Dit is Thuis in Drenthe
Why Thuis in Drenthe?
We are Ariënne and Thijs, and together with our cats and chickens, we live in the beautiful heart of Drenthe.
Thuis in Drenthe (which literally translates to "at home in Drenthe") was born from our love for good, healthy food, a deep connection to nature, and the joy of bringing people together. This place has been built with care and attention, step by step, driven by passion and dedication. In the Drenthe landscape, we found the space to do what we believe in: creating a place where you are allowed to slow down.
The opportunity to share our hospitality came unexpectedly in 2017, when we found our dream home in the heart of Drenthe. We love sharing this special place with family and friends, who often visit to enjoy my cooking, Thijs’s jokes and stories, and the chance to unwind.
The big turning point came in 2021, after the pandemic, when the opportunity arose to trade my career as a flight attendant for a long-cherished dream: opening our own bed and breakfast and cooking studio.
With my hotel school degree in hand, Thijs’s skills as a trained landscaper and timber builder, and our shared enthusiasm and determination, we began this adventure—the renovation of our farm barn.
Nothing could have prepared us for this mammoth task. After much blood, sweat and tears—and countless hours of research and renovation—the transformation is complete, and I could finally open the doors to my cooking studio.
Since late 2024, I have been hosting my cooking workshops with passion and great joy.
Our cooking studio is small-scale and personal. You cook in a fully equipped kitchen with a focus on pure flavors and dining together. Whether you visit as an individual, with friends and family, or as a corporate team: our workshops are designed to connect, relax, and enjoy. Here, cooking is not a performance but an experience, and hospitality comes naturally.
The Bed & Breakfast will soon be a natural addition—a quiet place to stay, surrounded by greenery, with plenty of opportunities to discover Drenthe by foot or by bike. Everything we do stems from experience, the joy of cooking, and the desire to make people feel truly welcome. Thuis in Drenthe is not just a concept; it is a place where peace, nature, hospitality, and good food come together.
Will you come and enjoy this special place with us soon?
You are most welcome!
Food plays an important role in my culture. At home, my father was always the one cooking, and through his traditional Javanese dishes he brought a piece of Suriname into our kitchen. You could taste the joy he found in cooking — and in eating together.
Cooking with fresh produce and a wide variety of ingredients is something I learned from an early age, from my parents as well as from aunts, uncles and cousins, all of whom have a wonderful talent for cooking. In our family, good food and being together go hand in hand, and as children we naturally helped with preparing meals.
At Hotel Management School in Groningen, I learned professional cooking techniques and the hospitality trade as a craft.
In our garden, we have created a greenhouse, a vegetable garden, a flower cutting garden and a food forest.
Free range chickens
Our happy chickies move about the garden grounds freely, the veggie patch excluded. Sometimes though, they don't get the message..
Vegetable garden
Sugarsnaps are one of the first seasonal vegetables in spring time
Fennel
a beautiful and tasty herb in every stage of its growth
Leaf compost
Organic composting makes all the difference. We make our own from our garden cuttings as well as sourcing it locally at the organic nursery.
Another method to organically feed your vegetable garden is through the Bokashi method- a Japanese technique in which kitchen and garden waste is fermented airtight with the help of wheat bran.
Oregano
Mediterranean herbs such as oregano love a sunny dry spot in your garden. Water them sparsely and they will thrive every year.
Many herbs add flavour to your dishes and are also valide for their medicinal properties.
Oregano, for example, is known to support and strengthen the immune system.