On Wednesday, 24 September 2025, 10 hospitality businesses in Grolloo will be awarded the hospitality quality mark ‘Gezellig’. This is the first time that hospitality businesses excelling in hospitality receive this quality mark. Simultaneously, the presentation of the accompanying new consumer magazine ‘Gezellig’ will also take place.
“In a world that spins ever faster, we believe that true hospitality is more important than ever,” say hospitality experts Jeannine Sok and hospitality entrepreneur Sven Heijkoop. In 2023, they initiated ‘Gezellig’: the very first independent hospitality quality mark for the hospitality industry. With this, they aim to put hospitality staff in the spotlight. “This quality mark will not only help to exceed guests’ expectations but will also contribute to the professionalisation of the hospitality sector."
Mystery visits
Over the past two years, the pilot for rolling out the quality mark took place. Together with a think tank of hospitality professionals, a selection was made of hospitality businesses eligible for the quality mark. Specially trained students from Drenthe College in Emmen conducted the first mystery visits to these selected businesses. These were followed by additional checks by experienced hospitality professionals. All mystery visits were conducted based on a checklist, focusing on hospitality, craftsmanship, presentation, and product.
Preview at Gastvrij Rotterdam
The awarding of the first ten ‘Gezellig’ quality marks will take place on Wednesday, 24 September, during the Week of the Hospitality Industry. It’s a great moment to draw attention to hospitality and front-line hospitality staff. As a preview, on Monday, 22 September, three names of new quality mark holders will be revealed. This will occur at the hospitality trade fair Gastvrij Rotterdam at 14:30 in the networking lounge, during the Culi Quiz Top 100.
Consumer magazine ‘Gezellig’
To make the hospitality quality mark more known to the public, a new consumer magazine named ‘Gezellig’ has been developed. It features the ten quality mark holders and pays tribute to hospitality. Several inspirers from the hospitality industry are featured, such as Mandy Kwekkeboom-Overbeek (Gault&Millau Hostess of the Year 2025, restaurant Joann in Enschede), Thérèse Boer (De Librije, Zwolle), Gert Wiltvank (De Librije, Zwolle), Arjan Broekman (Het Wijnhuis, Zwolle), and Frans and Bart Hofsteenge (Hofsteenge, Grolloo).
The festive event on 24 September will take place with these hosts at Hofsteenge in Grolloo. “The north is well represented in the magazine and among the first ten quality mark holders. Moreover, this is a lovely old-fashioned café-restaurant with a cosy communal table and a billiard table,” says Jeannine Sok about the choice of this location. As someone from Emmen with hospitality parents, she became acquainted with this family business at a young age.
Partners and independent quality mark
In the coming period, Sok and Heijkoop aim to further establish the hospitality quality mark in the Netherlands. The quality mark is independent but supported by a wide range of partners and businesses from the hospitality sector such as: the Week of the Hospitality Industry, Emixion, SVH, Gastvrij Rotterdam, Horecava, De Horecabond, Bidfood Nederland, Herman Wines, Brinks CoffeeRoasters, VHC ActiFood, Horecavakbeurs Hardenberg, and Wijnkooperij De Lange. “New partners are welcome and can sign up.”
About the founders
The ‘Gezellig’ quality mark was established in 2023 by Jeannine Sok and Sven Heijkoop. Sok is the first gastologist in the Netherlands and owner of Gastologie in Nijmegen. Through her developed hospitality philosophy and training method, she helps people optimise hospitality. She is the creator of the board game Gastologie and author of several books such as ‘How Hospitable Are You?’. Sven Heijkoop is a hospitality entrepreneur and owner of restaurant Copain in ’s-Hertogenbosch.