Award for the tuin van de smid!
On September 19, the Gaia Green Awards 2023 ceremony took place, an award recognizing sustainable entrepreneurship in the hospitality industry. The blacksmith's garden was one of the three finalists! The restaurant received the Plastic-Free Award and the Audience Prize!
Even with the nomination, Barbera, Sjaak, and the dedicated team felt great appreciation for their years of green entrepreneurship. The reason for reaching the finals is that we have a 100% vegetarian menu (partly vegan), use 80% organic products, promote social entrepreneurship, and are committed to continuous innovation. It's heartening to see that guests consciously choose to take a walk or bike ride to our car-free polder oasis. The restaurant aims to not only minimize its own ecological footprint but also reduce the carbon footprint of organizations that choose their sustainable location for meetings, lunches, or events. Company outings can be perfectly organized here, combined with outdoor activities on the premises and in the surrounding polder park.
Together with the other finalists, the restaurant feels future-proof and planet-friendly, and they can inspire other (hospitality) entrepreneurs. That's why winning the award was a great recognition. The professional jury selected a winner in each category in early September. The choice is based on three factors: the submitted questionnaire from round 1, the outcome of the mystery visit, and the number of public votes.
Gaia Green Awards
The Gaia Green Awards are presented to sustainable hospitality locations in the Netherlands and Belgium. Click here for more information.