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Young entrepreneurial spirit, big ambitions and oysters as experience
Serving oysters is one thing. Creating an experience is quite another. With Ostreum Group, Amike Theune and Stijn Ars are building a luxury oyster concept that redefines hospitality.
Serving oysters is one thing. Creating an atmosphere is something else entirely. With Ostreum Group, Amike Theune and Stijn Ars demonstrate how youthful entrepreneurial spirit and grand ambitions come together to set a new standard for international hospitality. What began out of pure passion is evolving into a refined concept with a clear international vision. Their ambition? It extends beyond national borders. With Ostreum, they aim to be present in every major city around the world.
We might know you from De Oesterbazen. How did you ever end up in the oyster world?
Amike: “Our background is really in Zeeland. We grew up with the sea, and where there is sea, there are oysters. It actually started very innocently. At a festival near us, two oyster girls had dropped out. They knew us and knew that we could shuck oysters. Then we were asked if we wanted to fill in.”
Stijn: “We didn't even really know the concept back then. We just jumped right in and suddenly found ourselves right in the middle of the people. But from the very first moment, we noticed that it suited us. It didn't feel like work, more like something that just happened naturally.”
What attracted you so much to working with oysters that you continued doing this together?
Amike: Oysters have something special about them. There is a luxurious and exclusive feel surrounding them. People who love them are truly passionate about them. That makes them fun to work with.
Stijn: And that passion is contagious. After those first assignments, things started to snowball. We noticed that it energized us and that it was something we wanted to develop further together, rather than leaving it as a fun side project.
At some point, you decided to take a new step with Ostreum. Can you tell us more about this?
Amike: We learned a tremendous amount with De Oesterbazen. Things went well in the Netherlands and Belgium, but at a certain point, you realize that your ambition extends further. We wanted to create something that could also exist internationally.
Stijn: "Ostreum is actually the result of everything we have seen, learned, and refined along the way. It goes much deeper. Not just serving oysters, but creating a total experience where everything is right.”
How would you describe the difference between what you were doing and what you are building now?
Amike: De Oesterbazen is accessible, playful, and suitable for many occasions. Ostreum is more refined. Everything is well thought out and more consciously chosen.
Stijn: We truly view Ostreum as an art form. Hence our slogan: Oysters like you've never experiencedIt is about next-level hospitality, where every detail counts.
What do you take away from your previous experience that still forms the basis of your work today?
Amike: We have learned to make choices. Not every assignment fits the vision you have, and that is okay.
Stijn: Being selective, maintaining personal contact, and focusing on quality rather than quantity. Fewer assignments, but the right ones. That still forms the basis of everything we do.
How do you recognize a good oyster?
Amike: It starts with the basics: freshness, aroma, and how the oyster opens. That just has to be right.
Stijn: But it doesn't stop there. It is somewhat comparable to a hotel room. In a five-star hotel, it is not just about the bed, but about everything surrounding it. That attention to detail ultimately makes the difference.
Amike: And it is precisely that 'everything surrounding it' that Ostreum stands for. The oyster is the starting point, but the experience surrounding it determines how the moment is perceived.
It is somewhat comparable to a hotel room. In a five-star hotel, it is not just about the bed, but about everything around it.
What do you like best about this new phase as entrepreneurs?
Amike: That we can think bigger. With Ostreum, we can truly give direction to our vision and our long-term goal.
Stijn: For me, it is primarily the creative freedom. Coming up with new concepts, continuing to innovate, and making a greater impact on people. That gives me a lot of energy.
Imagine: you can let one person in the world taste a Zeeland oyster. Who would that be and why?
Stijn: “I would choose Jeff Bezos. Especially because of his entrepreneurial mindset and his obsession with quality and details. We certainly identify with that. And let’s be honest, an assignment on his yacht wouldn’t be a punishment either.”
Amike: I can go in any direction. Kim Kardashian briefly crossed my mind. haha“But ultimately, I would let the entire Tomorrowland management team taste an oyster. They understand better than anyone how to bring together sensation, food, and experience. That fits very well with what we want to create.”
Where do you hope to be with Ostreum in five years?
Amike: That Ostreum is a brand that stands for quality and experience, and for now, at least in Europe. A name that people recognize and trust.
Stijn: That Ostreum is synonymous with luxury hospitality. That we get to work on the most beautiful international projects and that people know where to find us when they want to create something truly special.
