The Dutch Bakery Museum offers a unique glimpse behind the scenes of a baker’s life. What began as a private initiative has by now grown into a professional interactive museum that guarantees a fun day out for young and old.
Museum alley
In a picturesque museum alleyway the largest Bakery Museum in the Netherlands tells all about the rich history of bread and pastry. In five beautiful historic buildings, connected by a tunnel underneath the street, a small open air museum has come into existence with outdoor activities and a charming terrace. In the museum you do not only discover all about a baker’s life but children can also get busy themselves.
The overwhelming smells of all types of freshly baked delicacies accompany the public on their visit to the museum. During the lockdown periods the staff have not been idle but have worked hard on a Bakery Museum 2.0. The Bakery Museum remains the place for savoury and delicious fun with activities and information, for both individual visits, groups or school outings or a birthday party.
The Dutch Bakery Museum has once again obtained the well-deserved qualification Kids proof. The museum was also among the prize winners in the election of Best Outing in the province of Gelderland.
History
Long gone times come to life again in the 150-year-old bakery of the museum. In
two original buildings the daily baker’s life then and now is the central
focus. A large collection of utensils from the history of bread and pastry
baking is on well-organized display and accompanied by information. All has
been done, according to museum director Fred Voskuil, to conserve and maintain
the cultural heritage of bakery for the future. An exciting treasure hunt shows
visitors the way through all the buildings of the museum.
Bakery & Baker’s
shop
In the modern bakery all kinds of delicacies are baked, which are sold in the
Museum’s Baker’s shop on Saturdays between 7.00 and 12.00 h.. Under the pretext
‘’Baking for survival’’ the revenue of this activity was an important source of
income in the times that the Bakery Museum had to keep its doors closed due to
Covid 19 but needed ways to secure its continued existence.
Museum theatre
In one of the vaults of the museum an extraordinary museum theatre is situated.
In the holidays and on Saturdays the bakers Fred and Martijn steal the show in
a playful way with their family performances. During these demonstrations the
bakers show with great humour all aspects of the baker’s work and traditions.
The bread show offers sufficient inspiration to start baking at home. A new
phenomenon is the puppet show that tells the very youngest of the audience,
aged four to six, about the story of the baker. Children do not go home empty
handed. On Saturdays and in school holidays the children are invited to take
part in the outdoor activities in the months of March to November by baking
something themselves under supervision of the bakers.
The
Poffertjessalon: saloon where the typically Dutch mini pancakes are made
The latest extension of the museum is a fully operational poffertjessalon, a
saloon where the typically Dutch mini pancakes are made. Have you worked up an
appetite after your visit to the Bakery Museum? Just enter the Daendelshuis
where a real poffertjessalon out of grandma’s times can be found. The authentic
interior, originally from Brabant, leads the visitor back to the nineteenth
century. It is also very worth while to watch the dexterity with which the
poffertjes bakers work. In good weather the poffertjes and other delicacies can
be served and eaten outside in the lovely courtyard in front of the saloon.