choice if you wanted to work for Alan. You had to make sure that you had a remedy to pass two difficult months and find a way in the strategy of Alan. A men with a clear vision about his thoughts for cooking, respect for ingredients, creativity and he required always 200% of its cooks. Sometimes I thought what am I doing here? The craziest thing is that many years later you gained respect and appreciation for this man and you realise that he formed you to who you are now. He has been the founder of my success.

15 June was a special day with each other. After we finished all preparations for the evening we left to Schoorl beach with the bike in the afternoon. In the sun we shared some old memories. The good thing is that we can all laugh about it now. In the past sometimes there were many tears.

Eventually we came for the evening. It was a moment of which we thought that we have never been separated from each other as a star team. Almost silent and without words (even Alan) the team anticipated on each other, where only eye contact was the leader of the evening. This was an evening which I will never forget. Martin if you ask me, we will also celebrate the 11th Michelinstar for Merlet and simply make a tradition of this!

Q-linary greetings,

Onno
P.s. A video of the chefs is published on you tube.