Tribute to a master in the kitchen: Jonnie Boer

The culinary world is in deep mourning. Netherlands' only three-star chef Jonnie Boer of Librije in Zwolle has passed away. A beloved chef, colleague and friend, but above all a cherished person. Colleagues, friends and acquaintances share their memories in this tribute to the unexpectedly departed master of the kitchen.

The (culinary) world is in deep mourning. The Netherlands' only three-star chef Jonnie Boer of the Zwolle Librije is no more. A beloved chef, colleague, friend, but above all a beloved person. Colleagues, friends and acquaintances share their memories in a tribute to the unexpectedly deceased master in the kitchen.

Erik and Anja van Loo, Restaurant Parkheuvel**

"We were sailing on the IJsselmeer: ​​Jonnie, Thérèse, Erik and me. And Jonnie was bothered by a swarm of mosquitoes, so he decided to sail backwards. Of course we ended up on a sandbank. It didn't matter. We had fun. With a sausage roll, but good wine. Jonnie was really special. Always himself, so down to earth. An incredibly involved man with attention for others, always interested. Always an arm, a hug. He leaves behind an enormous legacy, so much skill, love for nature, for life. Jonnie was not a hundred, but a thousand percent and just like Thérèse with a really good nature. We were at their wedding, at the baptism of both children, every party, every step we experienced and celebrated together. We will miss a very, very great friend. And with us so many others.”

Marleen Brouwer – Restaurant Noor*

''Jonnie Boer — a chef of unparalleled class, with a capital G in greatness. For me, and undoubtedly for many, a shining example. I do not speak only for myself when I say: this man deserves a statue in Zwolle.

The day we shared a glass of wine on the steps of De Librije is deeply embedded in my memory. Just like the moment Jonnie, together with the love of his life Thérèse, opened our Noor — a day that will forever be etched in my heart.

He was the reason I went into the chef's profession. The driving force behind my pursuit of the highest level. An icon of Dutch gastronomy has passed away — the godfather of our culinary world. He preferred to avoid the stage, but stood there in heart and soul. And more than anyone, he deserved it.

CHEF… thank you.

Forever three stars in the sky.''

André Gerrits – Restaurant Genèvieve & Team 't Amsterdammertje*

''The Johan Cruijff of the hospitality industry is no more... With disbelief, deep dismay and intense sadness we had to say goodbye to a true icon, much, much too soon!
Terribly unfair.

His passion, vision and tireless dedication have inspired generations and changed Dutch gastronomy forever.

Our thoughts are with his family, relatives, friends, colleagues and of course the entire team of De Librije. We wish the family all the strength and love in this difficult time.

A great man leaves an even greater legacy.''

Astrid Joosten, wine expert Astrid & Thérèse and friend

''It's unbelievable. They had it so good and after years of hard work they finally wanted to take more time for themselves. That plan also included more beautiful wine trips with the four of us.
I am in shock, I can't put it any other way. And I sympathize tremendously with the grief of Thérèse and the children.

We now see beautiful tributes to this top chef everywhere, which he unfortunately no longer experiences. What I am very happy about is the fact that broadcaster Max showed in a beautiful series how great Jonnie was and at the same time so modest. Gault & Millaut also recently made a wonderfully filmed tribute, shown in a small circle. Jonnie and Thérèse were able to enjoy both of them enormously; they were moved to tears.

But the most beautiful recognition for your profession pales in comparison to the loss and the sadness that is there now. A beautiful and sincere person is no longer there. He leaves a big hole and a family. I want to be there for my dear friend now and wish the family much strength with this unimaginable loss.''

Yves Gijrath – MASTERS HQ.

"The master of the egg, the man of silence

At a certain point in life, there lived a man who cooked like a poet. Jonnie Boer was his name, a name that carried both the simplicity of the land and the refinement of a gastronomic saint. A farmer, yes, but one who did not turn the earth with an iron plough, but with a silver spoon. I was allowed to know him, as many others do. And as is the case with people who really leave something behind: you never forget them. He was there, with us, at the fair. Not just as a chef. No, as an alchemist. A master of umami. In the heart of the hustle and bustle, he set up his pop-up restaurant as if it were De Librije itself: with that same beneficent precision, that same calm of someone who knows what he is doing, down to the fiber of his being. But my fondest memory is that of a cooking competition. Not a culinary duel, more of a ritual.

The assignment? Improve his signature dish: “egg with caviar”. It’s like asking Messi if you can do a shoot-out from the centre spot of Camp Nou, with the VISCA EL BARÇA sign still glowing in the evening sun. And yet: I did. The jury? Thérèse. His muse, his lover, his eternal chairwoman. She let me win. And in doing so, she honoured not me, but him. Because true greatness is not the one who wins, but the one for whom winning seems obvious and losing unthinkable. And yet, when he lost, his smile remained. What stayed with me was not so much the dish, however delicate, but his attitude. His eyes. A boyish gaiety danced in them. A calm energy. A subtle mind that composed in silence what others could not achieve with noise. His life was work. Craft. Always refined, never worn out. And after years of toil, on his own strength and without frills, there was the reward: a life on Bonaire. With Thérèse. A horizon of peace, wind through the palms, sun on the skin. Finally. But life, that stubborn script that pays no attention to logic or merit, brought him back sooner than anyone had hoped. Sometimes life is not bitter. It is more bitter. Because Jonnie Boer posthumously deserves not only our honor, but our silence. A silence that sounds like an empty plate that will never be filled again. A kitchen that no longer smells. A voice that no longer says softly: “Perfect, that's how it should be in the room.” He was a man after my own heart. Not because of his star guide. But because of his decency. And that is, at this lonely height of his legacy, the most beautiful ingredient that a person can leave behind.”

