Participatie Keuken

What Participatie Keuken does

Participatie Keuken (legal entity: Stichting de Participatie Keuken) is a Dutch charitable foundation founded in 2019 by Ben Lachhab, a child of Moroccan guest workers, to combat loneliness, food insecurity, and social isolation through shared meals. Headquartered at Guntersteinweg 377 in Den Haag's Moerwijk district, the organization runs a portfolio of community-dining initiatives: the Aanschuiftafel — a reservation and management platform (aanschuiftafel.nl) enabling 50+ communal dining locations across The Hague and Zaanstad — plus the Kinder Keuken (a children's cooking program for ages 9–12), the Wereld Keuken (a cross-cultural exchange kitchen), the Horeca Aanschuiftafel (hospitality-sector dining hosted at venues such as The Hague Marriott Hotel), and a signature Dutch-Moroccan fusion pastry called Participatie Gebak. The organization also delivers meals to homebound elderly and provides catering for corporate events.

Operationally, Participatie Keuken runs on a small team of paid professionals supported by 150+ active volunteers and prepares approximately 120,000 meals annually with 1,100 weekly participant encounters. Its technology stack is the Aanschuiftafel platform, which provides participating restaurants and community organizations with reservation management, dietary-requirement tracking, payment handling, and customizable pages, supported by minimal AI tooling. The revenue model is a hybrid non-profit mix: foundation grants (VSBFonds, OranjeFonds, Fonds 1818, Madurodam Kinderfonds, and others) and municipal funding (Gemeente Den Haag, Gemeente Zaanstad) form the base, supplemented by corporate partnership contributions (Shell, Sodexo, ZZIIN, Staedion, Onderlinge 's Gravenhage, Marriott), social catering income, Participatie Gebak retail sales through Sodexo at Shell locations, and individual donations. Pricing is highly accessible — Aanschuiftafel meals use voluntary self-determined contributions with no one turned away, Kinder Keuken is €25 per school year (€10 with Ooievaarspas), and special events such as the Kinder Keuken Zomerfeest are free.

Strategic positioning emphasizes community-led growth rather than commercial scaling: expansion occurs by onboarding new municipal and hospitality partners onto the Aanschuiftafel network, with a stated near-term target of 75 Aanschuiftafel locations and ongoing discussions with additional Dutch municipalities. The organization explicitly relies on earned media, community word-of-mouth, and partner communications rather than paid acquisition, and its competitive position rests on deep local ecosystem integration in Den Haag rather than technological differentiation.

Name

Participatie Keuken

Legal name

Stichting de Participatie Keuken

Website

https://participatiekeuken.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Participatie Keuken is a Dutch non-profit foundation that combats loneliness and social isolation through community dining, operating the Aanschuiftafel network of 50+ communal meal locations in Den Haag and Zaanstad alongside children's cooking programs and a signature Dutch-Moroccan pastry product.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG), Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH), Private Chef & In-Home Dining Services (HSACAGAE)

Keywords

• Community dining programs
• Social catering services
• Charitable meal programs
• Cultural integration initiatives
• Volunteer-driven cooking

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Municipal Funding: Primary funding from foundations (VSBFonds, OranjeFonds, Fonds 1818, Madurodam Kinderfonds) and municipal grants (Gemeente Den Haag) to support community-building activities and expansion of Aanschuiftafel network.
2. Social Catering Services: Paid catering for corporate events, meetings, and private functions. Provides income while fulfilling mission of connecting different community segments through shared meals.
3. Participatie Gebak Sales: Specialty pastry product (appeltaart with mint, honey-sweetened dates, and almonds) sold through Sodexo at Shell locations and at social events. Proceeds fund Participatie Keuken's social programs.
4. Donations: Individual donations through website to support meal programs and community activities for vulnerable populations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Participatie Keuken organizes communal dining experiences across the Netherlands through its Aanschuiftafel network, where anyone can join shared meals at community centers, restaurants, and care facilities to combat loneliness and social isolation. The organization supports this core offering with specialized programs including the Kinder Keuken (monthly cooking classes for children ages 9-12), the Wereld Keuken (cultural exchange cooking space), and the Participatie Gebak signature pastry. It also provides social catering services for corporate events and community gatherings.

