De Kookfabriek

What De Kookfabriek does

De Kookfabriek, also known as The Farm Kitchen's Kookfabriek, is a Netherlands-based experiential hospitality company that operates a network of seven physical cooking studios across Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Amersfoort, Eindhoven, and Hoofddorp. Founded in 1997-1999, the company has operated for approximately 25 years and self-describes as the market leader in the Dutch cooking workshop segment. The core product is a guided cooking workshop in which groups of guests prepare multi-course meals at proprietary cooking islands under the direction of culinary coaches, using seasonal recipes and ingredients sourced from local regenerative farmers. The technology footprint is modest — proprietary cooking-island infrastructure, a third-party online booking system (Smarteventmanager), and a content/SEO website — with no disclosed AI, software platform, or proprietary digital IP.

The company generates revenue primarily through per-person workshop fees priced between €79.50 and €99.00, with upsell modules for team-building (+€15.00), cooking competitions (+€12.50), and sustainability-focused 'Koken met impact' workshops (+€29.50). Ancillary revenue streams include gift cards (€80–€99) and a small retail line of olive oil and cookbooks under The Farm Kitchen sub-brand. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the website, email newsletter, and brochure downloads, with three primary customer segments: corporate groups (8+ persons) for team-building and outings, private groups (8+ persons) for celebrations, and individuals (1+ persons) booking open workshops. The company is privately held by two co-owners, Xander Meijer and Jonathan Karpathios, has no external funding, and is actively pursuing franchise expansion into Arnhem, Nijmegen, and Maastricht.

Name

De Kookfabriek

Legal name

De Kookfabriek

Website

https://kookfabriek.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

De Kookfabriek operates seven cooking studio locations across the Netherlands, offering guided, per-person cooking workshops for corporate groups, private parties, and individuals, with a focus on seasonal menus sourced from regenerative farmers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooking Workshop Services

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooking Classes & Chef-Led Workshops (THAJAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Culinary Skills Workshops (Baking, Regional Cooking, Food Prep Skills) (THAJAKAE), Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH)

Keywords

• Cooking workshop services
• Culinary team building
• Corporate cooking events
• Social cooking experiences
• Private dining workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cooking Workshop Fees: Primary revenue from cooking workshop fees charged per person. Various workshop formats offered at different price points ranging from €79.50 to €99.00 per person for standard workshops. Additional revenue from add-ons like cooking competitions, team building elements, and impact workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

De Kookfabriek operates a network of seven physical cooking studios across the Netherlands where guests prepare multi-course meals together under the guidance of culinary coaches. Offerings span themed workshops (Italian 3-course, seasonal menus, shared dining, chef masterclasses), team building add-ons, sustainability-focused "Koken met impact" workshops, and gift vouchers for individuals, private groups (8+), and corporate clients.

Product overview

The Farm Kitchen's Kookfabriek is a Dutch cooking workshop company offering experiential culinary events through a network of seven locations across the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Amersfoort, Eindhoven, and Hoofddorp). The core offering consists of cooking workshop experiences ranging from 2.5 to 4 hours, including themed workshops (Italian 3-course), seasonal menus (3 and 4-course options), shared dining experiences, and masterclasses with famous chefs. Add-on modules include team building exercises, cooking competitions, and sustainability-focused 'Koken met impact' workshops. The company also operates a 'Kookrestaurant' for smaller groups and sells gift vouchers. Under The Farm Kitchen sub-brand, they offer olive oil and cookbooks sourced from local regenerative farmers, reflecting their sustainability mission of shortening the food chain and promoting regeneratieve agriculture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Italiaanse 3-gangen kookworkshop (Italian 3-course cooking workshop)
• 3-gangen seizoenslunch (3-course seasonal lunch)
• 3-gangen seizoensmenu (3-course seasonal dinner)
• Farmer's box
• Shared dining
• 4-gangen seizoensmenu (4-course seasonal menu)
• Koken met impact (Cooking with impact)
• Kookwedstrijd (Cooking competition)
• Teambuilding
• Kookrestaurant (Cooking restaurant experience)
• Masterclass
• Cadeaubon Kookrestaurant (Gift card for Kookrestaurant)
• Cadeaubon Masterclass (Gift card for Masterclass)
• The Farm Kitchen (sub-brand products)

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 positive cooking through use of regenerative farmer products

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• ATAGsupportingTechnology or IntegrationATAG is a kitchen appliance brand that provides cooking equipment for De Kookfabriek. ATAG focuses on the human behind the kitchen and understands what home cooks desire, offering practical, sustainable products developed from the perspective of the home cook.
• WMFsupportingTechnology or IntegrationWMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik) is a German kitchen utensils manufacturer founded in 1853. Provides quality kitchen tools that enhance cooking pleasure for food lovers creating culinary experiences.
• Chaud DevantsupportingTechnology or IntegrationDutch chef clothing brand founded in 1996 in Amsterdam. Designs contemporary, stylish professional chef clothing that is produced in Europe. The name comes from French kitchen expression meaning 'move aside, I have a hot plate in my hands!'

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Le Cordon Bleu: Internationally recognized culinary education institution offering cooking classes, workshops, and masterclasses with famous chefs. Comparable via its chef-led masterclass format (overlapping with De Kookfabriek's Masterclass offering), though it is primarily an educational brand rather than a group team-building operator.
• HelloFresh: Global meal-kit company that has expanded into recipe experiences and in-person cooking events. Comparable as an adjacent culinary-experience player targeting home cooks; could compete for discretionary cooking-related spend, though its core model is subscription-based rather than in-person workshops.
• Sur La Table: Long-established US cooking-school and kitchenware retailer offering in-store cooking classes and culinary experiences. Comparable as a multi-location cooking-workshop brand, though it operates at significantly larger scale and with a retail-merchandise model alongside classes.

Direct peers

• Kookstudio L'Atelier: Dutch cooking-studio operator offering hands-on group workshops and culinary events in the Netherlands. Direct competitor on format, geography, and group-event customer segment.
• De Kookschool: Dutch cooking-school brand offering recreational and themed cooking workshops in the Netherlands. Closest direct competitor to De Kookfabriek by geography, format, and target audience of Dutch consumers and groups.
• Cookery School at Little Portland Street: London-based cooking school running hands-on group classes, corporate events, and chef-led workshops in a dedicated studio. Directly comparable to De Kookfabriek on format (in-studio hands-on workshops), customer segments (corporate team building, private groups), and pricing model.

Regional players

• Les Ateliers Cuisine: French network of cooking studios running hands-on group classes and themed culinary experiences. Comparable format and customer use case to De Kookfabriek, though serving the French market rather than Dutch.
• COOK! Academy: German cooking-studio chain offering themed cooking workshops and corporate team-building events across multiple German cities. Comparable on multi-location cooking-workshop model and corporate events focus, but operates primarily in Germany rather than the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/de-kookfabriek

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about De Kookfabriek