Carsten Klint – Culinary entrepreneur

''What Jonnie, together with Thérèse and the entire Librije family, means cannot be described in words. Just like his loss. He is the culinary pope of our country. The Bocuse of the Low Countries. The Cruijff of Dutch gastronomy. There are plenty of memories and his legacy has been increasingly seen in recent years among their former employees, who have become chefs elsewhere or started their own business. A visionary when he started with local, unknown products and regional suppliers, when the concept of sustainability or regional product had yet to be invented. Groundbreaking. Besides all that, Jonnie is a man of taste, few words and a lot of humor. A huge loss for Thérèse, Jimmie and Isabelle.''

Bas van Kranen – Restaurant Flore**, De L'Europe Amsterdam

''When I heard that Jonnie Boer had passed away, I felt the same raw sadness as I had eleven years ago when I lost Paul van de Bunt, that feeling of helplessness that overwhelms you when a great chef and personality is suddenly gone.

Twenty years ago I was in the scullery at Da Vinci. I didn't know anything yet, but I already looked up to Jonnie.

One thing I see now, twenty years later, is that he was already further along than anyone else. He honored the Dutch product in a way that is only now seen as progressive. Where wild picking is 'hip' today, he was already thinking about magnolia, meadowsweet, crayfish and wigeon. Pike-perch from the IJsselmeer on the plate, with the precision of a poet.

He turned the Dutch landscape into a kitchen. What he left behind is unprecedented. What we have to miss, immeasurable.''

Dennis Huwaë, Restaurant Daalder*
"It was with disbelief and sadness that I received the news of Jonnie's passing. To me, and my entire generation of chefs, he was a huge inspiration. An icon, a motivator and an incredibly warm and sincere person. Whether it was the competitions he judged, his honest feedback or the times he came to eat at Daalder, he always gave me the confidence to follow my own path.
If you were feeling down, he would give you that little push to keep going. You don't forget someone like that.
Jonnie was the king of the hospitality industry, but for me he was also a mentor and friend. Tonight, like many restaurants in the Netherlands, we will be silent for two minutes at 20:00 PM. For Jonnie. And as a show of support for the entire Librije family.”

Tim Golsteijn – Restaurant Bourgainville*, Hotel TwentySeven

''Rest in peace great Chef.

“They say Legends never die”

With the passing of Jonnie Boer, the Netherlands loses a culinary grandfather!

His personality and passion continue to be a source of inspiration to me.

His flame fades, but his legacy continues to burn.

Rest in peace Chef.''

Guido Braeken – Restaurant crEATe | Van Oys Maastricht Retreat – Eijsden-Margraten

''I am shocked and deeply affected by the sudden death of Jonnie Boer.

I have had the pleasure of enjoying his fantastic culinary creations and the beautiful ambiance in which this took place on several occasions.
Very honored because I could cook for him too.

In 2022, we stood together on the podium of honor at Michelin in De La Mar.
Thank you Jonnie for who you were. You are now, far too early, your own star up there and you will always keep shining.

I would like to wish Thérèse, Jimmie and Isabelle and all their loved ones much strength.''

Yuri Wiesen – Restaurant Wiesen*

''Jonnie came with his wife and several great chefs to eat at Wiesen after the funeral of Paul van den Bunt. I know he gave me a big compliment about my kitchen... taste with balls! I will never forget that... I walked back into the kitchen proudly! Much too young! Sad, I really didn't sleep because of it!''

Edwin Vinke, Restaurant De Kromme Watergang*

''Had some beautiful personal moments with him on Ibiza and Curacao. But see him above all as one of the greatest Dutch masters in the field of cooking. Great respect all around as a person & entrepreneur.''

Richard van Oostenbrugge – Restaurant De Juwelier*, 212**, Bistro de la Mer

''Jonnie has brought about a mega innovation in Dutch gastronomy. He was and remains an example to so many. Together with Thérèse he has created something that did not exist before. And always approachable, always sweet, involved and always with a big heart for his guests. And that for such a long time. I have so much respect for that. Of course he has also inspired my cooking, but above all his humanity makes me truly devastated with grief. I cannot even begin to imagine how much grief Thérèse and the children and their entire team must feel. My wife and I wish them all the love in the world.''

Dick Middelweerd – Restaurant De Treeswijkhoeve**

''Great stories about Jonnie Boer. When we were young chefs, we used to be in a club together. We inspired each other and met regularly. One day, Jonnie told us he had an idea for a lollipop made of duck liver, candied duck and beetroot. The only thing he needed were wooden sticks. Eventually, he found a lollipop manufacturer who was prepared to supply him with those sticks. Years later, those lollipop sticks were a standard item at every catering wholesaler. So everyone copied him.''