Het oliebollenimperium van Amsterdam

With 36 stalls in the city, the oliebol is an integral part of the city. Every winter, long lines form in front of these stalls, but who the people are who return each winter remains a mystery to many. What few know: it's a network of families who all know each other. After all, whoever sells oliebollen in the winter, is at the fair in the summer. Karin Bakker and her husband Toon are at Haarlemmerplein square. Her two sons each have their own stall, and on New Year's Eve, another one joins them. For three months, they sell oliebollen, apple fritters, and trendy variations of these two, day after day. "I hope I can continue doing this for a long time," says Karin. The De Poorter family has also had stalls spread across the city for generations. "It's truly a family affair, that makes me so proud," says Tonnie de Poorter about her grandchildren behind the stall. While the stalls are where families gather in winter, things are a little different in summer. Then the fair is the place for the De Poorters and the Bakkers. And they're not the only ones; we spoke with fairground king Frans Stuy about the world of oliebollen and the extensive network of stall holders that make it up. Frans: "Every fairground person can bake oliebollen, and behind every oliebollen stall throughout the Netherlands there are fairground people." Of course, there are also bakers with other backgrounds, but most come from the fair. Michel de Poorter also bakes oliebollen there, and Toon Bakker has an attraction there: "But I've passed that on to my son." "It started because fairground operators earn their living in the summer," Frans continues. "They're home during the winter months, so they have to fix up the fairground items, but they need the money to do it. So those youngsters have to sell oliebollen." He doesn't stand there himself; his wife does. "But she makes them really well; she doesn't think I'm very handy myself." Permits for oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts) are issued seasonally. There are currently 36 stalls for which stallholders can register. If there are multiple registrations for a single location, the stallholders who had their stall there the previous year are considered. That vendor has priority, and so the same families have been in the same spot for years. The Weesp area, which was incorporated into Amsterdam, is noteworthy. The municipality didn't receive any oliebollen locations during the merger, so there are no stalls there now either. "I think it simply won't work there; I'm sure it's been tried," says Stuy. "So I don't need to try there; I think 36 is enough now." Stuy, Bakker, and De Poorter are worried about the future. "This has to last forever," says one of the vendors. Stuy: "I still have the feeling they might eventually want to get rid of us. But I hope not." If we are to believe the municipality, the procedure for obtaining oliebollen permits will remain the same. This is in contrast to, for example, herring stalls, where new European regulations are being introduced, meaning that indefinite-term permits will no longer exist in the future. ❌ ❌ ❌ AT5 - Real Amsterdam News Subscribe to our YouTube channel here:    / at5   Tips or comments? Whatsapp: 06 511 909 38 Phone: 020 555 1155 Follow AT5: www.at5.nl Instagram: instagram.com/at5.nl Facebook: facebook.com/at5nl Twitter: twitter.com/at5