Le Jardin de Grand-Mère

Fine Dining Event — Hotelschool The Hague

During my Managing an Outlet course at Hotelschool, I was challenged to design and execute a hospitality event within strict boundaries: a maximum budget of €10 per guest, with recipe costs of €7, 70% cost of sales, 30% gross profit, all seasonal and locally sourced vegetarian products, and a complete operational plan. I knew I didn’t want to take the easy route. Instead, I set out to create a fine dining, five-course French-inspired experience for 16 guests — including wine — for only €10 per person.

The Concept

I imagined the feeling of a French countryside village: a long wooden table in a grandmother’s garden, where neighbors gather to share whatever the season provides. Equality, warmth, and connection were at the heart of the tradition — and I wanted to translate that into a fine dining setting. The long table became my stage: each guest was welcomed personally, seated at a place marked with a hand-decorated name card, and drawn into a story that unfolded course by course. My goal was to surprise them with the intimacy of tradition, elevated by the precision and elegance of gastronomy.

The Menu

The journey began with an amuse, served directly onto the guest’s hand as they entered — a delicate courgette crisp from the Hotelschool gardens, topped with goat cheese mousse from a local farm and finished with honey-balsamic mustard pearls. A small bite, yet one that gave each person their own moment of attention.

Next came the interactive course. Guests were handed jars of cream, shaken into butter at the table. Laughter filled the room as they churned. When the jars returned to the kitchen, I transformed the butter into plates adorned with edible flowers and coarse sea salt, handpicked from the garden. Served with hot baguette. In that moment, they became part of the craft.

The soup followed — a velvety mushroom Pernod soup, rich and aromatic, nodding to the French village tradition. After the last spoonful, guests were invited to swirl red wine in their bowls and sip the remaining liquid directly — playful, rustic, and unexpected within the fine dining frame. Just like they did in the villages

For the main course, I chose the most iconic expression of French seasonality: Ratatouille. Each slice of aubergine, tomato, courgette, and bellpepper was seasoned individually, pressed to remove liquid, and layered with care over a refined red sauce. Finished with basil oil and a single chive, it was both humble and elevated, the countryside dish reborn with elegance.

Finally, the dessert carried the story home: a Dutch twist on the French cheese board. Oude Wijker Fiore, Dutch brie, and other local selections were presented with the same reverence as their French inspirations, celebrating the beauty of regional products close to Amsterdam.

Execution & Leadership

The greatest challenge was timing and coordination, as this was my first-ever event. I led a small kitchen (myself) and service team, delegating tasks while ensuring the fine dining standard was never compromised. I prepared mise-en-place lists, cost calculations, waste and breakage records, and a full service script. By working closely with my instructor and team, I achieved the exact budget target while maintaining the creative vision.

The Result

When the evening unfolded, it became more than a dinner, it became a story shared by everyone at the table. Guests laughed as they churned butter, the rustic elegance of sipping soup from their plates, and sat together as equals around the long French-style table. The dishes, the setting, and the atmosphere exceeded expectations, proving that fine dining can be both playful and profound.

The feedback was overwhelming: surprise, delight, and genuine connection. What I discovered that night was not only that fine dining could thrive within limitations, but that I could trust myself to take risks, lead others, and create something extraordinary. It was a turning point — the moment I realized that my passion lies in crafting experiences that lift people out of the ordinary and into the unforgettable.