Chef de Cuisine: Marco Helsloot

Marco, born and raised in Volendam in North Holland, brings with him a rich culinary experience. His culinary journey started 10 years ago at Restaurant Merlet, after his first star experience at Duin en Kruidberg. Until 2019 he worked at Merlet and ended up as sous-chef to Jonathan Zandbergen. Marco Helsloot contributes to the success of the restaurant with his passion and craftsmanship. He then broadened his horizons as a sous chef in two-star restaurants, including the renowned restaurant “Het Nonnetje” in Harderwijk and “212” in Amsterdam.

The chef attaches great importance to collaboration in the kitchen and believes that sharing ideas and creative processes leads to the most tasty dishes. His vision is to create a culinary experience that not only stimulates the senses but also reflects the warmth of shared effort. In addition to his impressive track record, Marco is also the proud winner of prestigious cooking competitions such as the Golden Chef's Hat, the Silver Chef's Knife, national champion of young chefs 2017, and he has won the culinary competition "Battle on the Scheldt".

Marco runs the kitchen with great pleasure and enthusiasm, and with sous-chef Bas Varga at his side, they form a dynamic and talented duo. In addition to many years of experience at Merlet, Bas Varga also worked for a number of years at two-star restaurant Tribeca. Together they are determined to continue the culinary tradition of Restaurant Merlet and reach new culinary highlights.