Product overview

De Participatie Keuken is a social organization operating as a platform-plus-initiatives model. The core offering is De Aanschuiftafel, a community dining concept that enables shared meals across The Hague and beyond. Supporting initiatives include De Kinder Keuken (cooking program for children aged 9-12), De Wereld Keuken (cultural exchange through cooking), and Participatie Gebak (a signature pastry product symbolizing integration). The organization also offers sociale catering services. Together, these offerings create a comprehensive ecosystem focused on combating loneliness through food-based community connection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• De Aanschuiftafel An initiative and platform for community dining where anyone can join shared meals at various locations throughout the city. It connects people from different backgrounds to combat loneliness and social isolation through food, with locations across The Hague and Zaanstad.
• De Kinder Keuken A program for children aged 9-12 from different neighborhoods who cook together monthly in a professional kitchen, learning from each other, discovering new flavors and cultures, playing together and building friendships.
• De Wereld Keuken A second location where different cultures cook for each other, promoting cultural exchange through culinary traditions. Various cultural groups can use the space to organize their own Aanschuiftafels.
• Participatie Gebak A signature pastry consisting of apple pie enriched with mint, honey-sweetened dates, and raw almonds. The combination of typical Dutch and Moroccan ingredients symbolizes integration. Made by people with a distance to the labor market.
• Horeca Aanschuiftafel A concept for hospitality businesses to participate in the Aanschuiftafel by making tables available during quiet moments. Guests reserve through the reservation system and sit together, even if they come alone.
• Sociale Catering Catering services for social events, company outings, and community gatherings. Connects people through shared meals and hospitality.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000 meals served annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ShellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides professional kitchen facilities at Shell headquarters, employee volunteers for Aanschuiftafel events, sells Participatie Gebak through Sodexo canteens, and donates compost for PK's vegetable garden. Shell employees participate in community dining events and some have transitioned to permanent employment through the partnership.
• SodexocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatering partner at Shell locations that sells Participatie Gebak and provides culinary training opportunities for PK volunteers. Offers pathways from volunteer work to paid employment for people with distance to labor market.
• The Hague Marriott HotelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst horeca partner hosting monthly Aanschuiftafel dinners since December. Offers 3-course meals for vulnerable community members at accessible pricing. Transports senior guests to and from events.
• ZZIINminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour-location events and meeting venue company. Partnership includes PK catering services, Participatie Gebak sales, renting PK's spaces, organizing Aanschuiftafels at their facilities, and exploring Kinder Keuken programming. ZZIIN donates 35% of profits to charitable causes including PK.
• Welzijn XtraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelfare organization coordinating meal delivery logistics and community outreach, helping reach vulnerable populations behind closed doors.
• StaedionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial housing corporation collaborating on community building in Moerwijk district. Joint initiatives include surprise dinners for residents and edible garden projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Buurtbuik: Dutch social initiative that connects neighbors through shared surplus meals in community settings. Directly comparable in mission (combating loneliness/food waste through community dinners), geography (Netherlands), and target audience (vulnerable and isolated residents).
• Voedselbanken Nederland: National Dutch food bank network distributing food to households in financial need. Comparable as a Dutch nonprofit food-focused organization serving vulnerable populations, though its model centers on food distribution rather than communal dining.
• De Eetkamer: Dutch community dining initiative focused on connecting people through shared meals in welcoming settings. Comparable mission and mechanics to Participatie Keuken's Aanschuiftafel network in combating loneliness through food.
• Soul Kitchen (JBJ Soul Foundation): Community restaurant founded by Jon Bon Jovi serving restaurant-quality meals to those in need regardless of ability to pay. Comparable as a charitable pay-what-you-can community restaurant combatting food insecurity and social isolation.
• FoodCycle: UK charity combining surplus food, volunteers, and community spaces to serve nutritious meals to people facing food poverty and loneliness. Highly comparable in volunteer-driven community meal model and social-integration mission.
• Resto VanHarte: Dutch nonprofit organizing neighborhood dinner events to combat loneliness and connect neighbors. One of the closest Dutch peers in mission, model, and operational approach to Participatie Keuken's Aanschuiftafel.
• Refettorio (Food for Soul): Global network of community kitchens founded by chef Massimo Bottura, serving meals to people in social vulnerability. Comparable in mission (community dining for socially isolated/vulnerable populations), nonprofit structure, and chef-led brand narrative.

Emerging players

• Buurtboer: Dutch social enterprise connecting local food producers with neighborhood communities. Comparable as a Dutch community-food initiative, though focused more on local food sourcing than communal dining.
• The Real Junk Food Project: Network of pay-as-you-feel cafés using surplus food to serve community meals. Comparable in surplus-food and community-meal mechanics, though operates more as a café network than a platform-plus-initiative model.

Regional players

• Stichting Presentie: Dutch social foundation supporting community-based welfare and connection initiatives. Comparable as a Netherlands-based nonprofit focused on social cohesion, though operating more broadly across welfare programs than food specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/departicipatiekeuken
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/de-participatiekeuken

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Participatie Keuken