Tasty and local

The Lekkernassûh Foundation contributes to a fair and sustainable food chain in The Hague and its surroundings. We are the link between you and local farmers, market gardeners and other producers. Every Wednesday afternoon there is a Lekkernassûh market at various locations. Here, you can buy a vegetable package with a variety of local and regional vegetables. Also available is a fruit package filled with various fruits of the season. Furthermore tThere are products such as bread, cheese, eggs and honey available to purchase. On Saturdays, our package-free shop is open, and using your own containers you can buy rice, pasta, oils and spices, among other things.

All products are produced as responsibly as possible. For example, farmers and gardeners grow their vegetables without pesticides and artificial fertilizers, and they usually grow outdoors, in the open air. Also, our products are seasonal, so always fresh from the land. And, of course, as local as possible. The fruit comes from an organic certified grower.
Lekkernassûh also uses as little packaging material as possible, so bring your own bag!

Our vision

We aim to help our community transition to a socio-economic and ecologically sustainable food system. Some of the ways we accomplish this:

Encouraging local organic (or regenerative) agriculture by maintaining sustainable relationships with farmers.
Making healthy and locally produced food accessible to The Hague and the region through the shortest possible production and delivery chain.
Ensuring a fair food system by working with cultivation agreements for example. In this way, we share the agricultural risks with the farmers/growers, and we pay a fair price for the food.
Creating a food supply source that is community-driven. Our weekly markets and package-free shop are run by the community and are designed as a place where everyone has room to meet and get to know each other.
Reducing unwanted and unnecessary waste by reducing and reusing the packaging as much as possible.
Facilitating the introduction, discussion and dissemination of information around social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Applying organizational guidelines that safeguard and encourage self-organization within the Lekkernassûh foundation.
Promoting (social) innovations by providing space and resources. For example, there are plans to establish a transition fund.

Origin

The story of Lekkernassûh begins in 2014 with one of the founders, Liselotte. She wanted to cook for people with organic products. But after some calculations, she found out that her meals would quickly become costly. This she found unacceptable. Where did this price difference between organic and conventional produce come from? She went to investigate and discovered that there were many problems with the food chain. This prompted her to organize access to the produce herself.

The first step was to go to Westland and meet with the organic gardeners and farmers. Many of them had difficulty selling their products at a fair price. With a small group within ‘The Hague in Transition’ Liselotte decided to do something, namely to literally go to the farmers and buy the vegetables directly from them. Based on that idea, the first load of organic pumpkins from a local farmer was driven into town, and within no time, the pumpkins were sold. It turned out that the city was “hungry” for affordable organic food. Thus was Lekkernassûh was founded with the goal of buying organic vegetables directly from farmers for a fair price to provide this healthy food to the community without making a profit.

Since then, the organization has grown into a phenomenon in The Hague and its surroundings. Around 70 people help out and every week, and between 500 and 600 participants collect a vegetable package each week.

Advantages of the Lekkernassûh vegetable packages

Vegetables and herbs fresh directly from the land, often in your home one or two days after harvest.
No stress of choice, you do not have to think about what you eat, because the bag provides the handle.
Every week a surprise: what brings “the season,” as well as new or forgotten vegetables virtually unavailable in supermarkets such as: flowersprouts, radish, choggia beets, palm cabbage, mizuna, turnips, etc.
Understanding which grower grew the vegetable.
Good quality as our growers do not export their best quality as usual in The Netherlands.
Often at lower prices than in the supermarket, because of the short chain (directly from the country to the customer) and the efforts of the Lekkernassûh volunteers.
We source from our growers and suppliers who operate without pesticides and fertilizers and grow mostly outdoors, in the open ground. Growing in the open ground (unlike regular vegetables that are also grown on rock wool) has the advantage that the vegetables can absorb the ingredients that a natural soil provides. In addition, no pesticides are used in cultivation and therefore no stacking of different pesticides takes place.
The Kievit, Biesland and Landzicht are growers who are SKAL certified organic. De WIJdehorst is in transition (and engaged in the 2-year SKAL certification procedure).
As local as possible. On average, more than 45% of all vegetables/herbs come directly from the four main permanent Lekkernassûh growers around The Hague each year, a very high and unique percentage in the Netherlands. The rest comes from a selected long-term network of (local) colleague growers at least from the Netherlands. In addition, we take care to source from the land or from the cold greenhouse. In terms of fruit, we initially supply what is available in the Netherlands, then in Europe and possibly outside Europe if not otherwise possible.
Reduction of packaging, because participants take along their purchased products as much as possible unpacked in their own bag, or for example return the paper egg cartons the following week at Lekkernassûh.
Because of freshness, specifically selected variety and sustainable or organic cultivation mostly a more appreciated taste.
We see/feel/taste “the whole vegetables and fruit.”
Even more versatile cooking also using Lekkernassûh suggestions. Participants often indicate that even without recipes, they themselves have become increasingly creative in their cooking, thinking from the vegetables that are available at any given time.
Lekkernassûh provides regular storage advice.
Recognize the variety of vegetables and fruit. The soil, growing conditions, variety and harvesting method largely determine the taste, size, color, and other characteristics. As a result, the vegetable acquires a distinctive and special character. Example: a pak choi that grew in a period with little sunlight needs more time and may be somewhat smaller in size, but that says nothing about its taste. This gives you even more connection to and knowledge of the specific growing soil.
Sustainable transport because suppliers often drive on biofuel via optimal routes with limited mileage and because Lekkernassûh in The Hague transports electrically.
Through the website it is easy to indicate which weeks you want to purchase.
Other sustainable or organic products such as eggs, cheese, bread, herbs on Wednesday, but also dry goods, oils and nuts in the packaging-free store on Saturday.
Lekkernassûh participants help restore nature as our organic growers make their land increasingly fertile by growing super diverse crops in strips. This means a huge improvement for soil life, as well as insect and bird populations.
Lekkernassûh participants are participating in the food transition because we support a sustainable and local way of growing food, minimal transportation miles, minimal packaging, vegetables of the season and a connection between us, the growers and the land.
Lekkernassûh participants can visit the growing locations of our main growers at the designated times.

Foundation Lekkernassûh

For years, Lekkernassûh functioned as a working group under the Local Food The Hague Foundation and found shelter in the Gymzaal (with tolerated status) on the Witte de Withstraat. Since 22 September 2020, Lekkernassûh has been a foundation. Lekkernassûh rents a space in ´the Gymzaal´ for its largest fresh food market and the package-free store, which is now owned by the Local Food The Hague Foundation. You can find recent news about the future of the Gymzaal at the link above.

Details of Lekkernassuh Foundation
Contact address: Witte de Withstraat 127, 2518 CS The Hague
Email: info@lekkernassuh.org
Not reachable by phone.
Chamber of Commerce registration number: KvK 62827049
VAT identification number Belastingdienst: NL861646691

Interested in Lekkernassûh?

Sign up to receive a weekly vegetable and/or fruit package and visit one of our markets. You can read more about how to become a participant here, including what a vegetable and fruit package consists of, etc.

At Lekkernassûh, everything revolves around working together to ensure that all activities on and around the markets are done. It takes a community to accomplish this. Would you like to actively contribute to the organization? Then click here to find out how you can help.

A beautiful handout has been designed for Lekkernassûh. It’s beautifully animated. For those who want to read a little further. You can find it here (only available in Dutch).